Australian Open given green light

The Australian Open will start on February 8, organisers confirmed on Saturday after months of speculation over the first Grand Slam of 2021.

Players will compete for Aus$71 million (US$54 million) at next year's Australian Open, tournament chief Craig Tiley said Saturday, confirming the Grand Slam will begin three weeks late and players must undergo quarantine.

Singles, doubles and wheelchair competitions will all be played as usual after agreement was reached to stage the event following eight months of talks between Tennis Australia and state authorities in Melbourne.

But the men's and women's qualifiers will be held in Doha and Dubai respectively from January 10-13 while the junior championships have been postponed until later in the year.

"This will be an historic Australian Open on so many levels," tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement. "For the first time in more than 100 years the Australian Open will start in February and we look forward to offering the players what we believe will be one of their best playing experiences in 2021."

The state of Victoria on Saturday recorded a 50th straight day without a case of community transmitted Covid-19 but many health restrictions remain in place in Melbourne and international travel into Australia is still strictly limited.