ATP Rotterdam: The tournament will probably take place without a spectator
The ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam is planning for this year's edition without a spectator.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jan 16, 2021, 08:15 pm
Review: When Gael Monfils raised the trophy to the sky on February 16, 2020 in Rotterdam, the world still seemed all right. Although COVID-19 has always been heard in Europe, no expert was able to correctly assess the impact of the coronavirus on all of humanity at this point in time.
A year later the world is different. In addition to the much more significant effects on health and the economy, the tennis world has also changed: The ranking system has been adapted, top players are skipping tournaments due to the pandemic and the tennis stadiums are yawning with emptiness.
Federer could play in Rotterdam
It will probably be like that from March 1st in Rotterdam, where an ATP 500 tournament will take place. Because as the organizers around tournament director Richard Kraijcek announced, plans are being made in the Netherlands without a spectator: "As much as we regret it, we have made the decision to postpone all tickets to the upcoming 2022 edition." So every fan has the opportunity to buy the ticket they want next year.
However, a tournament with spectators is not completely ruled out: If the corona numbers develop extremely positively, contrary to expectations, last-minute tickets can be sold, says Kraijcek. With Danil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Stan Wawrinka, David Goffin, Kei Nishikori and Jannik Sinner, the fans would get to see some of the superstars of the scene. In addition, Roger Federer could celebrate his comeback in Rotterdam .