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The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said four
British Tour events would be held between July 3-26, subject to
confirmation of government requirements.
"Since the coronavirus crisis, we have been working incredibly
hard to support all our players, venues, coaches and officials
through this very challenging time," LTA chief executive Scott
Lloyd said in a statement.
"I'm delighted to announce today the next stage of elite
tennis's return to competing safely behind closed doors as part
of a five-phase plan coordinated by UK Sport with Government."
Recreational tennis has already resumed with clubs allowed to
open under strict health protocols.
The British Tour events will all be staged over three days at
the LTA's National Tennis Centre in Roehampton with each event
hosting 32 singles players (16 men and 16 women) with
eligibility based on rankings.
Two of the events will be 'Premier-level' each offering over
16,000 pounds ($19,750) in total prize money.
More tournaments could be held in August if the international
suspension period is extended further.
No professional tournaments have been played since the start of
March. The French Open has been moved to later in the year while
Wimbledon will not be staged this year.
The ATP, WTA and ITF Tours will remain on hold until August at
the earliest.
($1 = 0.8100 pounds)
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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