Australian Open: WTA creates new tournament exclusively for players in hard quarantine
The WTA has created a tournament exclusively for the players unable to leave their rooms during quarantine for the Australian Open.
The WTA has created a tournament exclusively for the players unable to leave their rooms during quarantine for the Australian Open.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray has confirmed that he won’t be competing in the 2021 Australian Open. Murray, now ranked No. 123 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, had been granted a wildcard to play in the tournament’s main draw but he tested positive for Covid-19 last week shortly before he was due to fly to Melbourne.
The 33-year-old Scot was asymptomatic and still hoped to compete in the event, but was unable to agree upon a “workable quarantine” after extensive talks with Tennis Australia. Murray had already been quarantining in the U.K. but would have faced an additional 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Melbourne.
“Gutted to share that I won’t be flying out to Australia to compete at the Australian Open,” Murray said in a statement. “We’ve been in constant dialogue with Tennis Australia to try and find a solution which would allow some form of workable quarantine, but we couldn’t make it work. I want to thank everyone there for their efforts, I’m devastated not to be playing out in Australia. It’s a country and tournament that I love.”
So sorry we won’t see you this year @andy_murray. We look forward to welcoming you back in 2022. pic.twitter.com/NstmHFnCGm
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2021
It would have been Murray’s first appearance at the Australian Open since 2019, when he lost in the first round to Roberto Bautista Agut and was given an emotional farewell tribute that proved to be premature. After returning from hip surgery in 2019, Murray won the European Open in Antwerp in October 2019 but has struggled to remain fit in recent months. He ended the 2020 season in October to address a pelvic injury but is now apparently ready to return to action.
As crazy, unpredictable and unprecedented as the 2020 season was, one thing left us captivated on the ATP Challenger Tour. A bevy of fresh faces entered the fray, challenging the established stars and introducing themselves with aplomb.
The #NextGenATP contingent was bolstered by the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti and Sebastian Korda, with each lifting their maiden Challenger trophies while gaining global attention on the Grand Slam stage and the ATP Tour. And with the likes of Aslan Karatsev and Jurij Rodionov also soaring up the FedEx ATP Rankings, the season provided many unexpected and intriguing breakthroughs on the Challenger circuit.
So, which budding stars should you keep an eye on in 2021? We look ahead to the players that are eager to follow in their footsteps on the ATP Challenger Tour in the coming year.
Francisco Cerundolo [No. 139]
The man they call Fran was one of the breakout performers of the 2020 season and there is little to suggest that he won’t carry the momentum into the new year. If you blinked, you may have missed the 22-year-old’s rapid rise in October and November. But be assured, he’s just getting started.
Inconspicuous yet ruthless, Cerundolo is poised to become a household name across the tennis world. He put the rest of the tour on notice in the final months of 2020, reeling off 20 of 23 matches and lifting three trophies – tied for the most on the ATP Challenger Tour. His dominant run saw him soar more than 100 spots to a career-high No. 139 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, becoming the youngest Argentine in the Top 200.
And if that wasn’t an impressive feat in itself, his success on the court is coming while he’s dominating in the classroom. Cerundolo is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in management, taking online classes in economics and finance while competing on the road.
Marc-Andrea Huesler [No. 148]
Another of 2020’s unheralded breakout stars, Huesler quietly built an impressive portfolio of titles and statement wins. The only player to lift Challenger trophies on multiple surfaces a year ago, he was one of the more dominant players on the planet following the tour’s restart in August.
Not only did Huesler triumph on the clay of Sibiu and speedy carpet courts of Ismaning, in back-to-back tournaments no less, he also stepped up to the ATP Tour in grand fashion. The 24-year-old Swiss streaked to the semi-finals at the ATP 250 stop in Kitzbuhel, reeling off five straight wins as a qualifier, including his first career Top 20 victory over Fabio Fognini. Having opened the 2020 season on the sidelines with a foot injury, a healthy Huesler is hoping to continue turning the page on his career in 2021. He rose 132 spots to a career-high of No. 146 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.
Botic Van de Zandschulp [No. 156]
One year ago, we featured Tallon Griekspoor on this list. Now, it’s time for another rising Dutch star to crash the party. At No. 155 and No. 156, respectively, Griekspoor and Van de Zandschulp are looking to take tennis in The Netherlands to new heights in 2021.
While his name might be a mouthful to pronounce, his game is certainly a handful for opponents. Armed with a mammoth serve and booming forehand, Van de Zandschulp boasts an imposing brand of tennis that has seen him climb the FedEx ATP Rankings in the past year. He leapt more than 50 spots in 2020, peaking at a career-high No. 152 after reaching a pair of Challenger finals in Koblenz and Ismaning.
