WTA cancels all events in China including the season-ending WTA Finals

The WTA Tour has announced that all WTA events scheduled in China this year as part of the WTA’s provisional calendar will not be held.

WTA cancels all events in China in 2020 season

In their statement, the WTA says, "Due to the recent decision by China’s General Administration of Sport that China will not host any international sporting events in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all WTA tournaments that were scheduled in China on WTA’s provisional calendar will not be held."

The seven WTA events that are cancelled as a result of this decision include the China Open in Beijing (the week of October 12), the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open (the week of October 19), the Jiangxi Open in Nanchang (the week of October 19), the Zhengzhou Open (the week of Oct. 26), the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen (the week of Nov. 9), the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai (the week of November 16th) and the Guangzhou Open (the week of November 23rd).

Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO, commented, "We are extremely disappointed that our world-class events in China will not take place this year. Unfortunately, this decision also includes the cancellation of the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen and as result, the corresponding Porsche Race to Shenzhen. We do however respect the decision that has been made and are eager to return to China as soon as possible next season. We would like to acknowledge the significant efforts made by our tournaments in the region throughout this process along with the Chinese Tennis Association for their dedication and commitment to the WTA. We share in the disappointment of many around the world who were looking forward to this swing and appreciate all of the continued support from our fans, partners and the entire region, as we continue to navigate the remainder of the 2020 season."

The tour says it will release an updated provisional schedule in the coming days. As of now, the WTA Tour is scheduled to return in Palermo in early August. The events in the United States, including the US Open, also remain on the calendar as of now. The men's ATP Tour has also cancelled its planned events in China during the Asian swing, which has impacted the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Asia’s only ATP Masters 1000 tournament, the China Open in Beijing, an ATP 500 event, as well as the Chengdu Open and Zhuhai Championships which are ATP 250 events. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/30PU5Tt