The WTA bets on China and a complete calendar in 2021

To recover the Chinese tournaments of the Asian tour that were spoiled this year by the pandemic, as well as having a calendar as similar as possible to the usual oneBefore the emergence of the coronavirus, they are the two main aspirations of the WTA as far as its tournament schedule for 2021 is concerned.

The confinement forced by the health crisis took ahead to half of the appointments of the women's circuit, including all the Asian ones from March, which resulted in a significant loss of income. And that hemorrhage wants to be plugged, also trusting that there are vaccines available in the short term.

“For 2021 we are planning a full schedule, with the number of events fluctuating between 53 and 55, as usual,” circuit boss Steve Simon recently told Reuters.. The beginning of the course would be on January 4, before the main players head to Melbourne to pass the quarantine of the Australian Open, and the three WTA 1,000 category tournaments and the Finals that should have been played this would have special relevance. year in China.

Simon believes that collaboration with the ATP will be key in the recovery of professional tennis and to show alignment the WTA tournaments will assume in 2021 the same nomenclature as those of their male counterpart. “As I speak of the need for unity in the WTA, I think it is necessary in the sport in general. We are working more closely than ever and we can only be positive about it,” he says. She would also like to see all broadcasts on both tours centralized on a “single” platform and a female version of the ATP Cup.