By David Awopetu
The Madrid Open in September was cancelled on Tuesday because of a new spike in coronavirus cases in Spain.
The joint men’s and women’s tournament was originally scheduled in May, but moved when Spain became a hot spot for the virus. Its new slot which is schedule to start on 12 September allowed it again to be a major lead-in event for the rescheduled French Open at the end of that month.
But organizers last weekend were advised by local authorities not to stage the tournament due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
In a statement, organizers said, “Following the strong recommendation of the local health authorities, and having monitored the situation for months, the organizers of the Mutua Madrid Open have no choice but to cancel the tournament due to the complex situation that COVID-19 continues to generate in every regard.”
Spanish great and 19-time Grand Slam Champion, Rafael Nadal, was among the players who signed up to play.
Spain has recorded more than 302,000 cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, and 28,498 deaths, according to the latest figures released on Tuesday.
Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show the rate of infection in Spain is rising rapidly again, particularly in the Madrid and Aragon regions.
The Madrid Open was to mark the start of the European clay season after the U.S. Open.
Tour-level tennis resumed only this week after a five-month break at the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy.
The ATP and WTA said they were assessing their provisional tour calendars and will update soon.
