Due to postponement of the French Open: ATP installs tournament in Parma
Due to the postponement of the French Open, an ATP 250 clay court tournament will take place in Parma, Italy this year.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Apr 15, 2021, 09:33 pm
It was one of the many questions that arose after the French Open was rescheduled: What happens from May 24th to May 30th, when the first week in Paris would originally have taken place? On the men's side, the ATP has now given an answer: A 250 tournament will take place in Parma.
For the first time in history, an ATP event will take place in the northern Italian city. The starting shot will be given on May 22nd, exactly one week later, on May 29th, the winner of the clay court tournament will be determined in Parma. One day later, the second Grand Slam event of the year begins in Paris.
The fact that a new venue was found in Italy of all places is only of limited surprise. Because the southern European state is currently experiencing a real tennis boom, especially on the men's side: Ten of the current 100 best players come from Italy, with the ATP Finals in Turin and the Next Gen Finals, two major tennis highlights will take place in Italy at the end of the year.
With the event in Parma, there is now another highlight. In view of the corona pandemic, however, it is doubtful whether spectators will also be able to enjoy world-class tennis on site.