COVID-safe rules for Australian Open unveiled

From cheering to asking for autographs, these are the COVID-safe rules fans and players will have to follow at the Australian Open.

Tennis fans will be able to ask their favourite players for autographs, throw balls hit into the crowd back on court and cheer loudly at this year’s COVID-safe Australian Open.

The Herald Sun can also ­reveal spectators will not be forced to wear masks even if the three major stadiums — Rod Laver, Margret Court and John Cain arenas — close their roofs.

While there will be no “Autograph Island”, tournament organisers said it would be up to individual players to “choose how they interact with fans and sign autographs”.

“The international AO players have all completed 14 days of quarantine so are no greater risk to the community than the players at a local tennis club,” organisers said.

Ash Barty poses with a fan at the WTA 500 Yarra Valley Classic.

A worker disinfects a sitting area.

“Thanks to Victorians’ efforts to stop any community transmission, we are in a position where we can all cheer as loudly as we like at the tennis, provided we are maintaining physical distance, and the limits on capacity are designed to support this.

“The spectator can throw the ball back and we would recommend they sanitise their hands at one of the 800 hand-sanitising stations onsite.”

A record 380 ballkids will be on court this year, but players will have to fetch their own towels as part of COVID-safe changes.

Health authorities have recommended spectators wear a mask if they cannot socially distance.

A masked Ash Barty smiled as she posed for a selfie with a fan on Sunday, after her Yarra Valley Classic doubles match at Melbourne Park.

World No 1 Novak Djokovic and Australian Nick Kyrgios were also spotted having a practice hit.

Nick Kyrgios practises his serves during a practice session at Melbourne Park.

Novak Djokovic enjoys a hit after leaving quarantine.

It comes as Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley revealed a string of strange requests from players, who have now emerged from two weeks’ quarantine.

“The most bizarre request was for a kitten in the lockdown room, and that wasn’t once, that was several times,” he told the ABC’s Offsiders.

“But then we explained that actually there is a correlation between the coronavirus and kittens and that kind of request went away.

“Puppies — there had been some for dogs — and someone was ­joking with us about if there is a way to get some ­animals that are indigenous to Australia in there as well.”

Ball kids arrive at Melbourne Park.

Mr Tiley joked: “There were a few times I wouldn’t mind putting a boxing kangaroo in there.”

Fifteen people connected to the Open remained in quarantine by 11pm on Saturday, with three active cases.

Up to 30,000 fans a day are expected at the grand slam event during the first week, before crowd numbers are capped at 25,000 a day for the final week of play.