And just one week ago, the Dutchman secured victories over Lorenzo Musetti, Joao Menezes and Mathias Bourgue to punch his ticket to the Australian Open. It marks his first Grand Slam main draw appearance. Alongside Griekspoor, they are a Dutch double threat to watch in 2021.
Hugo Gaston [No. 161]
It was one of the biggest upsets at Roland Garros in recent memory. A young upstart, aged 20, Gaston shocked the world with a thrilling five-set victory over former champion Stan Wawrinka. The scenes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen remain some of the prevailing images of the 2020 tournament. Sitting outside the Top 200 and having never reached a Challenger final, the Frenchman turned in a fairytale run to the Round of 16 on home soil.
Now, at No. 161 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, it’s time for Gaston to bring that same talent and flair to the ATP Challenger Tour. The Toulouse native showed great maturity and resolve to not only defeat Wawrinka, but also push World No. 3 Dominic Thiem to five sets in the subsequent round. Having reached just one semi-final on the Challenger circuit – nearly one year ago in Bergamo – Gaston will be hoping to carry his Parisian magic to even greater heights in 2021.
Brandon Nakashima [No. 170]
Nakashima is the only repeat entry on this list from 2020. One year ago, the #NextGenATP American was sitting outside the Top 350, but he has since slashed his FedEx ATP Ranking in half, soaring from No. 364 to a career-high No. 166 in November. The 19-year-old has taken great strides in his development, demonstrating an impressive all-around game and unflappable mental fortitude.
A native of southern California, Nakashima became the youngest American champion since Frances Tiafoe in 2017 with his maiden title in Orlando. At the age of 19, he did not drop a set all week at the USTA National Campus. Nakashima also triumphed in his Grand Slam debut at the US Open (d. Lorenzi) and reached the quarter-finals in his ATP Tour debut earlier in the year in Delray Beach.
One of four teenagers in the Top 200, along with Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner, Nakashima joins an intense battle to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2021.
Aleksandar Vukic [No. 195]
and fellow former college stars J.J. Wolf [No. 127], Maxime Cressy [No. 168] & Arthur Rinderknech [No. 178]
For many, attending university in the U.S. and competing in the collegiate ranks is the ideal pathway to the pros. Often, junior players aren’t ready to take the next step to the professional level immediately, and can benefit from the structure and coaching provided at an elite institution.
It seems like every year there is a former college star translating success to the ATP Challenger Tour. Recently, it was Cameron Norrie (TCU), Dominik Koepfer (Tulane) and Marcos Giron (UCLA), and in 2020 a bevy of players took the leap. Ohio State’s Wolf, UCLA’s Cressy and Texas A&M’s Rinderknech all lifted trophies, surging towards the Top 100 behind breakthrough campaigns. And Vukic (Illinois) reached his first final in Monterrey.
In addition, Wolf and Cressy won their first Grand Slam matches at the 2020 US Open, eventually falling to Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, respectively. The spotlight couldn’t have been greater for the Americans. Both have intriguing backstories, with 26 of Wolf’s relatives having taken up a sport at either the collegiate or professional level, and the Paris-born Cressy moving to the U.S. as a teenager. Rinderknech, meanwhile, finished Top 5 in Challenger wins in 2020, posting a 22-12 record.
For Vukic, embarking on a journey from Australia to the University of Illinois was like going from one world to another. A three-time All-American at Illinois, ‘Vuki’ hails from Sydney, Australia, but has Eastern European heritage in his blood. His parents, who introduced him to the game at age five, are from Montenegro (dad) and Bosnia (mom).
The 24-year-old graduated with a degree in finance in 2018 and has battled on the ATP Challenger Tour ever since. In March, all the work finally paid off. In the week before the COVID-19 shutdown, Vukic reached his first Challenger final on the hard courts of Monterrey, Mexico (l. to Mannarino). He secured the biggest win of his young career in upsetting World No. 56 Feliciano Lopez in the second round. Vukic would later qualify for Roland Garros, making his Grand Slam debut after saving two match points and rallying from a set and a break deficit against Alcaraz. His mettle tested, the Aussie demonstrated great poise in punching his ticket to the main draw.
Now, just shy of his career-high No. 190 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Vukic is hoping his breakout 2020 campaign carries to the new year. His efforts were already rewarded with a main draw wild card into next month’s Australian Open.
Tomas Machac [No. 197]
Machac was the best kept secret on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2020. He’s the #NextGenATP few are familiar with, but that won’t last long. In February, right before the COVID-19 shutdown, the 20-year-old won his maiden Challenger crown on the indoor hard courts of Koblenz, Germany. And he’s certainly shown that his game translates to all surfaces, storming through Roland Garros qualifying before pushing 27th seed Taylor Fritz to five sets.
