The $150,000 ATP Bengaluru Open will not be held this year. Asia’s biggest Challenger, held for the past two years in November, is now slated for early 2020 as a lead-up to the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune.
The Pune Open, India’s lone ATP Tour event, was for long the season opener, but has now been pushed by a month (February 3-8), with the brand new 24-nation ATP Cup taking up the early January slot.
Helping Indian players
“We made the decision to club our Challenger with Pune so that participation rates are higher and it can help Indian players,” confirmed Sunil Yajaman, the Tournament Director. “Since the Pune tournament has moved, it wouldn’t be possible to hold one Challenger in November and then another before the ATP [event].”
Yajaman stated that the decision was made purely from a scheduling standpoint and that there were no sponsorship issues. “We will soon start raising the necessary funds. We are confident that it will remain a $150,000 event,” he said.
However, the $50,000 Pune Challenger, usually conducted a week before or after the Bengaluru event, will retain its original place and is set to be organised for the sixth consecutive time later this year.
