The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced that Budapest will not host the Billie Jean King Cup in 2021 Because the Hungarian city does not see it possible to host the tournament with the current situation of the covid-19, as confirmed by EFE.
The Hungarian tennis federation communicated in a letter to the ITF that they cannot go ahead with the competition, which had to be suspended in 2020 and that it was relocated to April 2021, being delayed again without an exact date.
The tournament will debut a format, similar to the current Davis Cup, with twelve teams competing for a week in a single city. Initially held in April, the tournament was to be played on clay, but as the calendar moves and the venue changes, it increases uncertainty about the surface that will be used.
ITF President David Haggerty said that, having worked alongside the Hungarian federation for the past year, “they are surprised and disappointed.” because they do not see possible to host the tournament in Budapest.
The ITF will now look for an alternative solution to be able to celebrate the tournament this year.