The ATP is working harder and harder to make things happen in 2021 despite the Coronavirus pandemic. The organization needs to face the reality of some tournaments struggling to attract proper financing while some cities are eager to step in and be put in the ATP Map.
The new tournaments
There will be 2 new ATP250 with a provisional one-year license. There will be a tournament in Singapore (22nd of February) on indoor hard courts soon after the Australian Open and another one in Marbella (5th of April) on clay after the Miami Open.
Furthermore, the Hungarian Open that is usually played in Budapest will be staged in Serbia (Belgrade). Unfortunately, the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, the ATP 250 event in Houston will not take place this year.
Draws will be also expanded in the following tournaments:  Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships from 32/16 to 48/24, the Qualifying Draw size at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel will increase from 16 to 32. Also, qualifying draw sizes at ATP 250 Cordoba Open, Argentina Open (Buenos Aires) and Chile Dove Men+Care Open (Santiago) are also to be expanded from 16 to 32.
“This was the statement from the ATP250 in Houston about the cancellation.
It is with very heavy hearts that we send this note to inform you of our decision to not hold the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in April.
This is a very difficult decision for us. We have been working very hard to plan for this year’s tournament, a process that has involved adapting many aspects of the event to account for health and safety measures related to the ongoing pandemic.
We hold ourselves to a very high standard, one that we look to build upon year over year. A major factor in our decision to not proceed with a tournament in 2021 is because many of the modifications we would need to make would diminish the event experience for many involved, including our fans, our sponsors and our players. We do not feel right moving forward with an event that will likely fall short of that standard we have worked so hard to establish.
It is very disappointing to not be able to host the Clay Court Championships for a second year in a row. We know the tournament means a great deal to a lot of people. While we know this is the best course of action for us, we do not look forward to the void we will feel during what should have been our tournament week.
Know that we are immediately setting our sights on 2022 with hopes that things will be back to normal and we can put on our biggest and best tournament yet.
In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy. We miss you terribly and cannot wait to fill our beloved stadium court at River Oaks.”
