The professional tennis tours are extending their suspensions caused by the coronavirus pandemic through at least the end of July.
The total number of tournaments scrapped by the ATP, WTA and International Tennis Federation since March now tops 40.
“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,” ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement. “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.”
Said the WTA in a statement: “We regret this is the case but will continue to be guided by medical experts for when it is safe and possible to return to WTA competition. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are hopeful to be back on the court as soon as possible.”
The ATP said Friday that the post-Wimbledon grass-court Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, and a hard-court US Open tuneup in Atlanta were among the events that “will not take place as scheduled.” Others added to the tour’s suspension of play are in Hamburg, Germany; Bastad, Sweden; Los Cabos, Mexico; Gstaad, Switzerland; Umag, Croatia; and Kitzbuhel, Austria.
The WTA added tournaments in Bastad; Lausanne, Switzerland; Bucharest, Romania; and Jurmala, Latvia, to its list of cancellations. The women’s tour also said “a decision regarding the dates in which” events in Palermo, Sicily (scheduled for July 20-26), and Karlsruhe, Germany (July 28-Aug. 2), “may be played” will be made in June.
Lower-tier events for the ATP and WTA also were affected, and the ITF announcement included juniors, seniors and wheelchair players.
In addition to the cancellation of its July 11-18 tournament, the International Tennis Hall of Fame said Friday that its 2020 induction ceremony for Goran Ivanisevic and Conchita Martinez is being called off. They will be honored alongside any Class of 2021 inductees next year.
As of now, the men’s and women’s Citi Open hard-court tournament in Washington, where qualifying would begin Aug. 1, could mark the return for top-level tennis — if it returns at all this year. The tours said they will make further scheduling announcements in June.
The top tours already had been on hold until at least July 13. That was announced April 1, the same day the All England Club said it would be canceling Wimbedon for the first time in 75 years because of the outbreak.
Some small tennis exhibitions have been organized, with small fields and no fans, but no sanctioned play has been allowed since early March.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.