Madrid: The Madrid Open in September was cancelled on Tuesday because of a new spike in coronavirus cases in Spain.
The joint men’s and women’s tournament was originally scheduled in May but moved when Spain became a hotbed for the virus.
Its new slot in September allowed it again to be a major lead-in event for the rescheduled French Open at the end of that month.
But organisers last weekend were advised by local authorities not to stage the tournament due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
Following the strong recommendation of the local health authorities, and having monitored the situation for months, the organizers of the Mutua Madrid Open have no choice but to cancel the tournament due to the complex situation that COVID-19 continues to generate in every regard, the organisers said in a statement.
After a spike in COVID-19 cases, the community of Madrid announced a few days ago a number of new measures to control the virus”spread, including a directive that social gatherings are to be reduced to 10 people, both in public and private meetings, further reducing the feasibility of operating the tournament.
Spain was one of the hardest-hit countries by the coronavirus. The pandemic had been under control until the recent spikes in cases across the country.
We have given our all to stage the tournament, Madrid Open tournament director Feliciano López said.