Tennis returns to China: this is the decision that the International Tennis Federation has taken, as reported by Reuters. After three years of hiatus due to the Covid19 pandemic, where the Chinese country has isolated itself from the other states which, according to due precautions, have hosted some of these tournaments, the calendar embraces some important appointments in the East.
Now that the pandemic has come to an end, even in China, an important slice of the previous tennis programming can return: before the outbreak of the pandemic, there were 25 women’s and 15 men’s ITF tournaments that were hosted in those borders.
“We have been assured that players, their families and teams can compete safely in China, so we look forward to bringing the World Tennis Tour back there,” told ITF CEO David Haggerty to Reuters. Haggerty then added: “We have received assurances that it is safe for the players, their families and their teams to compete in China, so we can’t wait to go back.
Our fundamental purpose is to develop grassroots tennis in 213 different countries with different social, economic and political conditions.”
The role of the WTA
With this decision, tennis programming on the men’s circuit will return to its origins, where origins mean the period preceding the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Important tournaments will return: the most important will be the 1000 tournament in Shanghai, which like the others hasn’t been held for three years. On the WTA, however, it is not certain that the return will take place.
WTA CEO Steve Simon had said he did not want to return to China because of the Peng Shuai’s issue, who disappeared after allegations of harassment made against a local politician, but the latest news speak of an easing of tension between China and the tennis organization.
So even the women’s circuit could return to the eastern country, for those 25 tournaments that have been missing for three years.
