Italian Open 2020 to Create Chaos on Tennis Calendar

The spring clay-court swing was suspended after the ATP and WTA decided to shut down the professional tour till June 7 due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus around the globe. Consequently, the French Open was postponed for about four months. Following the Parisian slam, the Italian Open is also hoping to reschedule the tournament ahead of the Roland Garros.

The COVID-19 has already wreaked havoc in the sporting world. While many tournaments are cancelled due to the pandemic, some tournaments are also rescheduled including the French Open. The Italian Open also refuses to suspend their event as the organisers are aiming to postpone the tournament in September.

“We plan to reschedule”: Italian Open Chief

The Italian Tennis Federation revealed that the Italian International Championships is hoping to reschedule the 2020 event before Roland Garros in September. However, the organizers are open to considering a different venue and a different surface for the event.

“We plan to reschedule the Internationals this year,” Italian Open Chief Angelo Binaghi said in an interview with Sky Sports 24. “We would be very happy to be one of the preparatory tournaments for Roland Garros.”

He further added: “We would like to play them in Rome. But we are willing to organise them in any venue and on any surface.”

Also Read: Laver Cup Hits Out at French Open Postponement – Refuses to Change Dates

Earlier, the French Tennis Federation took a unilateral decision without consulting other associations to reschedule the French Open. Consequently, the organisers of the Italian Open should try not to repeat the same mistakes as the FFT. They should make a decision after consulting the Grand Slam tournament, the WTA and ATP, the ITF.

However, it does not seems practically possible for the tournament to take place on clay. If the Italian Open held on clay, the new timeline would conflict with a series of WTA and ATP hard-court tournaments. Only time will answer