- WTA takes a similar structure to the ATP announcement as the Australian Open officially confirms a February start
- Dubai kicks off the WTA season
WORLDWIDE – The WTA has finalised their first seven weeks of the season, as the Australian Open officially confirms its February start.
[table “ADPDAll” not found /]
WTA Tour Revised Schedule
A few days after the ATP, the WTA tour coincides its announcement of the new dates for 2021 alongside the Australian Open confirming its start date in February. As expected the tournament will start in the Middle East, and dovetails into Australian Open qualifying, and it is the first time se wee the new naming conventions, that were announced last month, along with the WTA rebranding.
READ MORE | Tennis | WTA Rebrand & Tournament Revamp – What it means
What are the tournaments?
| Date | Tournament |
| 5 January | WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open |
| 10 January | Australian Open qualifying, Dubai |
| 1 February | WTA 500 Melbourne 1 |
| 1 February | WTA 500 Melbourne 2 |
| 8 February | Australian Open |
| 15 February | WTA 250 Melbourne |
In a press release, H.E Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said, “We are delighted to welcome to Abu Dhabi WTA’s 2021 kick-off event, the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open. Abu Dhabi is a global capital of world sport and the presence of top tennis players from around the world at this time only strengthens that position and reinforces our esteemed reputation.”
The Australian Open qualifying will take place in Dubai from January 10-13, with both events then allowing for travel to Melbourne from one of Tennis Australia’s designated charter flight hubs of Dubai (in addition to Singapore and Los Angeles).
Upon conclusion of those events, players and their respective support teams will travel to Australia where they will complete the mandatory two-week quarantine. Following the quarantine period, two WTA 500 tournaments will be held concurrently in Melbourne Park from January 31 – February 7.
The 2021 Australian Open will then take place February 8-21 inclusive of singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
READ MORE | Tennis | Australian Open 2021 confirms historic February start
A WTA 250 will be held the second week of the Australian Open, allowing athletes to remain in Melbourne, securing three weeks of competition.
Which tournaments have gone for 2021?
Due to travel restrictions and the mandatory quarantine, WTA 250 tournaments in Auckland and Shenzhen will not be held in 2021 but are scheduled to return to the WTA Tour calendar in 2022. The WTA continues to closely monitor the evolving status of tournaments for the remainder of 2021 with an announcement in the coming weeks surrounding a more expansive calendar.
Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO, said, “We are excited to announce the first swing of tournaments representing the opening weeks of the 2021 WTA season, all of which will operate in an environment that puts health and safety at the forefront. We want to express our sincere appreciation for the cooperation between key tennis stakeholders and organisations, along with the local health authorities who have been vital in getting us to this point. The hard work will continue as we look further ahead into 2021 to ensure a safe and robust calendar.”
READ MORE | Tennis | ATP 2021 Tour Calendar announced for Weeks 1-7
| Follow Britwatch - Sport in General, Brits in Particular! | |
|---|---|
| Soundcloud | |
| YouTube | |
| We may receive compensation for products purchased via affiliate links on this website | |