WTA News and Gossip 2020

[MargaretMcAleer]

Simona Halep
Given the recent rise in Covid19 cases in Romania and my anxieties around international air travel at this time, I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Palermo. I want to thank the tournament director and the Italian ministry of health for all efforts on my behalf

Again a hint to my claim that Halep won't appear in the US Open, and I still guess that many other Europeans are avoiding the US Open too.

Simona has already stated a few weeks ago she will not play at the USO given the numbers of COVID in the USA,especially NYC.

In regards to Simona withdrawing from Palermo tournament,the main decision was due to the anti-COVID provisions that impose quarantine to all the people coming from Romania or Bulgaria,due to the rise in COVID cases in both countries.,tournament director for the tournament said 'though professional players do not need to quarantine? this is just farcical.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Samantha Stosur has decided to sit our the rest of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic after becoming a mother last month.Stosur will look forward to returning to the tour in 2021.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Angelique Kerber is working with coach Torben Beltz again reuniting with the man who helped Kerber during the most successful season of her career.It will be the fourth time the pair are partnering coming three years after they last worked together.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Johanna Konta and Thomas Hogstedt are on a trial run,after Konta and Dimitri Zavialoff part ways.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

WTA Premier event,The Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo has been cancelled for 2020 due to safety fears amid COVID-19 pandemic.Organisers of the Tokyo event said they were yet to decide on the schedule and venue for the 2021 edition.Following the cancellation the Korea Open in Seoul is the only event left in Asia on WTA's provisional calendar for 2020.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Defending Champions,Keys and Medvedev Head 2020 Western and Southern Open Singles Fields.

Defending Champions Keys, Medvedev Lead 2020 Western & Southern Open Singles Fields - Tennis Panorama

Defending Champions Keys, Medvedev Lead 2020 Western & Southern Open Singles Fields CINCINNATI (JULY 29, 2020) – Ten former champions headline the players on the initial singles entry lists for the 2020 Western & Southern Open that will be held Aug. 20-28 at the USTA Billie Jean King...

www.tennispanorama.com

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

No 1 player Ash Barty has confirmed today she will not be playing at the USO,she said she loves the USO but does not want to put her team or herself at risk playing in NYC.
Ash will decide in the next few weeks if she will travel to Paris to defend her 2019 GS title.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Caty McNally,Kim Clijsters,Naomi Osaka,Sloane Stephens and Venus Williams have been awarded wild cards for the 2020 Western and Southern Open.

 

[isabelle]

Qiang Wang pulled out ofUSO

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

A statement from WTA,

"A player has tested positive for COVID-19 at the 31st Palermo Ladies Open and has subsequently withdrawn from the tournament."The player is asymptomatic"
People who have been in close contact are now being tested.The officials and the WTA so far has not named the player.
The tournament will continue.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Congratulations to former player Agnieszka Radwanska and her husband Dawid Celt on the safe arrival of their son,Jakub.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Muta Madrid Open has been cancelled due to the spike of COVID-19 cases in the region.The event will take place from 30th April to 9 May 2021 in the Caja Magica.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Proposed clay court schedule without Madrid.

Palermo (being played now)
Prague
Istanbul
Rome/Strasburg
French Open.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Jelena Ostapenko will not be playing at the USO due to Coronavirus concerns.It is too dangerous at the moment and I do not want to risk my health or that of others.Ostapenko will play on clay at the Prague Open,set for August 10th-16th.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova said she will not travel to New York to play in the USO as organisers could not guarantee her health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

[Hoergren]

Just read on Twitter that there will be no qualification tournament at the US Open - that must cost a bunch - another step to cancellation - which they should.

 

[Hoergren]

 

[Hoergren]

 

[10isfan]

With no quals, how will players be chosen for the US Open main draw? This is a great chance for someone living/training in North America to win. Osaka? Andreescu isn’t playing, I assume.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I have posted the wild card's for both the women and men in singles for the USO on the US Open plans blog.