"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2021-01-26T19:47:12Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2021/01/26/rafael-nadal-australian-open-2021-privileged-roger-federer-grand-slams-tennis-amanpour-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="amanpour"
data-video-slug="rafael nadal australian open 2021 privileged roger federer grand slams tennis amanpour spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="rafael nadal australian open 2021 privileged roger federer grand slams tennis amanpour spt intl"
data-video-tags="australian open,communicable disease control,grand slam tournaments,health and medical,isolation and quarantine,professional tennis,public health,rafael nadal,sports and recreation,sports events,sports figures,tennis,tennis events,roger federer"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Rafael Nadal calls for 'wider perspective' from players ahead of Australian Open
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2021-01-26T19:47:12Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2021/01/26/rafael-nadal-australian-open-2021-privileged-roger-federer-grand-slams-tennis-amanpour-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="amanpour"
data-video-slug="rafael nadal australian open 2021 privileged roger federer grand slams tennis amanpour spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="rafael nadal australian open 2021 privileged roger federer grand slams tennis amanpour spt intl"
data-video-tags="australian open,communicable disease control,grand slam tournaments,health and medical,isolation and quarantine,professional tennis,public health,rafael nadal,sports and recreation,sports events,sports figures,tennis,tennis events,roger federer"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Rafael Nadal calls for 'wider perspective' from players ahead of Australian Open
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-17T07:45:38Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/01/11/muslim-women-in-sport-spt-intl-lon-orig.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="muslim women in sport spt intl lon orig"
data-first-publish-slug="muslim women in sport spt intl lon orig"
data-video-tags="demographic groups,ibtihaj muhammad,muslim people,ons jabeur,population and demographics,society,sports figures"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Muslim women in sport and their hopes for the next generation
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-02T18:16:32Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/01/02/martina-navratilova-throat-breast-cancer-riddell-oneworld-contd-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="martina navratilova throat breast cancer riddell oneworld contd vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="martina navratilova throat breast cancer riddell oneworld contd vpx"
data-video-tags="brand safety-nsf health issues,brand safety-nsf sensitive,breast cancer,cancer,diseases and disorders,domestic alerts,domestic-health and science,head and neck cancer,health and medical,iab-cancer,iab-diseases and conditions,iab-medical health,iab-sports,iab-tennis,international alerts,international-health and science,martina navratilova,medical fields and specialties,oncology,sports and recreation,sports figures,tennis"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Martina Navratilova issues statement on cancer diagnoses: 'It's going to stink for a while, but I'll fight'
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2022-10-06T13:28:11Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2022/10/05/martina-navratilova-serena-williams-tennis-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="martina navratilova serena williams tennis spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="martina navratilova serena williams tennis spt intl"
data-video-tags="breast cancer,cancer,chris evert,diseases and disorders,employment and income status,health and medical,labor and employment,martina navratilova,retirement and retirees,roger federer,serena williams,social and economic status,society,sports and recreation,sports figures,tennis,workers and professionals"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Martina Navratilova on cancer and the future of tennis
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2022-09-12T09:18:56Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2022/09/12/carlos-alcaraz-intv-us-open-hnk-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="carlos alcaraz intv us open hnk vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="carlos alcaraz intv us open hnk vpx"
data-video-tags="grand slam tournaments,men's professional tennis,professional tennis,sports and recreation,sports events,tennis,tennis events,us open (tennis),continents and regions,europe,southern europe,spain"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2022-08-10T03:41:35Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2022/08/10/serena-williams-career-highlights-macfarlane-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="serena williams career highlights macfarlane vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="serena williams career highlights macfarlane vpx"
data-video-tags="christina macfarlane,demographic groups,families and children,family members and relatives,grand slam tournaments,misc people,population and demographics,professional tennis,serena williams,society,sports and recreation,sports events,sports figures,teenagers,tennis,tennis events,us open (tennis)"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
See how Serena Williams became one of the all-time greats
Thousands of cheering fans packed the stands on Friday to watch some of tennis’ biggest stars warm up for the Australian Open – with hardly a face mask to be seen.
In an unusual scene for the coronavirus pandemic, the 4,000 crowd sat cheek by jowl as big hitters including Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka emerged from their 14-day quarantine to play exhibition matches ahead of the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne next month.
The scene prompted joy on social media.
“It makes my heart full seeing fans in the stands. Well done Australia!” former world No.1 men’s player Andy Roddick said on his Twitter account.
General view of match between Serena Williams of the USA and Naomi Osaka of Japan during an exhibition tournament at Memorial Drive on January 29 in Adelaide, Australia.
Mark Brake/Getty Images
Australia has now had 12 days without a local infection in any of its states or territories, Health Minister Greg Hunt said at a news conference on Friday.
“That’s a testament (not just) to the work of our medical professionals, our public health teams, but Australians everywhere for the way in which they’ve observed the distancing requirements, the way they have protected each other, the way that they’ve come out for testing,” Hunt told reporters.
Australia’s tough approach to the coronavirus has been controversial ahead of the Open, with some players arriving from overseas frustrated to find themselves in quarantine.
Serena Williams of the USA elbow bumps with Naomi Osaka of Japan after their match during an exhibition tournament at Memorial Drive on January 29, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia.
Mark Brake/Getty Images
Some took to social media to complain while others issued lists of demands to Australian authorities. But speaking to CNN from quarantine earlier this week, Nadal said that his fellow stars should have a “wider perspective.”
“I feel very sorry for all of them but when we came here, we knew that the measures were going to be strict because we knew that the country is doing great with the pandemic,” Nadal told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday.
To date, Australia has reported 28,800 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 909 deaths.
The Australian Open will begin on February 8 in Melbourne and run for two weeks. Friday’s exhibition matches were the official curtain raiser for the international tennis competition, and saw Williams and Novak Djokovic win hard fought matches.