Ash Barty’s lucrative China tournament likely to be called off
Ash Barty claimed the biggest purse in tennis history in China in 2019 but the world No 1 may not have the chance to defend the title this year.
An event in China where Ash Barty created history in 2019 is among tournaments now in question as the coronavirus crisis continues to wreak havoc on global sports.
The WTA Tour is seeking clarification from China after a report that all international sport would be banned in the country for the rest of 2020 due to the prolonged crisis.
The women’s circuit is due to resume in Palermo in early August and it is hoped there will be a return to relative normality later this year.
This includes the lucrative swing through China, which hosts events including the WTA Finals, scheduled for Shenzhen in the opening week of November.
The Australian claimed the biggest purse in tennis history of $6.4m in Shenzhen last year when defeating defending champion Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-3 to crown a superb season and end the season world No 1.
There are still seven WTA tournaments on the calendar scheduled for China this year and a further four men’s events.
The WTA said a report circulating regarding sporting events in China “does not represent a final decision”.
“The WTA continues to work closely with our events in China … and we will advise when we have more information,” the tour said.
Despite COVID-19 cases spiking in several countries including the US, the WTA is working on a provisional calendar for the rest of the year.
It added tournaments in Prague and Lexington, Kentucky, for mid-August as lead-in events for the US Open and rescheduled French Open to run in late September.
New York mayor Bill de Blasio said the city was still planning to host the US Open, beginning late next month, despite a citywide ban on large gatherings being extended to late September.
“This is one of a number of events where there are going to be sports activities which we all love, but without the audience,” he told CNN.
“The people will be able to watch it on TV and we will keep the tradition going, but the same with the Yankees, the Mets, we are not going to have crowds in the stands.
“Baseball will be coming back. Tennis will be coming back.”
Doubts persist about the viability of the US circuit swing, with America recording 59,880 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, which is a daily record.
Barty is among the Australians who have reserved their decisions on whether to travel to the US, with the tours set to provide further information this month.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal and world No 1 Novak Djokovic plan a full clay-court season leading into the French Open, which places their participation in New York in doubt.
The WTA Tour, meanwhile, has adopted a similar rankings system outlined by the ATP Tour earlier this week in order to provide protection for those unable or unwilling to travel.
Barty holds a 2641-point buffer on world No 2 Simona Halep.
The ruling allows the Australian to keep ranking points from last year’s majors at a time when travelling abroad is problematic.
More Coverage
Ranking system update:
— wta (@WTA) July 9, 2020
After extensive review of the ranking process, the WTA Rankings will follow the "Better of 2019 and 2020" point model, in alignment with the ATP Tour--> https://t.co/qb83rnNuoZ pic.twitter.com/udN7fYxmCD
Add your comment to this story
‘F*** everything’: Why tennis’ most unlikely duo called it a day
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s unlikely partnership seemed to come to an abrupt end but signs it wasn’t right bubbled up multiple times over past months.
Tears to joy for Aussie French Open wildcard
There will now be 15 Australians in singles action at the French Open after sadness turned to jubilation for one player.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout