Tallahassee Challenger caught in USTA tournament cancellations
Forestmeadows Tennis Complex has been quiet for several weeks now since recreation facilities around the city have been shut down due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Not being able to play tennis at Forestmeadows is a huge blow to organizers of the Tallahassee Challenger, a $50,000 event on the pro circuit. The event, which was scheduled to run from April 20-26, is among the USTA-sanctioned tournaments that have been cancelled.
Not having the tournament leaves a void in the late April routine for Chris Thompson and his family. His sons usually work as ball boys, while his wife worked with ticket sales.
“Work, Challenger and sleep,” said Thompson, who has been working with the tournament for the past 10 years. “That’s all we did the whole week. It’s usually such a big part of our life.”
And for thousands who usually turn out for the weeklong tournament that features rising stars on the circuit, it had become part of their routine. Emilio Gomez was expected to defend the title that he won last year.
Emilio Gomez, who defeated Tommy Paul in straight sets for the championship last year, will not be defending the Tallahassee Challenger title at Forestmeadows Tennis Complex.
Photo special to the Outlook
Plans for staging the 21 running of the event were already underway, said Karen Vogter, director of the tournament. She got word of the USTA-wide cancellation of tournament while in California for a competition, she said.
“We were just getting ready to spend a lot of the money on the things that we needed,” Vogter said. “All of that stuff is only for the year that you were getting it so we were fortunate.”
Vogter called the cancellation “awful (and) terrible” because of what the tournament has come to mean to the community.
“In the scheme of things, it’s probably a blip in terms of things people have lost through this coronavirus,” she said, “but certainly for all of us tennis fans that have attended this event over the years, it’s a huge loss for us.”
The unexpected cancellation also caught a crew of about two dozen tennis and parks and recreation personnel off guard. The crews were in the early stage of preparing the complex, which is owned by the city, said Ashley Edwards, director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Service.
“We had started touching up the court, prepping the facility; just kind of getting everything ready to go,” she said.
Vogter said she was expecting this to be one of the best years for the event because of the success volunteers had during fund-raising. However, some of the sponsors have promised to stay on until next year.
In its announcement about cancellations, the USTA said the courts could be quiet until July 12. However, it also said it will issue an update on May 3 about resuming play.
“The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across the tennis landscape, and it is our goal to ensure that the sport is able to be played in a safe and healthy fashion at the parks and facilities throughout the country once the pandemic subsides,” Patrick Galbraith, USTA’s Chairman of the Board and President, said in a news release. “One of the greatest aspects of this game is that it fosters a true community, and we look forward to the time when we can return to our local courts and use tennis to unite us all once again.”
Indeed, although Vogter said the Challenger won’t be played even if tournament play is cleared for resumption later in the year. The community might not be ready for a tournament this year, she said.
“I think that gives us a lot more time for things to die down, for a vaccine to come along so I feel that by next year, providing that no craziness goes on in this world, we should be fine,” she said. “I think people will be back to the point where they’ll be comfortable being in a crowd, going to a sporting event.”
