ATP TOUR’S SIX-WEEK BREAK

All men’s international tennis has been suspended for the next six weeks, wiping out prestigious events such as this month’s Miami Open and next month’s Monte Carlo Open. Events on the ATP main tour and lower-tier Challenger tour are cancelled until April 27, and possibly beyond. In typical tennis fashion, separate declarations were made by different bodies, with the women’s circuit last night holding off on imposing the same deadline. According to well-placed sources, there was serious consideration given to playing Miami behind closed doors, but this was abandoned when Novak Djokovic stated he was heading back to Europe. The widespread US travel ban for Europeans unveiled by Donald Trump followed. The move still, in theory, leaves the possibility of the Madrid and Italian Opens being played in May, leading into the French Open at Roland Garros.

Cancellations will mean big losses for the tournaments involved, although insurance should cover ticket refunds. There is no certainty about how the French Open and Wimbledon will be affected, although it will concern the two Grand Slam events that the peak of the virus may not be for another couple of months. There is little chance of the cancelled tournaments being rescheduled because the calendar is too crowded. The different tennis bodies assured they are monitoring the virus situation ‘on a daily basis’.