By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday October 6, 2020

It’s barely October and already tournaments are being cancelled in 2021.

The ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, will not be held in 2021. There will be no tournament title defense for Serena Williams and Ugo Humbert, last year's champions.

Apparently the tournament never could get a productive dialog going with the local government about how they could safely hold the tournament during the pandemic.

Here’s the statement from the tournament.

“Tournament organisers have confirmed today that the 2021 ASB Classic has been cancelled due to Covid-19 implications.

Plans were well underway for this summer’s event, however, due to the complexity of hosting a sporting event of this scale and the uncertainties associated with the current Covid environment, the tournament is unable to proceed.

ASB Classic Tournament Director Karl Budge expressed his disappointment, but said all parties remain committed to hosting the tournament in 2022.

“We are obviously incredibly sad to share this news but safety has to be our priority. I’d like to thank the incredible dedication from the Classic team, volunteers and our sponsors who have strived tirelessly to make an event happen this summer. We know we deliver the best annual event in New Zealand. Today’s announcement won’t change that. We look forward to the return of the Classic in Auckland next year. The planning starts now.”