The ATP CEO says the tour will continue to monitor the pandemic and not rush into decisions regarding further postponements. It has been a rough first year on the job for ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi. A year that started with the bushfire crisis in Australia has now been halted by a global pandemic. The ATP chief warned the public that there could be more difficult decisions ahead. In a message posted on the ATP website, Gaudenzi said that the tour still plans to go ahead with the grass-court season but he gives no guarantees, saying instead that the situation is being monitored every single day.
“We continue to assess all options related to preserving and maximizing the calendar based on various return dates for the Tour. It goes without saying that full cooperation with the other governing bodies is essential. We are in close discussion with all the grass-court events and they remain on the calendar as scheduled at this time,” Gaudenzi said in an article, posted by ATPWorldTour.com. “The reality is this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is no option other than to take this day-by-day and week-by-week.”
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On Tuesday the 2020 Olympic Games were officially moved to 2021, which leaves a lot of uncertainty about the grass-court season and its culmination at Wimbledon. The Champions are slated to begin on June 29.
In the meantime, Gaudenzi says the tours will do what the can to keep the public informed as it joins the globe in a social distancing campaign.
“The current suspension of the Tour leaves a big void in all our lives,” Gaudenzi said. “However, we are seeking to play our part over the coming weeks through our digital and social media platforms which, among other initiatives, has included the launch of a #tennisathome content campaign to deliver some positive and fresh content to our fans.”
