Swiss Indoors Basel (24 October to 1 November), the third-largest indoor tournament of the global ATP Tour, may fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic – on its 50 Years Golden Jubilee. ‘Unfortunately, it looks like coronavirus is on match point – and is set for victory,’ said tournament president Roger Brennwald of the bleak outlook for the celebrations.

Consultation with the ATP

The ATP, the leading men’s professional tennis association, recently announced that it would resume the ATP Tour from 14 August (Washington) and play until 27 September (French Open). During its discussions with the ATP, Swiss Indoors Basel informed the association that it would prefer to cancel this year’s edition of the tournament in light of the current situation. The ATP intends to announce plans for the remainder of the season in mid-July.

Playing behind closed doors not an option for Basel

Swiss Indoors Basel has carefully evaluated the situation. ‘In light of the medical, social and economic uncertainty, holding an indoor event with more than 10,000 visitors and staff members this year does not seem reasonable. And matches played behind closed doors or social distancing with a reduced number of spectators have to be ruled out for us in Basel on economic grounds,’ says Roger Brennwald.

Advance ticket sales suspended

If Swiss Indoors is definitively cancelled in mid-July, any tickets purchased will be refunded via Ticketcorner or will retain their validity for the following year. Advance sales have been suspended pending the final decision, which will be made in mid-July 2020.