Going by the schedule, the Australian Open 2021 will begin on February 8, 2021. However, there are still clouds of uncertainty looming around the Grand Slam.

The coronavirus pandemic is not over yet and it can prove to be a major obstacle in the path of the major. The effect is such that the pandemic has the potential of even canceling the big Slam.

Two crew members tested positive ahead of the Australian Open 2021

Two crew members who were there on the flights carrying tennis players recently tested positive for COVID-19. It is a cause of big worry, as there is a possibility that they might have infected other passengers as well.

According to some reports, the management has asked around 50 players to remain under strict quarantine until further orders. This is quite troublesome for the players too, as they would not be able to train outside until the next instructions arrive.

In such a scenario, it is really hard for Tennis Australia to organize the event as per schedule. However, Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, has something else to say on the issue.

Read More: When and where to watch the Australian Open 2021?

“Our intention is to absolutely continue with those dates”– Craig Tiley

Despite the fact that two crew members tested positive, Tiley said that the management would stick to the planned date without any postponement or cancellation. He mentioned that it was unfortunate that two people tested positive but also revealed that there were 643 other tests that came out to be negative.

“Ticket sales have been going well, we have two weeks of great tennis and our intention is to absolutely continue with those dates. So far, we have had 643 negative tests and two which have been unfortunately positive,” said Tiley.

With Tiley’s words, it looks quite certain that the Australian Open 2021 will take place at its usual time. However, there are still three weeks left before the Grand Slam. Even though Tiley looks firm on his stance, he will have to change something about his plans if more positive cases arrive in the future.

As of now, the Australian Open is on and will take place from February 8, 2021, to February 21, 2021. It will be the first Grand Slam of the year and thus, fans are quite excited about it. They’ll certainly hope that it will not get canceled so that they’ll get to see their favorite superstars live soon.

Also Read: All you need to know about the Australian Open 2021 bubble in Melbourne and Adelaide