Todd Martin: 'We will honor Martinez and Ivanisevic in the way they deserve in 2021'

• Tennis News
• ATP Tennis

The organizers of the 2020 Hall of Fame Open have done their best to stage the ATP 250 event and the Halle of Fame Ceremony this July but they were powerless in front of the coronavirus pandemic that has locked the season at least for five months.

The ATP has announced on Friday that there will be no men's professional tournaments until August, keeping health above everything and keeping the players at their homes. Newport has been one of the unique places in the ATP calendar, with the history of the American tennis starting its journey way back in 1881, standing as the only ATP event on grass in North America!

It is one of the top-class tennis sites to visit, with a fantastic Museum and an annual Hall of Fame ceremony that celebrates the greatest players of all time. Newport has been a regular stop on the ATP calendar since 1976, with Greg Rusedski, Fabrice Santoro, Mark Philippoussis, Mardy Fish, John Isner and Lleyton Hewitt as notable winners.

Thanks to its place in the calendar after Wimbledon, Newport didn't always attract the most energetic field of players with some memorable moments over the years and many lower-ranked players reaching the final or lifting the trophy.

There is also a famous Casino course related to the top seeds that John Isner managed to break on a couple of occasions. From 2020, Newport should have joined the US Open Series as the sixth event in the calendar and the only one outside hard.

Conchita Martinez and Goran Ivanisevic should have been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame but that will now have to wait until 2021. "While we will miss the annual traditions of Enshrinement Weekend and the Hall of Fame Open this year, the health and safety of all those involved and our local community is the priority," said Todd Martin, International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO.

"We are looking forward to providing Conchita Martinez and Goran Ivanisevic the celebration they deserve in becoming Hall of Famers and bringing the best of professional tennis back to Newport next summer. As a non-profit organization, the Hall of Fame Open and Enshrinement Weekend are primary funding elements for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

These events bring thousands of people to Newport and our campus to experience the National Historic Landmark and tour the museum. The events are critical revenue streams that fuel the delivery of the Hall of Fame's mission to preserve and celebrate tennis history and inspire the sport's future.

Fans who are already holding tickets for the 2020 induction and tournament will have the opportunity to donate a portion or all of their ticket purchase to the Hall of Fame. These funds will directly impact our ability to continue programs like building digital museum exhibits, offering live chats for fans with Hall of Famers, providing academic and social support for the children in our youth tennis and education program, caring for the historic property, and more.

Our team will work diligently and creatively to continue to develop new ways to offer engaging content and digital experiences in the coming months. I encourage fans to visit our website and social media pages to stay connected and to support the Hall of Fame."