Tennis South Africa has confirmed that this year’s Soweto Open has been cancelled due to lack of funding.
The Department of Sport and Recreation, which sponsored the tournament at the Arthur Ashe Complex in Jabavu last year, will not finance the Soweto Open this year.
Tennis South Africa (TSA) however is still hoping to secure a sponsorship to host the tournament. Sport and Recreation South Africa assisted TSA in funding the 2013 Soweto Open after the City of Joburg withdrew their support to the tournament after sponsoring it for three years.
The international tennis bodies who control the professional men’s and women’s tour require a six month notice on a date and venue for any internationally sanctioned event and in November last year, funding for the Soweto Open for the proposed date in April had not been secured and as such, TSA could not confirm the date for the event.
TSA has appreciated the support given by the Department of Sports and Recreation to the game over the years and should a suitable sponsor be found in the next four months to host a Soweto Open, Tennis South Africa reserve the rights to once again host the tournament and confirm a date on the international calendar.
SA Tennis Association’s media consultant, Bruce Davidson announced that the Soweto Open was considered vital in the development of tennis in South Africa and required an annual sponsorship in the region to stage a successful event.
