WTA Luxembourg already cancelled for 2020

With decisions for the U.S. summer hard courts – not to mention the US Open, the rescheduled French Open and the Asian swing – still to be made, one WTA event has already announced it won’t be held in 2020.

The BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open, which was to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year from Oct. 19-25, will instead do that in 2021.

Here’s the statement from the tournament, from its website.

“It is with deep regret that we have to inform you today that the recommendations concerning the new rules by the WTA for the 2020 edition do not allow us to organize this year’s tournament with a clear conscience and in alignment with your expectations. The regulations regarding safety and hygiene make it impossible for us to hold an event that would adhere to these conditions. We are therefore forced to postpone the 25th anniversary edition of the WTA tournament in Kockelscheuer until the autumn of 2021.“

The Luxembourg tournament takes place (along with a bigger event in St. Moscow, Russia) in what is the final week of the WTA Tour season.

The next week is the Zhuhai second-tier finals, and the week after that the WTA Tour Finals in Shenzhen.

Ultimately, a small indoor event that doesn’t get much revenue outside the on-site ticket sales and concessions would find itself in a pretty tough spot to hold the tournament without losing a lot of money, in the current climate and under rigorous safe hygiene conditions. You have to think it won’t be the last event to opt out for 2020.