Stuttgart – The tennis party in Germany will be canceled this summer. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, four German tournaments were canceled due to the cancellation of the classic lawn in Wimbledon.
Because of the exceptional situation, the men’s events in Stuttgart and Halle / Westphalia cannot take place any more than the women’s events planned for the first time in Berlin and Bad Homburg. Until July 13th, the tennis tour will be stopped worldwide. What happens next is still completely open.
«Of course we were all really looking forward to the premiere of the Bad Homburg Open in the historic Kurpark in just a few months. But given the current situation, sporting issues are completely in the background. At the moment there are other priorities, »said Angelique Kerber, tournament ambassador for the new tournament in Bad Homburg.
Two years ago, the German number one had won the prestigious Wimbledon event. This year, like all tennis professionals, she has to do without the entire lawn season. “Of course I am disappointed that Wimbledon was also canceled in addition to the Olympics,” said the 32-year-old.
While the organizers in Bad Homburg and Halle / Westphalia are already pointing to the next edition of their tournaments in 2021, the organizers in Berlin and Stuttgart have not yet given up hope that their events may catch up later in the year can be. When the corona crisis allows global travel and events with viewers.
“Postponing the bett1open to a later date in 2020 is an option for us – but only if the situation relaxes to such an extent that the WTA tour can be played again without hesitation,” said Berlin tournament director Barbara Rittner.
But that doesn’t seem really realistic. After all, you can only play on grass in the summer. “For us, only the end of July, which is the opening that resulted from the cancellation of Olympia, and August would come into question,” said Edwin Weindorfer, license holder of the tournaments in Stuttgart, Berlin, and Mallorca.
From the perspective of the tournament organizer, the decision on a new date for this year for Berlin and Stuttgart must be made in April or May. “It won’t be that we decide that in June, it’s too late,” said Edwin Weindorfer of the German Press Agency. Possible catch-up dates would be an option for him at the end of July or in August, and the tennis tour is currently interrupted until at least July 13 due to the coronavirus crisis.
“”If the pandemic allows it, if the health conditions are there, that people can come to events again and there should be freedom of travel, then I would see the chance at 50:50,” said the 55-year-old Austrian. ATP and WTA have signaled that the option is given.
“It will be a very, very difficult year for us economically,” said Weindorfer. «The topic of employee reduction and short-time work are topics that we definitely have to examine. I can not quantify the extent of the financial damage, but it is a huge slump. »
However, Weindorfer assumes that his tournaments “will be relatively solid in the next year, even if it is now a total failure.” Overall, in his opinion, the tournament scene on the ATP and WTA tour 2021 will change. “I think not all tournaments will survive this crisis,” he said. “There is no tournament on the ATP or WTA tour that has default insurance against the coronavirus.”
