WTA Announces Rogers Cup in Montreal Postponed Until 2021

The Women's Tennis Association announced the postponement of the women's tournament in the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Saturday, noting that the event will take place from Aug. 6-15, 2021.

The women's draw of the Rogers Cup was originally scheduled to run from Aug. 7 to 16 in Montreal, with the men playing in Toronto. Rescheduling of the women's competition was necessitated after government officials in the province of Quebec ruled that no events can take place in the province until Aug. 31 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Rogers Cup is an annual WTA event that was first held in 1892.

Rogers Cup tournament director Eugene Lapierre released the following statement regarding the postponement of the women's tournament:

"If at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis we were hoping that the situation would be resolved in time to be able to host our tournament as initially planned on the calendar, but we knew that the chances were getting smaller and smaller in recent weeks. Our priority in the management of this crisis has always been to ensure the safety and well-being of our players, fans, volunteers, partners and employees. It is thus with a heavy heart that we received this news, but we understand that this decision was necessary. We would like to thank all our clients and partners for their collaboration and support during this difficult time. Rest assured that we will be working tirelessly in the coming months in order to make next year’s tournament a great celebration during which we will be able to celebrate the sport and enjoy each other’s company."

This year marks the first time that the Rogers Cup has not been held on the WTA Tour since since 1945. There was no Rogers Cup from 1941 to '45 because of World War II, nor from 1915 to '18 during World War I. The event didn't take place in 1905 either.

The 2019 Rogers Cup was historic, as Bianca Andreescu beat Serena Williams in the final via retirement to become the first Canadian to win a Rogers Cup singles title since Faye Urban in 1969. That win also set the stage for Andreescu to become one of the top young stars in women's tennis.

The now-19-year-old Andreescu went on to win the U.S. Open, and she is currently the sixth-ranked women's tennis player in the world.

The postponement of the WTA's Rogers Cup tournament is the latest blow to the tennis world following the cancellation of Wimbledon and the postponement of the French Open.