Sports
52nd Citi Open Tennis Tournament Postponed
Citi Open tennis tournament organizers announced they were postponing the 52nd edition of the event due to coronavirus travel restrictions.
WASHINGTON, DC — Following months of deliberation, the Association of Tennis Professionals announced Tuesday it was postponing the 52nd Citi Open tennis tournament until next year. The tournament was originally scheduled to begin Aug. 13, at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.
"With only 23 days left until the start of the tournament, there are too many unresolved external issues, including various travel restrictions as well as troubling health and safety trends, that have forced us to make this decision now in fairness to our players, suppliers and partners, so they can have certainty around their planning," said Mark D. Ein, chairman and CEO of MDE Tennis, in a release.
Ein, a D.C.-based venture capitalist and owner of the Washington Kastles, acquired managing rights to the tournament from the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation in 2019.
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"We are very disappointed that we could not provide players this competitive opportunity and tennis fans around the world their first chance to once again experience the thrills of watching an ATP Tournament," Ein said. "Sports play a very important role in uniting communities, inspiring our youth, stimulating our economies and providing joy to fans around the world, and we look forward to bringing that back to the world next year."
Formerly known as the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, the tournament originated in July 1969 as one of the first open professional tennis tournaments in the U.S. A portion of the proceeds from the annual event benefit the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation.
Find out what's happening in Washington DCfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In March, Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the closing of all non-essential businesses in the District in order to stem the spread of COVID-19, the virus associated with the new coronavirus. This included limiting the size of public gatherings.
The District is currently in the second phase of its phased reopening and many business have reopened with some restrictions. However, under Phase 2, mass gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited in D.C.
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