LTA announces cancellation of pre-Wimbledon Grass Court events

The LTA summer major events grass court circuit includes the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham (8-14 June), the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club and the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham during the week of 15 June, as well as the Nature Valley International in Eastbourne (21-27 June). This period also covers the ITF/ATP Trophy Series events staged by the LTA in Manchester (8-14 June) and Ilkley (15-21), the ITF junior Grade 1 events in Nottingham (22-27 June) and Roehampton (28 June – 3 July) and the ITF Wheelchair events held alongside the Tour events at Birmingham and Queens. The British Open Wheelchair Championships event in Nottingham in July has also been cancelled, although the LTA has reserved the option to re-stage the tournament later in the season.

This news comes alongside today’s announcement regarding the cancellation of the 2020 edition of The Championships, Wimbledon, along with the ATP, WTA and ITF confirming that all professional tennis around the world will remain suspended until 13 July 2020.

For any fans who bought tickets to The Fever-Tree Championships or Nature Valley-sponsored events in Nottingham, Birmingham or Eastbourne, they will have a choice of receiving a face-value refund or rolling their ticket forward to the 2021 event. These details will be sent via email or letter from the ticketing providers. For any ticket buyers to the LTA Trophy Series events at Surbiton, Manchester or Ilkley, the face value of any tickets purchased will automatically be refunded via The Ticket Factory. For further information, visit the tournament specific webpage.

Scott Lloyd, LTA Chief Executive said:

“Given the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest government advice and our discussions with the ATP, WTA, ITF and AELTC, it is with deep regret that our summer grass court tournaments and the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships have been cancelled for 2020. This is an unprecedented situation and the health of those attending our tournaments as spectators, players, staff, media, sponsors and guests had to be our number one consideration. We at the LTA will be working hard to support our wider tennis community to allow the sport a strong return to health when conditions allow. In the meantime we hope that our tennis fans are staying safe and we look forward to welcoming them back to tennis when we can.”

In the coming days, the LTA will be announcing a series of measures to support those involved in tennis in Britain during this unprecedented situation. This will include support for tennis venues, coaches, officials and players affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with the goal of ensuring that tennis in Britain emerges from this period in as strong and healthy position as possible, and the sport is able to resume its unique role in keeping the nation active.