Shanghai Masters canceled for the 2nd year in a row, Indian Wells Masters becomes an 11-day event
The ATP released the tour schedule for the fourth quarter of the year on Monday. And the biggest takeaway is that the Shanghai Masters - along with the rest of the tournaments in the Asian swing - have been canceled due to COVID-19.
The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells or the Indian Wells Masters is the biggest beneficiary of this decision, as it has been bumped up in duration by four days. The Indian Wells Masters traditionally takes place in March but was pushed back for 2021 due to the COVID-19 situation in the USA.
This year the BNP Paribas Open is scheduled to be the first ATP event of October, beginning on the 7th of that month. The Masters 1000 event will be held as a joint mandatory event for both the ATP and the WTA tours.
The Rolex Shanghai Masters, meanwhile, has been canceled two years in a row; it was also scrapped from last year's calendar due to COVID-19.
While announcing the schedule changes on Monday, ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi expressed hope for the Shanghai Masters to return in 2022.
"We've maintained a flexible approach to the calendar this year due to the constantly evolving nature of the pandemic," said Gaudenzi. "It’s extremely unfortunate to announce the cancelation of our Asia swing this season and we look forward to returning in 2022."
Daniil Medvedev is the defending champion at the Shanghai Masters, while Dominic Thiem is the last player to have won the Indian Wells Masters. In addition to these two young stars, the likes of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have also done very well at Shanghai in the past; Djokovic has won it four times and Federer twice.
Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has never triumphed at the Shanghai Masters. However, he does boast of three Indian Wells crowns.
A look at all the changes in the ATP schedule for the 4th quarter of 2021
The Rolex Shanghai Masters was initially scheduled to be played from 3 October to 10 October. Along with that tournament, the other events to be canceled are the Zhuhai Championships (27 September to 3 October), the China Open (4 October to 10 October) and the Rakuten Japan Open (4 October to 10 October).
The Chengdu Open, which was scheduled from 27 September to 3 October, has also been scrapped. In its place, a new ATP 250 event has been announced in San Diego. Another event of this category has been awarded to Nur-Saltan, which will take place in the third week of September.
These changes freed up a sizeable chunk of time on the calendar, which allowed for the restoration of the Indian Wells Masters to its traditional duration. The event in California will now have a 96-player draw, like it does every year.
The St. Petersburg Open, meanwhile, has been bumped to the ATP 500 category (just like it was last year). However, the Russian event will now take place in the same week as the Vienna Open, which would possibly reduce its star power.
Also, the Next Gen Finals, which takes place in Milan, is back this year after witnessing a cancelation in 2020 due to COVID-19.
It remains to be seen if the Shanghai Masters will return to the tour in 2022, given that the COVID-19 pandemic is refusing to subside. The situation in China could well be under control by that time, but organizing a tournament amid the strict health protocols in the country may not be the easiest of tasks.