COVID questions key in 2021 season | Sports

After an off-and-on, pandemic-altered yr for the game, coronavirus questions and an ever-evolving calendar nonetheless might be key elements of the dialog as issues get going with main-draw motion Wednesday on the Abu Dhabi WTA Girls’s Tennis Open, the place Sofia Kenin leads the sector, and Thursday on the ATP’s Delray Seashore Open, the place final yr’s champion, Reilly Opelka, withdrew, citing an injured knee.

Opelka joined a number of gamers — a bunch that features Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic — in pulling out of the hard-court match held final February and pushed to early January this time as a part of a shuffling on each skilled excursions.

The scheduling modifications embody the beginning of the yr’s first main championship, the Australian Open, delayed three weeks to Feb. 8, and the joint occasion performed at Indian Wells, California — canceled final yr due to the COVID-19 outbreak — giving up its standard March dates with out a new spot for it on the schedule as of now.

There are some important milestones within the offing for stars reminiscent of Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams in 2021.

Nadal can break a tie with Roger Federer for essentially the most Grand Slam singles titles for a person after matching him with No. 20 on the French Open in October; by March, Djokovic can surpass Federer’s report for many weeks at No. 1 within the ATP rankings; Williams is one Slam singles trophy away from No. 24, which might equal Margaret Court docket for essentially the most within the sport’s historical past.

Different tennis storylines in 2021:

Greater than 12 months may have handed between matches for the 39-year-old Federer by the point he returns from two operations on his proper knee. Federer’s agent informed The Related Press he’s aiming for late February after lacking the Australian Open for the primary time since his main-draw debut in 2000.

There have been solely three Slams in 2020, as a result of the All England Membership canceled Wimbledon for the primary time since World Warfare II. As of now, Wimbledon is scheduled for its standard place on the calendar, starting June 28. The French Open’s begin bought shifted from Might to September final yr and the variety of followers was severely restricted; as of now, it’s slotted for Might 23. For the Australian Open, there are lingering questions on flights, resorts and quarantine plans for gamers and their personnel. “I’m not that excited, to be trustworthy. Like, I don’t wish to keep in my room for 19 hours,” the Thirty ninth-ranked Opelka mentioned. “, I get it; we’ve got to do it. However I’m not one bit excited.”

The 2020 Olympics, as they’ll nonetheless be known as, are scheduled to start out in July, and two tennis gamers representing Japan might be breakout stars: AP Feminine Athlete of the 12 months Naomi Osaka  and Nishikori. “The Olympics are a particular time when the world comes collectively to have a good time sports activities. I’m wanting ahead most to being with the athletes that had waited and educated for over 10 years, for celebrating a really onerous yr (2020), and having that occur in Japan makes it that rather more particular,” Osaka wrote in an e mail interview. “It’s a particular and exquisite nation full of tradition, historical past and wonder. I can’t be extra excited.”

Needs to be fascinating to look at the younger girls who not too long ago gained Grand Slam titles compete for extra. That features No. 1 Ash Barty, who’s 24; No. 3 Osaka, 23; No. 4 Kenin, 21; No. 7 Bianca Andreescu, 20; No. 17 Iga Swiatek, 19.

There seem like extra professional candidates for first-time main champions in males’s tennis than there have been in years. With Dominic Thiem becoming a member of the membership final yr on the no-spectator U.S. Open, who will be a part of him? Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev all seem succesful.