ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi - 2020 calendar not perfect
ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi spoke in an interview on the ATP website about the new beginning of the tournaments in Washington from August 14th.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jun 27, 2020, 10:40 am
There is no perfect tennis calendar. Point. There will always be a player or tournament organizer who does not see his interests represented 100% in his sense. Be it through a Davis Cup final tournament that was added more than two weeks after the end of the regular season. Well, at least this "problem" resolved itself with the ITF's decision not to host the next final until 2021. And it only falls within the scope of Andrea Gaudenzi, who has been the successor to Chris Kermode as head of ATP since the beginning of the year.
It was of course not foreseeable that the Italian ex-professional was facing a global crisis. Especially since the year with the ATP Cup, which Kermode and Tennis Australia had devised, started well in three Australian cities. Since Indian Wells' cancellation, the bikes have stood still - according to plan only until mid-August, when the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Washington is to be restarted. And the calendar then provides a firework of good mood like never before in the history of tennis: Cincinnati (played in New York), the US Open, Madrid, Rome and the French Open follow in immediate succession. Anyone who leaves New York during the first week can still apply for prize money and points in Kitzbühel.
Dependence on politics
"We know that the new calendar is in no way perfect," said Gaudenzi in an interview with the ATP website. "We would like to have more tournaments and more opportunities to play. And also more time between our main events to facilitate the schedule of the players. But the reality is that the economic impact of the crisis has shown that tournaments are ranked are less prepared for the storm, but does that mean that we should hold the whole tour off until everything is back to normal? We have decided that we have to start somewhere and if we put the tournaments on top Having levels in a safe environment and creating income opportunities not only for the players but for the whole industry is at least a start. "
"I think it's natural that there is a certain level of concern," said Gaudenzi. "The world pasture situation with COVID-19 is evolving quickly and there are many unknowns. I think our precautions and safety protocols are based on good information. According to current plans, we should be able to secure some of the largest ATP events despite the circumstances In the end, however, the most robust plans will only benefit us if the local authorities work with us and give the green light.