MUMBAI: The TATA Maharashtra Open, which has been scheduled to begin on February 1 next year, could either be postponed to a later date in 2021 or not be held at all.
The organisers of the ATP Tour 250 tennis series have an important meeting coming up with the state government early next month to decide on the fate of next year’s event in Pune.
“We are going to be talking about it with state government officials in the first week of November,” a person in the know told The New Indian Express. Once the state government conveys to the organisers about the quarantine laws and whether crowds can be allowed inside the stadium, they will in turn pass on that information to the ATP, who will decide the best way forward.
Meanwhile, there is going to be a reduction of prize money if the tournament does go ahead. If the government does give the go-ahead without the spectators, there could be as much as a 50% reduction in prize money, according to the daily. Taking the 2020 Open as a barometer, prize money could be slashed by roughly $300,000.
