Cologne Bids Farewell to Women’s Tennis
The city of Cologne will no longer host a women’s tennis tournament. Organizers of the Cologne Open announced the event’s permanent cancellation on Friday, citing insurmountable challenges.
Tournament director Oliver Müller explained that the withdrawal of a key shareholder created financial instability, a situation exacerbated by the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally slated to debut in 2020, the WTA 250 category tournament faced postponements in both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. This year’s event,scheduled for May 14th to 21st,was intended to serve as a prelude to the prestigious French open.
The WTA, the governing body for women’s professional tennis, has approved the sale of the tournament license, effectively ending the Cologne Open’s run. This cancellation reflects the ongoing difficulties faced by many sporting events in the wake of the pandemic, highlighting the vulnerability of smaller tournaments to economic shocks.