At the age of 19, his victory in Koblenz marked the first time a Czech teen had lifted a Challenger trophy since Jiri Vesely in 2013. Having opened the year outside the Top 350, Machac would surge to the year-end Top 200, also reaching the final in Bratislava. It looks like 2021 is shaping to be even more fruitful for the Czech, having blitzed his three opponents to qualify for the Australian Open in Doha. He did not drop serve once.
Felipe Meligeni [No. 230]
We look outside the Top 200 for these last three entries. They are three players that made small strides in 2020 and certainly have the firepower to make some noise in the new year.
Exactly 27 years after his uncle Fernando Meligeni won his maiden Challenger title in Sao Paulo, Felipe lifted his first trophy in the same city. The 22-year-old Brazilian dropped one set all week at the Clube Hipico Santo Amaro in November, eventually rising to a career-high No. 230.
His uncle was a former World No. 25 and Roland Garros semi-finalist in 1999. During his career, Fernando claimed more than 200 matches, including wins over former World No. 1s Pete Sampras, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Patrick Rafter, Carlos Moya and Andy Roddick. Now, 27 years later, the Brazilian’s nephew is carving a path of his own. He would kick off 2021 with his biggest win on a hard court, upsetting former World No. 24 Martin Klizan in Australian Open qualifying.
Kacper Zuk [No. 267]
The future of Polish tennis has arrived. His name is Kacper Zuk. The 22-year-old provided one of the upsets of the year in 2020, stunning current World No. 61 and top seed Vasek Pospisil on the indoor hard courts of Calgary, Canada. Just one month after defeating another Top 100 star, Dennis Novak, at the ATP Cup, Zuk would reel off four wins in five days to reach his first Challenger semi-final.
That spurred the Pole to dominate the ITF circuit upon the resumption of professional tennis in August. He would clinch three titles, posting a 15-0 record, en route to cracking the Top 300 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time. With an affable and infectious personality off the court, Zuk is a ruthless competitor between the lines. He may be slender in stature, but the 22-year-old packs a punch from the baseline and is a relentless attacking force. Having peaked at No. 259 in November, he is poised to continue to climb towards the Top 200 and beyond in 2021.
Have a day, Kacper Żuk!
One month after stunning Dennis Novak at the @ATPCup, the 21-year-old ?? earns his biggest victory over top seed Vasek Pospisil in Calgary. pic.twitter.com/rQm8YSMgOA
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) February 27, 2020
Duje Ajdukovic [No. 321]
In October, a new era of Croatian tennis launched in the seaside city of Split. The inaugural Split Open featured native son Ajdukovic among its semi-finalists. The 19-year-old made an impressive Challenger debut in his hometown, stunning former Top 100 players Martin Klizan and Jozef Kovalik. He dropped a combined 10 games in those two matches.
Born and raised in Split, near the Firule Tennis Club where the tournament is held, Ajdukovic is joined by former Top 10 stars Goran Ivanisevic, Mario Ancic, Nikola Pilic and doubles No. 1 Mate Pavic as Croatians who developed their games at that very site. Now, the budding #NextGenATP star enters his second season on the ATP Challenger Tour. He reached a second semi-final in Maia, Portugal, to conclude his 2020 campaign and the World No. 321 will be targeting the Top 300 and beyond as 2021 gets underway.
Andy Murray will miss the Australian Open after failing to find a “workable quarantine” solution following his positive test for coronavirus.
Andrey Rublev soared from No. 23 to No. 8 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on the back of five ATP Tour titles in 2020, when he was named by his peers as the ATP Most Improved Player of the Year.
His breakthrough was centred on his hard-court performances last year, with an ATP Tour-leading 31 match wins on the surface — better than World No. 1 Novak Djokovic (30), Nitto ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev (28) and US Open finalist Alexander Zverev (25).
According to the Infosys ATP Performance Zone, Rublev had the third-best winning percentage on hard-courts (79.5%) over the past 52 weeks, behind only Djokovic (88.2%) and Gael Monfils (80%).
Best Winning % On Hard Courts In 2020
| Player | Win-Loss Record | Winning % |
| 1) Novak Djokovic | 30-4 | 88.2% |
| 2) Gael Monfils | 16-4 | 80% |
| 3) Andrey Rublev | 31-8 | 79.5% |
| 4) Daniil Medvedev | 28-8 | 77.8% |
| 5) Rafael Nadal | 18-6 | 75% |
Rublev opened the 2020 season with an 11-match winning streak on hard courts, including back-to-back ATP Tour titles in Doha (d. Moutet) and in Adelaide (d. Harris), making him the first player to win consecutive titles in the first two weeks of the season since Dominik Hrbaty in 2004. He compiled another 11-match winning streak on the surface in October with titles in St. Petersburg (d. Coric) and Vienna (d. Sonego).
