In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Open has been pushed back to February, AFP reported on Thursday. The tennis Grand Slam will now on February 8. It will be preceded by a series of lead-up tournaments in Melbourne.

All the players participating in the 2021 Australian Open would be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine before the tournament.

The marquee tournament was originally scheduled to begin on January 18. According to Thursday’s announcement, players would now be required to arrive in Australia by January 15 in order to undergo the two weeks of quarantine.

Earlier reports had stated that the participating players would have to remain at designated hotels but would be allowed to practice and exercise for up to five hours a day.

There was no immediate confirmation from Tennis Australia.

Serbian Novak Djokovic, the current defending champion, will be gunning for his ninth Australian Open title. In 2020, he beat Austria’s Dominic Thiem in a long-drawn five-set match.

American Sofia Kenin is set to defend her maiden Grand Slam women’s crown after defeating Spaniard Garbine Muguruza in three sets.

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley said that he expects the crowds in Melbourne Park to be 25-50% of the normal capacity.

“The reconfigured calendar for the start of the 2021 season represents a huge collaborative effort across tennis, under challenging circumstances,” said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.