The Australian Open will start on February 8 with three lead-up events in Melbourne

Qualifying for the Australian Open will take place overseas for the first time after the tournament’s start date was locked in

The Australian Open has been locked in for a February 8 start

The Australian Open will start on February 8 and qualifying will be played in Qatar after confirmation from the ATP today.

The revised 2021 ATP Tour calendar included the later start to the first Grand Slam of the year with a series of lead-up events also to be played in Melbourne at the end of January.

Confirmation from the governing body of men‘s professional tennis follows weeks of speculation about the future of next year’s event.

Australian Open men’s qualifying will take place from 10-13 January in Doha, and the allocated dates of 15-31 January will then allow for travel and a 14-day quarantine period for all players and support staff travelling to Melbourne.

The controlled environment quarantine period will enable players to prepare ahead of a 12-team ATP Cup in Melbourne, which will be played alongside the relocated Adelaide International, as well as an additional ATP 250 tournament, all held in Melbourne.

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season, will follow from 8-21 February

The ATP has today announced an update to the 2021 ATP Tour calendar, outlining a revised schedule for the first seven weeks of the season.

— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 17, 2020