Slams vow no repeat of Novak tour mistakes

Days after a handful of the world's leading tennis players hugged and high-fived on court in front of packed stands and partied together in carefree fashion, some－including world No 1 Novak Djokovic－were revealed to have been infected by the coronavirus.

As a cautionary tale, it could hardly be more stark.

Though the players were not breaking government protocols during the Djokovic-organized Adria Tour exhibition events in Serbia and Croatia, the positive tests highlight the risks of athletes from different countries mingling without adhering to what have become social-distancing norms.

Now, organizers of the world's biggest tournaments say they will not make the same mistakes as they reopen the sport and seek to keep the players safe.

"There were a fair few learnings that have come out of that (Adria Tour)," Tennis Australia's (TA) chief operating officer, Tom Larner, told Reuters.

"And while, certainly the whole event was actually really well-intentioned in terms of raising money for charity, the execution was clearly not great, as were the processes in place."

TA offered a glimpse into the biosecurity protocols that could be in place for next year's Australian Open while announcing measures for the domestic UTR Pro Tennis Series.

Players would have to bring their own towels and will be encouraged to shower off-site. On-court personnel would be limited to an umpire, minimal line judges and no ballkids.

First up, though, will be the US Open, scheduled to be held in New York from Aug 31. Organizers have come under fire, including from Djokovic, who initially called their measures "extreme". They will now feel vindicated.

"This situation is exactly why we have created a comprehensive health and medical plan... that was approved by New York State," USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier told Reuters.

"The creation of a controlled US Open environment, including official hotels, transportation, food, medical and safety protocols, enables us to mitigate potential risk, and appropriately respond to any issues."

The US Open will have no spectators, there will be limitations on players' entourages and everyone must wear masks on site, unless they are practicing or competing. Testing will be conducted before traveling to the United States and at least once per week along with daily temperature checks.

New York City has witnessed an easing of lockdown restrictions in recent days but residents have been asked to follow social-distancing norms and cover faces in public.

Reuters