Australian Open 2021 to cost whopping ₹609 CR, recovery from COVID-19 to take '5 years'

After many months of speculation about the fate of the first Grand Slam of 2021, Tennis Australia has announced the dates for the Australian Open 2021. The marquee hardcourt event is set to have a delayed start and with the possibility of a reduced audience under these unusual circumstances, will set back Tennis Australia by a huge amount. With one TV broadcast deal already on the verge of falling through, the organizers have announced that they will have to borrow heavily to pay for next year's tournament. 

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How much will the Australian Open 2021 cost?

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley has announced the Australian Open dates for 2021. After many disagreements with the Victoria State government - under whose jurisdiction the Australian Open's venue of Melbourne Park falls, it seems that the Grand Slam will, as speculated, have a delayed start. “It’s been a while, but the great news is it looks like we are going to be able to hold the AO on February 8” read a statement by Tiley. 

This delay is set to cost the organizers heavily. Under the rules set forth by medical professionals and the state government, Tennis Australia will be shelling out an extraordinary amount of money to maintain safety standards for players and fans. This includes paying for charter flights for players, covering accommodation and living costs and the cost of testing. All this is expected to come to about $40 million (AUD) (₹219 crores). TA is also expected to pay out their full prize money purse of $71 million (₹390 crores). 

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According to reports by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, Tiley has written a letter to the local press/players saying, “We expect that we will use the majority of our reserves in maintaining funding to the sport and playing group. As a result, we are exploring options for a line of credit and/or a loan which will allow us to maintain cash flow at critical times and support us in the recovery from the impacts of the pandemic once access to government subsidies have ended". Highlighting the adverse effect of the pandemic, he also added that "recovery from the pandemic will take up to five years.”

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Rules for the Australian Open 2021

Considering the steep fall in Melbourne coronavirus cases and the effort that has gone behind controlling it, the Victoria State government has put stringent rules in place for the Australian Open. Players will fly into Melbourne between January 15 and 17. A 14-day quarantine period will start once all the players have flown in. Players will be allowed to train for five hours a day once they return a negative test on Day 2 and will be allowed to bring just one other person to court with them. There will be four more tests before the start of the tournament.

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Image Credits: AP