By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday January 29, 2021
Local government has announced that the Australian Open will be permitted to host 30,000 spectators per day in week one.
Photo Source: Mark Peterson / Corleve
The Australian Open is ready to welcome fans.
390,000, in fact, according to Victoria Sports Minister Martin Paluka. The tournament has announced, per the state’s chief health officer, that the tournament will welcome 30,000 spectators per day in the first eight days, followed by 25,000 spectators per day in the final six days of the tournament.
The news comes just a day after Adelaide brightened the complexion of the 2021 tennis season by hosting 4,000 fans for “A Day at the Drive”, which featured Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, Rafael Nadal Serena Williams and other stars.
The event was a big success and it helped changed the conversation around the Australian Open. For the last fourteen days we have heard primarily about the difficulties of quarantine, the gripes of the players and the growing frustration of the public with the players’ inability to read the room and show compassion for Australia.
In the meantime, the nation has all but eradicated the virus from its soil and it plans to reap the benefits this summer by hosting an Australian Open filled to at least 50 percent capacity.
The fun gets underway next week in Melbourne, with six different tournaments all taking place in Melbourne Park, including the ATP Cup and two WTA 500 events.
The Australian Open kicks off on February 8.