ATP, WTA cancel all 2020 tournaments in China


ATP, WTA cancel all 2020 tournaments in China

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The ATP and WTA Tours on Friday cancelled all of their lagging tournaments in China for this year, comprising the flagship WTA Finals, in the wake of the country’s ban on international sporting events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Later this year, the ATP’s China Open, Shanghai Masters, Chengdu Open and Zhuhai Championships were scheduled to be played but were officially cancelled on Friday.

However, the WTA has called off seven tournaments that were expected to be played in China, comprising the WTA Finals.

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ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi releases a statement

Our approach throughout this pandemic has been to always follow local guidance when staging events, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement.

We respect the Chinese government’s decision to do what’s best for the country in response to the unprecedented global situation,” he added.

It’s with a heavy heart that we announce ATP tournaments will not be played in China this year. These important events have been a cornerstone of the Tour’s presence in Asia and I want to thank the organisers for their commitment and cooperation.”

Chinese fans are some of the most passionate in the world and I know players will be looking forward to the next opportunity to play in front of them,” he concluded.

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There have been more than 15 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally with the death toll surpassing 630,000.

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