It was quite the turnaround for Rublev, who saw his career winning percentage on hard courts skyrocket from the start of 2020 thanks to his 31-8 record (79.5%). Remarkably, the Russian compiled a 72-60 career record (54.5%) on the surface between 2014 and 2019.
Visit Infosys ATP Performance Zone
With growing confidence, Rublev has captured five of his seven ATP Tour titles on hard courts, and since 2014 he has won four times as many matches on hard courts (103) than he has on clay courts (25). Last year, the 23-year-old went 10-2 on clay — including the Hamburg European Open title (d. Tsitsipas) — for an overall 41-10 season record (80.3%).
The World No. 8 has recorded 103 of his 132 career match wins on hard courts. Next month, he will begin his 2021 campaign alongside Daniil Medvedev, when they both represent Russia in the ATP Cup.
Rublev’s Career Win-Loss Record By Surface
| Surface | Win-Loss Record / % | Titles |
| Hard | 103-68 / 60.2% | 5 |
| Clay | 25-18 / 58.1% | 2 |
| Grass | 4-3 / 57.1% | 0 |
| Total | 132-89 / 59.7% | 7 |
“The Last Time” that Roberto Bautista Agut lost an ATP Cup match? Never happened.
The World No. 13 earned a reputation for being Spain’s reliable closer at last year’s inaugural event, winning all six of his singles matches without dropping a set to put his country into the final. Bautista Agut will hope to reprise that role as he teams up with Rafael Nadal, Pablo Carreno Busta and Marcel Granollers to try to bring home Spain’s first ATP Cup crown.
Speaking to ATPTour.com from quarantine, Bautista Agut revealed “The Last Time”…
I forgot an important birthday or anniversary?
Actually last year. It was my anniversary with my wife! Somehow I managed to survive…
Being famous helped me?
It was one time I was going out to dinner. There was a restaurant in America during the summer that always seems to be overbooked. And so I called… and I let them know it was me. And they were able to get me a table and I got to have dinner there.
I went to a music concert?
It must have been over a year ago by now, more or less. I went to see a concert at the Plaza de Toros in Valencia. [Spanish pop singer] Manuel Carrasco was performing.
I watched a new TV series?
I’m actually watching a new one now, it’s a Spanish series called La Valla (“The Barrier”). I recommend it.
I missed a flight?
Actually I’ve never missed a flight. The only time I missed one was when the flight was cancelled, but never because I was running late.
I paid money to rent a tennis court?
I don’t remember at all… I have no idea, but it definitely couldn’t have happened in Spain. If it happened it must have been abroad, but I honestly don’t remember.
I strung a tennis racquet?
I have never strung a tennis racquet in my life. I know nothing about stringing.
I met a person that I really admired?
Recently I met a violinist that did me the favour of performing at my son’s baptism. I was really excited to meet him. He put together a beautiful concert for the family and the baby.
I shared a hotel room with another player?
That’s got to be so long ago. Juniors? No, actually back when I played Challengers. When you play at the [ATP Challenger Series] level it’s pretty common to share hotel rooms because that way we split the costs.
Paula Badosa reveals she has the virus and apologises for making complaints about quarantine rules.
Milos Raonic has been doing anything but sleeping in during his 14-day quarantine period ahead of the Australian swing. The World No. 15 in the FedEx ATP Rankings is gearing up to represent Canada in the ATP Cup alongside Denis Shapovalov, Peter Polansky and Steven Diez, and he’s determined to maximise precious time on the tennis court.
But what is Raonic up to when he’s not on court? And what is his go-to delivery dish? The Canadian sat down for a chat with ATPTour.com to reveal seven things he’s been up to during quarantine…
1. Getting creative with his in-room workouts.
“I hope the hotel doesn’t see that’s the use of the minibar fridge… But you can get creative in a hotel room. Our creativity has been using a fridge as a step-up, but there’s other ways. Towels can be used for different workouts. There’s many ways you can get creative, but for us our big thing was coming prepared and trying to have as much with us as possible… I was aware of how the conditions would be, so we came here and we brought a lot of things that we could use.”
