MELBOURNE – Organisers of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year have announced that those players that are injured and want to withdraw from the Australian Open can compete by playing as their virtual versions on PlayStarion or Xbox games.
The announcement comes after former World No 1 and four-time Australian Open finalist Andy Murray withdrew from the tournament less than two weeks ahead of its start.
It is pertinent to mention here that World No 1 and former champion Rafael Nadal and six-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic withdrew from tournaments leading up to the first major of the year, also bringing their availability for the event in doubt.
“We are fully aware that some players are going through a difficult period with injuries and that they have done everything possible to prepare for the Australian summer,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said while talking to The Dependent.
“For our part, we are finalising the rule changes that would allow these players to compete through video games,” he added.
However, the organisers are quick to clarify that this only applies to players whose absence makes a dent of at least a million Australian dollars to the tournament.
“But this isn’t about the commercial side of things at all,” Tiley clarified.
