Tennis - ATP Finals - The O2, London, Britain - November 21, 2020 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his semi-final match against Austria's Dominic Thiem Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs - UP1EGBL19K4J4
MELBOURNE (Reuters Breakingviews) - Australia will have to make a strong comeback to get a win out of the Grand Slam tennis tournament it hosts. After so rigorously containing Covid-19, the country has opened its borders to foreign players despite restrictions that make it difficult for its own citizens to get home. Complaints about quarantine from stars like Novak Djokovic aren’t helping.
The economic recovery Down Under has been impressive, and much of it can be credited to stringent measures that limited the spread of the virus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government last month pared its projected budget deficit and hiked its 2021 growth outlook for the A$2 trillion ($1.6 trillion) economy to 4.5%. Australia’s cumulative related deaths have totaled about 900, fewer than what the United States records daily.
Although some 40,000 Australians are still waiting to return from overseas, tennis seems to have changed risk assessments. Some 1,200 players and their staff are being allowed to enter and given precious hotel quarantine spots. Spanish player Paula Badosa disclosed from Melbourne quarantine on Thursday that she had tested positive, adding to the number of imported cases.
The whole affair has stirred controversy beyond health concerns and special preferences. Australian Open organisers suggested that taxpayers would be footing part of the A$40 million confinement tab, before later backtracking. Players, including Badosa, have further fanned the flames by griping on social media about sequestration conditions. Australian pro Nick Kyrgios called Djokovic, the sport’s top-ranked competitor, “a tool” after he requested more lax treatment.
These rows erode the event’s entertainment and financial value. As it stands, the Open is likely to generate a fraction of the A$390 million in economic benefits that organisers said it delivered last year. Some 575,000 hotel-bed nights helped, but there will be no international tourists and fewer domestic travelers this year. The number of live spectators also will be sharply reduced. Tennis Australia expects to burn through its A$80 million in cash reserves to cover the cost. The country is one of several trying to build on a comparative coronavirus advantage but holding the tournament after only a short postponement looks like an unforced error.
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Source: Reuters

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