World TeamTennis picked Greenbrier so fans could watch live tennis
World TeamTennis said on Wednesday it had several options for where to stage its 2020 season but selecting the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia was an easy decision as it was the only site that could include fans amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Las Vegas, Austin, Jacksonville and Carlsbad were among the other locations being considered as a single-site host for the season but none were able to commit to allowing fans to attend when the mixed-gender professional tennis league kicks off on July 5.
“To be able to bring fans back and have a little bit of that energy for the players in the stadium eventually made that decision easy for us,” WTT Chief Executive Carlos Silva said in video conference call. Greenbrier’s 2,500-seat outdoor stadium will allow up to 20% capacity, or 500 fans, for an event that consists of a 63-match regular season followed by the playoffs.
Silva said that all health and safety protocols required by authorities will be adhered to in order to ensure the well-being of players, coaches and essential staff. “We have come up with a basic set of guidelines, and that includes testing on the way in and daily temperature checks,” said Silva.
“We are now meeting with West Virginia (officials) to finalise what those guidelines will be. “If somebody would test positive on the way in they would be pulled out immediately.”
Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens are set to take part in the event. According to Silva, “everyone’s been calling” about the 2020 season and the WTT is trying to figure out how to make things work since it could have so many extra players and may need to hold a draft to determine who plays for what teams.
Auger-Aliassime signs up for new UTS league
Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime is the latest player to sign up for the Ultimate Tennis Showdown taking place in Nice next month, joining the likes of David Goffin and Fabio Fognini. The event, thought up by Patrick Mouratoglou, coach of Serena Williams, offers a chance for professionals to compete while the ATP Tour remains shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. “In these trying times, I believe that the Ultimate Tennis Showdown will offer players and fans an exciting environment for our sport to thrive in these ongoing circumstances,” the 19-year-old Auger-Aliassime said.
“I’m always up for a challenge and I am really counting down the days until I can share the court again with some of the best guys in the world.”
The UTS league, which will have no fans on site and adhere to strict health protocols, will start on June 13-14 at the Mouratoglou Academy and be held over five consecutive weekends with a total of 50 matches broadcast live.