The WTA Tour will return to action Aug. 3 in Palermo, Italy, and the ATP Tour will resume play Aug. 14 in Washington, D.C., under new provisional schedules announced Wednesday.
Both top tennis circuits have been shut down since early March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to statements from the WTA Tour and ATP Tour, the schedules remain subject to change based on local health and safety conditions, governmental approval and the ease of international travel restrictions.
Fans will not be on site at any events until further notice.
The proposed schedules were worked out in a partnership of the WTA Tour, ATP Tour, International Tennis Federation, U.S. Tennis Association and French Tennis Federation.
WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in a statement, “Having assessed the global outlook for travel in the latter half of the year, working with our medical experts on providing the safest environment possible, and working through the diverse operational challenges for running events safely in the context of COVID-19, the WTA is pleased to release a calendar for the remainder of the 2020 season.
“For now, the vital energy of spectators in stadiums will be greatly missed, but our broadcast and social media partners are exploring new ways to engage with our fantastic fans. It is our sincere hope and desire that we will be able to return to play this summer.”
The U.S. Open is due to proceed on schedule, Aug. 31-Sept. 13 in New York. The French Open, originally due to be played May 24-June 7, is now slated for Sept. 27-Oct. 11 in Paris.
The Western & Southern Open, which has men’s and women’s divisions, will be moved from Mason, Ohio, to New York and played the week before the U.S. Open at the same venue, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The Citi Open in Washington normally has men’s and women’s divisions, but as of Wednesday, only the men’s event will be played, in mid-August. The tentative WTA Tour schedule plans to hold a tournament starting Aug. 10, but the site has yet to be determined.
Before the pandemic, the Citi Open was scheduled for Aug. 2-9.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement, “Our objective has been to reschedule as many tournaments as possible and salvage as much of the season as we can. It has been a truly collaborative effort and we hope to add more events to the calendar as the situation evolves.
“I would like to recognize our tournaments’ efforts to operate during these challenging times, as well as our players who will be competing under different conditions. At every turn, ensuring that the resumption of the Tour takes place in a safe environment will be paramount.”
In an effort to squeeze in as many tournaments as possible, both tours have scheduled separate events to be played during the second week of the U.S. Open. The WTA Tour’s Istanbul Open will begin Sept. 7, and the ATP Tour’s Generali Open in Kitzbuhel, Austria, will start Sept. 8.
The WTA Tour revealed its projected scheduled for the rest of the year. The events, with scheduled start date:
WTA Tour Schedule
- Aug. 3 — Palermo (Italy) Ladies Open
- Aug. 10 — TBD
- Aug. 21 — Western & Southern Open (moved to New York for 2020 only)
- Aug. 31 — U.S. Open, New York
- Sept. 7 — Istanbul Open
- Sept. 14 — Mutua Madrid Open
- Sept. 21 — Internazionali BNL D’Italia, Rome; Internationaux De Strasbourg (France)
- Sept. 27 — French Open, Paris
- Oct. 5 — Korea Open, Seoul
- Oct. 12 — China Open, Beijing
- Oct. 19 — Dongfeng Motor Wuhan (China) Open; Jiangxi Open, Nanchang, China
- Oct. 26 — Zhengzhou (China) Open; another event TBD
- Nov. 2 — VTB Kremlin Cup, Moscow; Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo
- Nov. 9 — Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen (China)
- Nov. 16 — Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai (China)
- Nov. 23 — Guangzhou (China) Open
The ATP announced its tentative schedule only through the French Open, adding that it plans to add an Asian swing and then a European indoor stretch in the fall and winter. The known events, with scheduled start date:
ATP Tour Schedule
- Aug. 14 — Citi Open, Washington
- Aug. 22 — Western & Southern Open (moved to New York for 2020 only)
- Aug. 31 — U.S. Open, New York
- Sept. 8 — Generali Open, Kitzbuhel, Austria
- Sept. 13 — Mutua Madrid Open
- Sept. 20 — Internazionali BNL D’Italia, Rome
- Sept. 27 — French Open, Paris
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
