The Montreal WTA tournament, one of the key build-up events ahead of the US Open, was axed on Saturday and will not be played until 2021, officials said.
The event, scheduled for August 7-16, had been in jeopardy after Quebec Province requested that all sporting and cultural events be cancelled through August 31 as a means of slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
“As a result of the measures imposed by the Quebec government prohibiting holding events until August 31, the Rogers Cup in Montreal will postpone their event to 2021,” said a WTA statement.
“The WTA reiterates that health and safety will always be the top priority. We understand this was a difficult decision and we look forward to being back in Montreal in 2021.”
Tournament director Eugene Lapierre said the decision was made for them.
“At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis we were hoping that the situation would be resolved in time to be able to host our tournament as initially planned on the calendar.”
It is thus with a heavy heart that we received this news, but we understand that this decision was necessary,” he said.
This is latest blow to tennis season which has been on ice for the last month.