The Australian Open will go ahead from February 8-21 next year, three weeks later than usual, the newly released men's tour schedule has confirmed.
The confirmation from the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body of the men's tour, follows weeks of speculation about the future of next year's event.
While the ATP only runs the men's side of professional tennis, it has to be in sync with the Women's Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation around the four majors played every year.
The men's schedule also features three warm-up events in Melbourne, including the relocated Adelaide International and the ATP Cup, which was played for the first time this year.
Qualifying for the Australian Open will be held outside the country for the first time, with Doha, Qatar playing host from January 10-13.
That will give qualifiers time to travel to Australia and complete two weeks of quarantine before the warm-up events start on January 31.
The possibility that players would have to go straight from quarantine into the first major of the year was a sticking point with reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.
"The reconfigured calendar for the start of the 2021 season represents a huge collaborative effort across tennis, under challenging circumstances," ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in announcing the first seven weeks of the men's season.
"Together with the support of our tournament and player members, partners, and Tennis Australia, we have been able to adapt and create an exciting start to the season.
"Health and safety will continue to be paramount as we navigate the challenges ahead, and I want to thank everyone involved for their commitment to finding solutions to launch our 2021 season."
It is not yet known what sort of field will turn up to Melbourne next year, with both the slams played during the coronavirus pandemic this year featuring a number of high-profile absentees.
Wimbledon was called off this year due to the pandemic, while the US Open and French Open were delayed, with the New York major played in empty stadiums in September.
The ATP Tour will start in the first week of January with a tournament in Delray Beach, Florida.
There will also be a tournament in Antalya, Turkey, starting on January 5.
ATP Tour events that will not take place in 2021 include the event in Auckland, which is traditionally played in the week prior to the Australian Open, and the New York Open.
The ATP is also working on rescheduling the Rio Open, which was supposed to be begin on February 17, given the Australian Open has been pushed back.
The ATP Cup will be played in a condensed format from February 1-5.
Twelve countries will contest the tournament, instead of the 24 that played in the inaugural edition —won by Serbia — last January in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
