Sofia Kenin, winner of the last Australian Open, and Sloane Stephens, sacred to theUS Open in 2017, World Team Tennis will take part, a team competition which will start on July 12 in an American mountain resort, in the presence of spectators.
The nine-team event, each representing a city, will hold its 45th season at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, from July 12 to August 2, the WTT announced on Tuesday.
While the female circuits WTA and masculine ATP have suspended their season until August due to the coronavirus pandemic, the WTT is the first professional tennis competition to announce that it has resumed play in more than two months since the pandemic brought global sport under wraps. What’s more with the public.
We are all extremely grateful to be able to play the 45th season of Team World Tennis and to introduce professional tennis to our hungry sports and tennis spectators.
, said managing director Carlos Silva.
What is clear from the players’ comments is that they want to play WTT and are comfortable doing so in a safe environment, which is our number one priority. West Virginia Among the States with the Least Covid-19 Cases in the Country
, he said.
WTT is excited to announce we will play our entire 45th season at @The_Greenbrier in, West Virginia. All 66 matches will be televised or live-streamed on @CBS, @CBSSportsNet, @TennisChannel, @ESPN+ & https://t.co/c7ZUINY7vo! # WTT2020 #EveryPointCounts https://t.co/17TBt4gAkB
– World TeamTennis (@WorldTeamTennis) May 26, 2020
WTT, whose security protocols will include tests for Covid-19 and the wearing of protective equipment such as face masks, provides for at least three matches per day in its outdoor enclosure that can accommodate 2,500 people.
According to West Virginia health guidelines, 500 spectators, a capacity of 20%, will be able to attend the meetings.
The WTT plans to play 63 games from July 12 to 30, leading to the semi-finals on August 1 and the final the following day.
American Sofia Kenin, world number 4, in the colors of the Philadelphia Freedoms, will participate, while her compatriot Sloane Stephens, 37th world and finalist at Roland Garros in 2018, will play for the Chicago Smash.
In men’s, the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, 19th in the world, will be part of the Orange County Breakers, the stars of double Bob and Mike Bryan playing for the Vegas Rollers.
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