Australian Open: Qantas CEO slams Victoria premier for allowing players to enter Melbourne

Under fire for many months now, the Australian Open has finally begun. With the qualifiers complete, players have started to arrive at Melbourne (a select few at Adelaide) to begin a rigorous 14-day log quarantine process. Already, the pre-departure and on-arrival testing has revealed a number of players to be COVID-19 positive and it seems to be making locals nervous. Among these is Alan Joyce, the CEO of Australia's Qantas Airways. 

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Australian Open draws fire from Qantas Airways CEO

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has publicly criticised Victorian premier Daniel Andrews over his decision to go ahead with the Australian Open. Accusing him of being a hypocrite who has banned his own people from returning home, while in the same breath allowing hundreds of foreign players and their entourages and to land in Melbourne, Joyce said: 

“Victoria’s approach to Sydney seems to be out of proportion with the actual risk. And that makes it hard to reconcile the decision to allow over 1000 people in from overseas for the Australian Open from countries where the virus is raging. To deny people who actually live in the state the right to return with some basic precautions... is bizarre at a policy level and devastating at a social level”

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In his defence, Andrews has argued that players being detected with COVID-19 this early on is a sign that the systems for detection and prevention put in place are working. He has also stressed that the economic advantages and job creation that will come from the tournament will be a huge stimulus to restart the economy of Melbourne. “If the Australian Open does not happen in Melbourne, it will happen in Japan.. China... Singapore... the real risk then is it doesn’t come back" he added. 

However, Andrews and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley may not have yet faced the last of their problems. So far, Andy Murray and Madison Keys have tested positive in the pre-departure tests, while personnel on one of the charter flights have been found to be positive. Some lower-ranked players have also called out TA for favouring players likes Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep and Dominic Thiem, who have been allowed to quarantine under seemingly more liberal circumstances in Adelaide on the condition that they play an exhibition tour there.

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Australian Open 2021 schedule

Here is the Australian Open 2021 schedule:

Men’s and Women’s singles first round - February 8-9

Men’s and women’s singles second round - February 10-11

Men’s and women’s singles third round - February 12-13

Men’s and women’s singles fourth round - February 14-15

Men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals - February 16-17

Women’s semi-finals and first men’s semi-final - February 18

Second men’s semi-final - February 19

Women’s final - February 20

Men’s final - February 21

Also Read | Andy Murray Tests COVID-19 Positive, May Not Participate In Upcoming Australian Open

Image Credits: AP