By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, April 17, 2020
Roland Garros' shift to September has squeezed the Laver Cup out of the schedule: the 2020 Laver Cup has been postponed to 2021.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
A coronavirus-induced calendar clash has claimed the Laver Cup as casualty.
The 2020 Laver Cup has been rescheduled to 2021.
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Organizers announced the Laver Cup will be staged at Boston's TD Garden, September 24-26th, 2021.
The decision to postpone Laver Cup comes 32 days after Roland Garros stunned the tennis world making the unilateral decision to move the French Open from its May start date to September 20th—one week after the US Open ends.
"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," Roger Federer, whose Team8 Management owns and operates Laver Cup said. "Although disappointing, the good news is 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."
Roland Garros' schedule shift created a calendar conflict that would have forced players to choose between playing the French Open and Laver Cup, which was scheduled for the first weekend of the French Open in September.
Biting the bullet, Laver Cup organizers opted to move to 2021 and keep the event in Boston.
Roland Garros' shift to September has prompted other events, including Rome, to consider playing later in the season, which squeezes any calendar wiggle room for Laver Cup this fall.
Ultimately, "the international tennis schedule precluded the ability of the organizers to stage the event and therefore there was no reason to delay the inevitable decision," Laver Cup organizers announced in a statement.
“We needed to make a decision now on our event,” Laver Cup Chairman and CEO of TEAM8 Tony Godsick said. “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. We thank them all for their unwavering dedication, hard work, support and understanding and we can’t wait to bring happier times to Boston in 2021.”
“Most importantly, all of our thoughts are with the massive number of people around the world impacted by COVID-19 and the incredible selfless people working on the front line keeping many of us safe.”
All tickets purchased for Laver Cup 2020 are valid for the rescheduled date.
Current ticket holders have two options:
1. Retain your tickets to attend Laver Cup 2021
or
2. receive a full refund (inclusive of any fees paid at the time of purchase).