Coronavirus: Fed Cup Finals and Play-offs postponed as tennis is hit by spread of disease again

New dates for both strands of the tournament are being considered

Great Britain's Harriet Dart in action in the Fed Cup (Getty Images for LTA)

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that the Fed Cup Finals and Play-offs have been postponed due to coronavirus concerns.

The Finals were originally scheduled to take place between 14 and 19 April in Budapest, Hungary, but an announcement was made on Wednesday by the Hungarian government to say indoor events with more than 100 people would have to be cancelled.​

The Play-offs were scheduled to take place between 17 and 18 April in eight locations around the world, including Poland, Mexico, Serbia, Japan, Romania and Argentina. They have also been postponed, and the ITF said alternative dates for later in 2020 would be announced in due course.

The Fed Cup effectively serves as the World Cup of women’s tennis.

ITF president David Haggerty said: “We are extremely disappointed to have to make this decision, but we will not risk the safety and welfare of players, captains, event staff or spectators.

“This decision has not been made lightly; the threat posed by the COVID-19 is a serious one and calls for us to act responsibly as a federation and as human beings. This situation goes beyond sport.

“New dates for the Finals and for the Play-offs will be announced in due course and will primarily be guided by the length of time that tennis as a whole is affected by COVID-19. We will continue to collaborate with our colleagues across the sport to ensure that the impact on players, tournaments, rights holders and fans is as minimal as possible.

“In the meantime, the ITF COVID-19 Advisory Group will continue to monitor the situation closely and further decisions will be based on the facts, official data and expert advice.”

Earlier in the week, the men’s and women’s tournaments at Indian Wells were called off due to coronavirus concerns.