ATP COMMIT TO FINALS IN LONDON — EVEN WITHOUT FANS

THE ATP Finals at the O2 Arena are still in line to go ahead in November — although it could be without spectators. The London event is planned to be part of a revised calendar for the rest of the tennis season, expected to be released in the next fortnight. Keeping the event on is a priority for men’s tour bosses, who hope that it might still be possible to have at least some of the 250,000-plus audience who annually watch the year’s top eight players in action. ‘Our intention remains for the season to finish with the Nitto ATP Finals in London, including the potential scenario of the event being held with reduced or no fans in line with UK Government guidelines,’ an ATP spokesperson told

Sportsmail. ‘We are working on the final section of the provisional 2020 calendar and expect a further update by the end of July.’ With a large global TV audience and a host of sponsors, the calculation is that the event would still be viable behind closed doors, for what would be one last time in London before it moves to Turin next year. The scheduled opening date of November 15 is still four months away, unlike the official restart which is set for next month. A conference call organised by the ATP Tour on Monday spelt out some of the issues facing upcoming tournaments in America, which remain at the mercy of coronavirus developments. One difficulty centres on entry and quarantine considerations, both for players coming into the US and returning to Europe. A host of different jurisdictions are involved, all subject to policies that are continually updating. There are ATP events scheduled in Austria, Spain and Italy prior to the French Open at the end of September.