ATP Issues Five-Week Start To 2021 ATP Challenger Tour Calendar
The ATP has issued a five-week schedule for the launch of the 2021 Challenger Tour. Resuming on Monday 18 January, a total of 10 tournaments in four countries will highlight the first section of the new season.
It all starts with a Challenger 125 event in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, as the city celebrates its 31st consecutive year on the Challenger Tour. Turkey will host three consecutive tournaments to open the season, as the tour swings from the hard courts of Istanbul to the clay of the seaside town of Antalya. The week of 25 January will feature the first of back-to-back Challenger events in Antalya, along with an indoor hard-court stop in Quimper, France.
The tournament in Quimper is followed by two additional French indoor events to kick off the February slate, including the prestigious 125-level tournament in Orleans and the 28th edition of Cherbourg. Hard-court events in Biella, Italy and Potchefstroom, South Africa join Cherbourg in the week of 8 February.
The picturesque mountain town of Biella will host consecutive tournaments, with a 125-level event slated for the following week. Located in the Italian Alps, the Piedmont region is also the new home of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2021, in nearby Turin. A second straight hard-court event in Potchefstroom will accompany Biella the week of 15 February.
A further update on the intended schedule beyond the first five weeks will be provided in due course.
SCHEDULE & DRAW SIZES
As part of a number of measures related to COVID-19, tournaments at the Challenger level will span eight days and feature 32-player singles and 16-player qualifying draws in 2021.