On Tuesday morning the organizers of the Mutua Madrid Open announced they are canceling the tournament.  The tournament is usually played in May during the clay-court swing before the French Open but due to Covid-19 was moved to September. It was canceled today in conjunction with the local authorities. 

Tournament director Feliciano Lopez made a statement on the tournament being canceled:

“We have given our all to stage the tournament. After the first cancellation in May, we got to work on the September date with the hope of being able to enjoy first-class tennis in the Caja Mágica during this year, which has been so hard for everyone. However, the continued instability is still too great to hold a tournament like this in complete safety. Once again, we would like to thank the Madrid City Council and all of our sponsors and suppliers for being by our side during every step we have taken."

Madrid has recently seen a spike in COVID cases thus prompting the community of Madrid to introduce new measures including having social gatherings to 10 people or less. The tournament is scheduled now for next year from April 30th to May 9th, 2021.

Both the ATP and WTA made a joint statement on the cancelation of the event on the ATP website:

"The ATP and WTA regret to confirm the cancellation of the 2020 Mutua Madrid Open, a decision that has been taken in line with local authorities due to health and safety concerns. We would like to recognize the efforts of the tournament organizers who have gone to great lengths in exploring all options to run this year’s tournament, despite the many challenges presented by COVID-19. Both tours are assessing updates to the 2020 provisional calendars in regards to events following the US Open, and an update will be published in due course".

Andrea Gaudenzi who is the ATP chairman gave his thoughts on the news of the Madrid Open being canceled:

“We share in the disappointment that the Mutua Madrid Open will not be able to take place this year. The circumstances concerning COVID-19 are continually evolving and we continue to take guidance from local authorities in our decision-making. I would like to thank the Mutua Madrid Open tournament organizers for their efforts to run this year’s event, which included the rescheduling of their dates from May to September, and we look forward to the event’s successful return in 2021.”

Steve Simon who is the WTA Chairman and CEO also made comments on the unfortunate news.

“We are disappointed the Mutua Madrid Open will not be held this year but we are proud of the dedication set forth by Feliciano and the entire tournament team, who have worked tirelessly to consider and facilitate all possible alternatives in making the tournament happen this year. We know how beloved this combined men’s and women’s event is for fans, especially with the anticipation of the Tour’s return to play, but we remain vigilant to ensure health and safety remain our top priority for all.”