The BNP Paribas Open, with professional tennis tournaments for men and women, will not take place in March as originally planned.
Tournament organizers announced Tuesday that they will work with ATP and WTA tournaments and the title sponsor to confirm event dates in Indian Wells, Calif., after in 2021. It was originally scheduled for March 8-21 at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
The decision to postpone the event was made after consulting with public and local health officials and tournament owner Larry Ellison.
Coronavirus hospitalizations are stabilizing in parts of California, but patients continue to overwhelm hospitals across much of the state. According to the state, intensive care units in Southern California and the San Joaquin agricultural valley no longer have capacity. Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was” natural ” that his recent home stay order would be extended Tuesday in places where the hospital’s intensive care units have less than 15 percent capacity.
This year’s tournament was the first major U.S. sporting event to be canceled after a case of recent time was confirmed in the Coachella Valley in March. At first, organizers hoped to reschedule it for after in the year, but the coronavirus crisis was only getting worse.
The event usually attracts more than 450,000 fans. It is commonly referred to as “fifth slam” due to its popularity among players and stature, ranking points and more than million in cash prizes, allowing it to place a rung among the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments.
The Australian open, the first Grand Slam of the year, has been postponed until February. 8-21, three weeks after than usual to give players and officials 14 days to quarantine after reaching Down Under.