On Friday, it was confirmed that all WTA and ATP international tournaments planned for China this year have been called off. The decision comes as a direct result of China's policy to ban all major sporting events for the rest of 2020 to manage the pandemic. For the WTA and ATP, this is a major setback in their broader attempt to resume professional play. As a result, fans will miss out on the WTA Finals and the Shanghai Masters this year.
Steve Simon, leading the Women’s Tennis Association, admitted that the cancellation of these international events is a huge blow. Despite the disappointment, he noted that the WTA respects the Chinese government's mandates and is eager to bring the tour back to the country next year. Simon thanked the global community of fans and partners for their loyalty, confirming that the tour will proceed with other events in the pipeline. The ATP followed suit, with Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi affirming that the association respects China's stance and will continue to follow all health and safety protocols as they have throughout the pandemic. This includes the unfortunate cancellation of the Wuhan Open, which was slated for October. Given that Wuhan was the original epicenter of the outbreak, there had been a great deal of optimism and anticipation surrounding the return of the tournament to that city.
The ATP has also confirmed that the Washington DC tournament, which was intended to kick off the men's season in a month, has been removed from the schedule. Professional tennis has been largely suspended since mid-March as the world grapples with the pandemic. While the US Open and the Cincinnati Open are still planned for New York starting August 20, participation from top stars remains uncertain. Heavyweights like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have voiced concerns or hesitation regarding their travel to the US Open. Meanwhile, Roger Federer has announced he will sit out the rest of the season to recover from recent surgery.