Tennis fans in New England will have to wait a year for their brush with greatness.
The Laver Cup announced Friday it has postponed this year’s edition of the tournament due to scheduling conflicts and other uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic has created. The 2020 Laver Cup was scheduled to take place between Sept. 25 and Sept. 27 at TD Garden in Boston, but organizers have decided the tournament will take place between Sept. 24 and Sept. 26, 2021 at the same venue.
“We needed to make a decision now on our event,” Laver Cup chairman and CEO of TEAM8 Tony Godsick said in a statement. “We know our passionate fans will be disappointed that they have to wait an extra year for the Laver Cup in Boston, but this is the responsible course of action, necessitated by the emerging calendar conflicts.
“We wanted to call it now to provide certainty for our fans as well as our players, sponsors, broadcasters, partners, staff, volunteers and of course the great city of Boston … . ”
Roger Federer was among the leading players who likely would have competed in the 2020 Laver Cup. He laments the postponement of the tournament and vows to play next year in Boston.
“It’s unfortunate that the Laver Cup has to be pushed back a year, but at this stage it’s the right thing to do for everyone concerned,” Federer said in a statement. “Although disappointing, the good news is that TD Garden will still be able to host the event next year and I really look forward to finally playing in Boston for the first time at Laver Cup 2021.”
The 2020 French Open posed a particular challenge to the Laver Cup, as the French tennis federation moved the major tournament from its traditional May dates to late September through early October due to COVID-19 concerns. The rescheduled French Open might have prevented Federer and other tennis stars from competing in Boston’s Laver Cup.
Furthermore, authorities in Boston, Massachusetts and the United States still haven’t indicated when it might be safe for sports to resume and whether fans would be able to attend.