2. Organising his day to make the most of practice court time.
“So you hear the night before what time your slot is [to go outside for five hours] and what time you’ll get picked up. And then you adjust your day to that. You get ready and wait by your door for them to come around again once they’ve also corralled your team and the player you’re practising with. And then you’ll all come out to the elevator, go down in the same elevator. By the way, getting your hands sanitised and always wearing masks throughout this whole process. Then get in the car and head to the courts. You step straight out on court and you practice for your allotted time – that’s what we’re all trying to make the most of, the time on court.
“After that you get to go to the gym, one of many across the whole venue that was built for the players. Your gym is actually correlated with your court. So anybody that day that practised on that court uses the exact same gym after, so that way they have time to clean it, to sanitise it… So you go to your gym, after that you have one hour to eat. And again… so if you practised on Court 3, you go to the gym for Court 3, then you go for the table in the area outside that’s for Court 3 for your time to eat.
“And after that you get picked up. Straight in the elevator, straight upstairs, straight to your room… The rest of the time, you really try to make the most of it. I’ve spent time doing other things, other kind of workouts to supplement the trainings that I’ve been able to do at the venue. Spent time reading, studying, doing various things. But you know, with the consistency it has been settling. It has been generous that we get to get out for those five hours.”
3. Getting a lot of chevapi delivered.
“There’s a great restaurant here called Chevapi Grill. It’s Balkan cuisine and the dish [chevapi, made of grilled sausages] I believe originated from Bosnia. But it’s a dish that’s famous throughout all of former Yugoslavia. I’ve had it many times. Growing up in Canada, my parents would always take us out to get it. There’s a great one here that I get on Uber Eats from Chevapi Grill. I’ve had it a good portion of the time since I’ve been here, and it’s been nostalgic and it’s been enjoyable.”
4. Picking up some interesting reading material.
“I’ve actually been reading a book called Barbarians at the Gate. It’s from a famous company takeover [RJR Nabisco] in the ’80s that’s actually been very interesting for me. That’s sort of kept me busy, but I have a long ways to go.”
[VISIT ATP CUP]
5. Keeping in touch with loved ones.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s quarantine or not, the person that I speak to the most is my girlfriend. Facetime, text, phone calls… whatever is possible at the moment. At this moment she’s also in quarantine in Belgium, so we’ve actually both had a bit more time than normal to keep in touch.”
6. Beating boredom by staying mentally engaged.
“Just make sure you’re always doing something. I think if you get yourself caught up in doing stuff mindlessly, either you get caught up in a binge of a TV show or you can get caught up going through YouTube videos or scrolling through social media.
“I think you have to find something that engages you a bit more. That’s what makes the biggest difference. Because if you have something that you’re excited to stay awake for and that you’re eager about, that helped make that transition a lot easier. If you’re sort of like, I’m just doing stuff to kill time, then you could also be sleeping to kill time too. So it’s harder to weigh out those options.”
7. And beating jet lag by not sleeping in.
“I don’t really tend to sleep in. I’ve actually gotten on a schedule pretty well, it only took me about two days to get used to it. Obviously the first four days we didn’t get to go anywhere, and the toughest thing about those days was keeping yourself awake… But once I was able to get through that and now with the benefit of being able to get out and being in the sun, it’s helped significantly to get used to the jetlag.”
The 12 countries set to compete in the second edition of the ATP Cup, taking place in Melbourne the week prior to the Australian Open, were assigned to four groups at the official tournament draw on Friday.
Top seed Serbia, headlined by World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, will lead Group A, which will also consist of Germany and Canada. One year ago, Serbia battled through the field to lift the inaugural ATP Cup trophy in Sydney.
Second seed Spain, which finished runner-up in 2020, will aim to move through Group B, which includes Greece and Australia. World No. 2 Rafael Nadal leads the way for his country for the second consecutive year.
Austria, headed by World No. 3 Dominic Thiem, will look to advance through Group C against Italy and France. Fourth seed Russia, headlined by reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev, will try to do the same in Group D, which includes Argentina and Japan.
Watch The ATP Cup Draw
The draw was hosted by Todd Woodbridge, with participation from Mark Philippoussis, John Fitzgerald, Jim Courier and Mark Petchey.
This year’s five-day event will be played at Melbourne Park alongside two ATP 250 events, the Murray River Open and Great Ocean Road Open. Following the group stage, the four group winners will advance to the knock-out semi-finals to continue battling for the prestigious title.
The 2021 ATP Cup will feature 12 of the Top 13 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Each country will consist of four players, with each tie comprised of two singles and one doubles match.
Follow the latest ATP Cup news and live updates at ATPCup.com and on Twitter and Instagram.
Former British number one Laura Robson says she is “not sure” where a third hip operation leaves her tennis career.
