Australian Open warm-up events recommence after player Coronavirus tests return negatives

Australian Open warm-up events have resumed today with officials confirmed that all 507 tests of players and officials for COVID-19 had come back negative.

With pre-tournament events halted yesterday after a worker at a quarantine hotel for Australian Open players tested positive for Coronavirus, forcing players and staff back into isolation, the one-day postponement of the WTA and ATP events has meant the remainder of the tournaments have been condensed into three-day schedules.

Following the confirmed positive test result of the hotel worker, all players who were housed at Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt have been tested for COVID-19.

Commenting on the disruption, Tennis Australia Chief Executive and Australian Open Tournament Director, Craig Tiley, told Melbourne radio station 3AW “this is a hurdle we’ve faced over the last 24 hours, we look forward to hopefully getting through it, and then to continue on.

“The players have been remarkable … they’ve been 14 days in quarantine, some of them longer, and it took them a while to get used to that as we all know with their comments.

“But the majority have been fantastic.”

Tiley confirmed that the first major tennis tournament of 2021 will see 30,000 fans allowed into Melbourne Park each day, noting “the site will be an extremely safe place, there is a health check coming in, there’s contact tracing set up, and it’s divided into zones for physical distancing.”

With the Australian Open set to start on Monday, the Victorian Government has confirmed new rules governing the wearing of masks during the tournament, with mask wearing restrictions in Melbourne Park’ roofed arenas depending on whether its roof is open or closed.

When roofs are open, stadiums will be taken as outdoor venues, and mask use will not be required while seated.

The rules will apply to the three main courts at Melbourne Park, including Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena.

Spectators will be required to wear masks in the concourse area of each stadium, as these are indoor spaces.

The plans are similar to last month's Australia-India cricket Test in Brisbane, where COVID restrictions allowed fans to avoid wearing masks while in their seats, but made it compulsory to wear them when going to the bathroom or to buy food and drink.

Images: Australian Open action at Melbourne Park's John Cain Arena (top) and Tennis Australia Chief Executive and Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley (below).