Sydney (AFP)

The Australian Tennis Federation, organizer of the Australian Open, admitted on Thursday that it was considering all options for the 2021 edition, including cancellation if the coronavirus pandemic were to continue.

"We have never hidden that we are studying a number of scenarios," a Tennis Australia spokesperson told AFP.

"We hope the best scenario is realized, but it is important to plan for all possibilities," she continued, detailing several options ranging from outright cancellation of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year to admit only Australian spectators through a quarantine period for players from abroad.

"We have to look at all these possibilities, because many of these decisions will not be our responsibility and will be linked to measures taken by the government. That is why we must have a number of protocols ready to ensure the health of all ", said the spokeswoman.

The 2021 edition of the Australian Open is scheduled to take place in Melbourne from January 18 to 31.

But world tennis has been stopped since March because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will not be able to resume at the earliest until mid-July, according to the decisions of the ATP and the WTA, which respectively govern the men's circuits and feminine.

The Wimbledon tournament was canceled this year, while Roland Garros was rescheduled in September. Finally, the organizers of the US Open, traditionally the fourth and last Grand Slam tournament of the year, will decide in June whether their event, scheduled from August 31 to September 13, will take place or should be postponed.

Australia has succeeded in limiting the number of people infected with the coronavirus - less than 7,000 for less than 100 dead --- by imposing draconian restrictions notably on international movements which are prohibited.

© 2020 AFP