A third WTA 500 event in Melbourne was added to the week before the Australian Open to give players the best possible preparation and training opportunities during the Australian swing.
The Grampians Trophy, for players who were unable to train during the 14-day quarantine block, was added to the Melbourne Summer Series of events during February and will take place from Wednesday, February 3 to Sunday, February 7. This event will have 28 main draw players.
The Gippsland Trophy and the Yarra Valley Classic, the two events originally planned for Sunday, January 31 to Saturday, February 6, will move forward with slightly reduced draw sizes. These events will now have 54 individual players in each main draw, plus 28 teams of doubles each.
After extensive consultation between players and WTA and ATP Tours, Tennis Australia designed a new schedule, taking into account the limited time that many players had to prepare.
“This has been a particularly challenging time for hard lockdown athletes and we, along with the WTA and ATP, intend to do everything we can to help,” said Australia Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley.
“These changes to the opening events were made to give 72 players a little more time to help them prepare. We will also prioritize them for activities such as practice sessions, gymnastics and ice baths. “
“This revised schedule consisting of three WTA 500 events in the week leading up to the next Australian Open will allow our athletes coming out of the respected quarantine period to properly focus on their preparation for a return to competition,” said WTA CEO Steve Simon .
“We appreciate the positive spirit of collaboration shown by our friends at Tennis Australia and ATP as these solutions were worked out in the last few days. All of our players appreciate the opportunity to be here in Melbourne and look forward to entering the court to compete and entertain the incredible fans who are here with great tennis for the next few weeks in a very safe and healthy environment. “