<p>Organizers of the Rio Open, the biggest tennis tournament in South America, said Thursday they were canceling this year's edition because of the worsening Covid-19 situation in Brazil.</p>.<p>The ATP 500 event had already been postponed indefinitely from mid-February to make way in the calendar for the Australian Open, which was also postponed over the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>"Given the uncertain situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the Rio Open... will not be held in 2021," organizers said in a statement.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/tennis/dominic-thiem-delays-return-to-court-skips-monte-carlo-masters-969055.html" target="_blank">Dominic Thiem delays return to court, skips Monte Carlo Masters</a></strong></p>.<p>The event will next be held in 2022, they said.</p>.<p>The last ATP Rio final was held on February 23, 2020, just days before the first case of Covid-19 was identified in Brazil.</p>.<p>The disease has gone on to claim more than 320,000 lives in Brazil, a death toll second only to that of the United States.</p>.<p>The South American country is struggling to deal with a new surge of the virus that killed 66,500 people last month, more than double its previous monthly record in July 2020.</p>
<p>Organizers of the Rio Open, the biggest tennis tournament in South America, said Thursday they were canceling this year's edition because of the worsening Covid-19 situation in Brazil.</p>.<p>The ATP 500 event had already been postponed indefinitely from mid-February to make way in the calendar for the Australian Open, which was also postponed over the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>"Given the uncertain situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the Rio Open... will not be held in 2021," organizers said in a statement.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/tennis/dominic-thiem-delays-return-to-court-skips-monte-carlo-masters-969055.html" target="_blank">Dominic Thiem delays return to court, skips Monte Carlo Masters</a></strong></p>.<p>The event will next be held in 2022, they said.</p>.<p>The last ATP Rio final was held on February 23, 2020, just days before the first case of Covid-19 was identified in Brazil.</p>.<p>The disease has gone on to claim more than 320,000 lives in Brazil, a death toll second only to that of the United States.</p>.<p>The South American country is struggling to deal with a new surge of the virus that killed 66,500 people last month, more than double its previous monthly record in July 2020.</p>