Advantage Australia as leading locals train as rival stars are locked down

Former champions Victoria Azarenka and Sofia Kenin are among those caught up in the coronavirus lockdown for the Australian Open

Sofia Kenin was celebrating her Australian Open triumph on the banks of the Yarra River last year but is now caught up in a COVID-19 drama Picture: Getty Images

Australia’s top-ranked man Alex de Minaur is fortunate to have avoided having his Open preparations hindered by being forced into a fortnight of strict quarantine.

The 21-year-old started the season brilliantly when claiming the fourth ATP Tour title of his career in Turkey before departing for Australia from the Middle East.

One of the flights from Abu Dhabi forced leading female contenders including defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and dual-winner Victoria Azarenka into lockdown.

They are among dozens of participants whose Australian Open preparation is in disarray after a flight from Dubai and another from Los Angeles arrived with COVID-19 infected passengers.

The Chief Medical Officer opted to institute a plane-wide quarantine instead of isolating close contacts due to fears the positives stem from the highly contagious UK-variant.

There are four Australian Open-affiliated people, including two coaches, who have tested positive.

Sylvain Bruneau, the coach of 2019 US Open champion, is devastated his positive test is among those to have an impact on dozens of players.

“I also respected and followed all COVID protocols and guidelines while in the Middle East. I have no idea how I might have contracted the virus,” he said.

“I am extremely saddened and sorry for the consequences now on everyone’s shoulders sharing my flight.

“The rest of my team is negative and I sincerely hope that any further disruption is kept to a minimum.”

But de Minaur, who will lead Australia in the ATP Cup from February 1 before taking the court as a seed at the Australian Open, was on a different flight after transiting from Turkey.

The right-hander, who is staying at the Grand Hyatt in the Melbourne CBD, is expected to be allowed to practise at Melbourne Park from Monday during a five-hour window each day.

There was confusion among coaches and players based at the three Melbourne quarantine hotels after practice sessions scheduled for Sunday afternoon were abandoned.

No reason had been offered to them by tournament organisers when the first session, which was scheduled for 3:45pm, arrived. Tennis Australia has been contacted for an explanation.

With Kenin and Azarenka among those in lockdown, world No 1 Ash Barty is among the few players able to prepare as usual.

After training at Melbourne Park last week, which included sessions on Rod Laver Arena, Barty will now move her training to Kooyong, with courts at Xavier College also an option.

There are no restrictions on the amount of time the 24-year-old, who was a semi-finalist in Melbourne last year when beaten by Kenin, can spend training.

Serena Williams, who is chasing a record-equalling 24th major title, and leading male contenders Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are among those preparing in Adelaide.

They are allowed to train for five hours each day and have access to a gym in their hotel in North Adelaide.

In comparison, those allowed to train in Victoria during the five-hour window must use one of the makeshift gyms on site at either Melbourne Park or Albert Reserve.

The superior training conditions for the superstars has caused disquiet among the wider playing group.

There was a scare when rumours swirled that a flight that landed in Adelaide might have been carrying a COVID-19 positive passenger, but those fears have been allayed.

Of the top five favourites to win the this year’s Open headed by Naomi Osaka at $6, three are based in Adelaide.

Barty is interested in joining the star-studded exhibition to be held at Memorial Drive later this month, though confirmation has not yet been forthcoming.

It would help her preparation for a WTA Tournament in the first week of February as she looks to the return to competitive play for the first time in almost a year.

Australians caught up by the interstate border restrictions have also been able to find a way to prepare without entering quarantine.

Davis Cup teammates John Millman and James Duckworth are in Canberra to prepare after being caught out in Brisbane when borders to Victoria closed, as revealed by The Australian, along with Maddison Inglis and Kim Birrell.

Sydneysiders Jordan Thompson and Matt Reid are also in the ACT capital training with Nick Kyrgios, but they must spend 14 days there in order to satisfy entry requirements into Victoria.