For the second straight year, the Australian Open will be played under special circumstances. In 2020, several of the matches were either delayed or postponed as the smoke from the Australian wildfires posed a serious threat to the health of the players. The 2021 tournament got pushed back from January to February due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the health and safety protocols, players were required to go through a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. Players were also given a strict practice schedule that was limited to individual workouts as part of the tournament organizer’s efforts to enforce social distancing and limited exposure. Even with all of these obstacles the players must face, the Australian Open should still be an exciting tournament.
The women’s field is wide open, but the key players to look out for are Serena Williams, Sofia Kenin, Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Ash Barty.
Serena Williams: The spotlight will be shined heavily on Williams as she seeks her elusive 24th Grand Slam Singles Title to tie the all-time tennis champion Margaret Court. Serena has not won a Grand Slam event since her 2017 victory at the Australian Open.
Sofia Kenin: Kenin, the 2020 French Open runner-up and last year’s champion at the Australian Open will enter the tournament with a target on her back as she tries to defend her title.
Iga Swiatek: The 19-year-old Swiatek is the 2020 French Open champion and will be looking for her second career Grand Slam Singles Title.
Naomi Osaka: Osaka, a two-time U.S. Open champion (2018, 2020), will try to win her second Australian Open. She was the 2019 winner.
Garbiñe Muguruza: Muguruza was the 2020 runner-up. It was also the first time in her career that she made it to the final of the Australian Open.
Ash Barty: Finally, there’s fan-favorite and Australian native Ash Barty. Barty was a semi-finalist at last year’s tournament and has not played in a tennis tournament in 11 months, so she might be a bit rusty.
The men’s field is less open. With Roger Federer out due to injury, the top two favorites for the men’s 2021 Australian Open Title are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Nadal has 20 Grand Slam Singles Titles and is tied with Federer for most all-time. Djokovic is second on the list with 17 Grand Slam Singles Titles and has won each of the previous two Australian Opens. Should either of these two men lose early in the tournament, it would open up the field for some of the younger players like Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, or Daniil Medvedev.
The Australian Open is scheduled for February 8th through the 21st, and because Australia is free from Covid-19, tournament organizers are hoping to have large crowds in attendance.
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