ATP, WTA, ITF Tours extend suspension to July 31

Professional tennis will not return until at least August after the ATP, WTA and ITF announced the extension of their current suspension to July 31 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the ATP Tour, that means the cancellation of events in Hamburg, Bastad, Newport, Los Cabos, Gstaad, Umag, Atlanta and Kitzbühel, while the WTA said tournaments in Bastad, Lausanne, Bucharest, and Jurmala would all no longer take place.

“Due to continued uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to announce our decision to extend the suspension of the Tour,” Andrea Gaudenzi, the ATP chairman, said in a statement.

“Just like tennis fans, players and tournament hosts all over the world, we share in the disappointment the Tour continues to be affected in this way. We continue to assess all of our options in an effort to resume the Tour as soon as it is safe to do so, including the feasibility of rescheduling events later in the season. As ever, the health and well-being of the tennis community and wider public remains our top priority in every decision we make.”

The ATP has extended the suspension of the ATP Tour through to July 31, 2020 due to the ongoing #COVID19 pandemic.

More info 👇

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 15, 2020

The ATP said that tournaments scheduled from August 1 onwards are “still planning to proceed as per the published schedule” and a further update is expected in mid-June.

The WTA said it would “continue to be guided by medical experts for when it is safe and possible to return to WTA competition.” Events in Karlsruhe and Palermo, scheduled for the week beginning July 28, may yet be postponed to a later date, and further decisions are expected in June.

Tennis has been suspended since March 12. The Covid-19 pandemic has already caused the cancellation of this year’s Wimbledon, while Roland-Garros moved from its traditional May date and is hoping to play in late September, early October.