The Madrid Masters may be the next tennis event forced to cancel due to Coronavirus pandemic.
Local health authorities have reportedly advised the organisers against staging the tournament next month as there has been another surge in Covid-19 cases in the Spanish capital.
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The Madrid tourney, one of the few combined events on the calendar, was rescheduled to take place from September 12-20 as one of the tune-up tournaments for Roland Garros.
“The organisers of the Mutua Madrid Open have been in close communication with the competent health organisations in the Community of Madrid and with the National Sports Council,” the organisers said in a statement.
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“In the last meeting, on July 29, due to the increase in cases in Madrid in recent days, the organisers stated their concerns about being able to stage the tournament free from health complications that might affect players, fans and staff.”
Spain, along with Italy, was one of the first European countries to be hit by the novel virus in March. It is now facing a second wave, with almost 2000 cases reported daily for the past week.
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“In light of the advice the organisers are analysing and closely evaluating all the possible options, while always focusing on guaranteeing the safety of all those involved,” the organisers added.
“The final decision will fall to Ion Tiriac and Super Slam Ltd., the tournament’s licence holder.”
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Pro tennis tours, which have been suspended since March, are on a verge of resumption as the Palermo Ladies Open begins on Monday. But the start of the ATP Tour was delayed as the Citi Open in Washington DC, scheduled for an August 14 start, was cancelled.
The men’s and women’s governing bodies have been forced to cancel the China swing too this season. Two days ago, the WTA scrapped the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan due to Covid-19 concerns.
Interestingly, while the Madrid Masters was on the revised calendar, the ITF had decided to cancel the 2020 Davis Cup finals, to be held in the same city.
