In the tennis world, it has been a busy few weeks on and off the court. Amidst re-shuffled calendars and ever-changing travel restrictions, players on both the women’s WTA and men’s ATP tours have been endeavouring to find some form before the French Open at Roland-Garros. For fans, the picture is sometimes as clear as the clay on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but there are increasingly positive signs that a sense of normality could steadily be making its way back on to tennis courts soon enough.
It seems though, that no one told Ashleigh Barty about unpredictability: it was business as usual for the world number 1 as she collected her second Miami Open win in a row at the beginning of the month. In the men’s draw, Hubert Hurkacz saw off 19-year-old Jannik Sinner in the final. The teenager may have come off second-best, but he has broken into the top-20 before his 20th birthday, in what is already a memorable 2021 for the exciting Italian! In Monte-Carlo a couple of weeks later, Stefanos Tsitsipas took home the trophy – his first at Masters level. Tsitsipas had overcome Dan Evans in the semifinal, who had himself beaten world number 1 Novak Djokovic en route, against all the odds.
Although the Miami Open took place in front of tightly-restricted crowds, and there were no attendees at all at Monte-Carlo, both events showed clear signs that upcoming tournaments – which are more likely to be hosting fans – are set to enjoy a healthy mix of established success-stories and unexpected upsets. There will be plenty of drama on offer, as more and more spectators start to enjoy the thrill of live tennis again.
The next few months will be significant for both players and fans. With the news that the French Open is to be delayed by a week – it will now run from 24 May to 13 June 2021 – the international tennis calendar has added one-off tournaments in Belgrade (Serbia) and Parma (Italy) to give players maximum opportunity to sharpen their game before the French major. The WTA also added a second tournament in Charleston (USA), that took place after the Volvo Car Open. This competition, the MUSC Health Women’s Open, was won by unseeded Australian Astra Sharma, a name to look out for when you next pass through the turnstiles of a WTA event!
But where and when can fans get back courtside? A good place to start is the Madrid Open. This tournament, a prestigious event on both the ATP and WTA tour, has already opened ticket sales, and will run from 30 April to 9 May. Although Madrid will not be as open as tournaments further down the line, it is nonetheless worth taking note of: it is the largest combined men’s and women’s event this side the French Open, and the presence of even a few fans at such a tournament could set an important precedent for competitions to come. Beyond Madrid, ATP events in Geneva and Lyon, as well as the aforementioned Belgrade and Parma tournaments, will most likely complete the path to Paris.
Of course, once the professionals have dusted the French clay from their trainers, it is straight on to the grass-court season. Many of the outdoor tournaments, which famously populate the European summer months prior to Wimbledon, will be hoping that fans can watch-on from the stands once again. If the clay-court season so far is anything to go by, it’s going to be exciting, so make sure you’re part of it!