Rogers Cup in Montreal may be postponed following Quebec government’s request

MONTREAL — Tennis Canada and the WTA Tour are discussing the possibility of postponing the Rogers Cup women’s tournaments.

The national organizing body for tennis made the announcement on Friday afternoon after the Quebec government requested the cancellation of all public sporting events through Aug. 31 in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The Rogers Cup is currently scheduled for Aug. 7-16 in Montreal and Toronto. The two cities take turns hosting the men’s and women’s tournaments, with Toronto slated to hold the men’s event this year.

“We understand the decision coming from the Government of Quebec who has to consider the health and safety of the Quebec population,” said Eugene Lapierre, the tournament director of the Rogers Cup in Montreal. “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 and therefore our decisions will reflect this.

“We hope that our discussions with the WTA will allow us to make an official announcement on the status of the Rogers Cup by (Saturday).”

Many major festivals in Montreal and Quebec City have already announced they were cancelling events this summer.

Tennis Canada has made no decision about the men’s tournaments in Toronto as the government of Ontario and the City of Toronto have not made a request similar to Quebec’s.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2020.

The Canadian Press