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The Championships logo is seen on the third day of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship on June 22, 2005 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)
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The Championships logo is seen on the third day of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship on June 22, 2005 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)
The delay of the French Open 2021 has impacted the entire schedule of the ATP and the WTA. Instead of starting on May 23, 2021, the Grand Slam will now begin on May 30, 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic. This has reduced the break between the French Open and Wimbledon Championships to just two weeks instead of three.
After the French Open 2021, players will get about two weeks to acclimatize to the grass ahead of the Wimbledon Championships. The ATP has already planned many tournaments like the Mercedes Cup, the Mallorca Championships, and the Eastbourne International on grass to give players the chance to adjust ahead of Wimbledon 2021. but there is some more good news for fans.
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A general view inside the Wimbledon Number 1 court after the Wimbledon Spring Press Conference 2019. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on April 30, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
According to reports, the ATP is planning to introduce another tournament before the Wimbledon Championships 2021. Interestingly, it’ll be a Masters 1000 tournament. Even though the dates are not confirmed right now, there is a high possibility that the tournament will take place in Great Britain right before Wimbledon.
It will be great for the sport, as there is currently no ATP Masters 1000 tournament on grass. There are nine Masters 1000 tournaments that happen in the year out of which three take place on clay while six happen on the hard courts.
“Like the idea of having a Masters 1000 on grass”- ATP Chief ahead of the Wimbledon Championships 2021
In a recent interview, the ATP Chief, Andrea Gaudenzi, revealed that he would love to have a Masters 1000 tournament on grass. He believes that it can be a big tournament in the UK and he even proposed this concept to the ATP office. However, he also stated that it needs to be discussed at length before its execution.
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A ‘The Championships’ logo is seen at Centre Court during previews for the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 21, 2007, in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“Personally, I like the idea of having a Masters 1000 on grass on Queen’s and Halle week. This is something I proposed to the ATP office. I like the concept of a big Masters 1000 leading up to Wimbledon. This obviously needs to be discussed among everyone, but it could be a way to bring a big event to the UK,” said Gaudenzi in the interview. (Translated by Google Translate)
It is surely great news for fans, as they may just finally have the long-awaited grass tournament they wanted. However, the ATP also has to make sure that players don’t feel tired as they have just a two-week break between the two Grand Slam events.
