St. Petersburg Open relocated to Nur-Sultan

Due to the invasion of Russia on Ukraine and the ensuing war that disturbed peace in Europe, the ATP revealed the event will be moved from the northern Russian cit.

Tennis officials have announced the relocation of an ATP Tour event from St. Petersburg to Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan, in a move which Russian officials have denied has any connection with new sanctions imposed on the country.

The ATP formally announced its calendar for the second half of 2022 in a press release on Wednesday, noting that the St. Petersburg event would be shifted. They said in a statement:

“The calendar also includes the relocation of the St. Petersburg Open (ATP 250) to Nur-Sultan, following more than 25 editions of the event. The Kazakh capital city played host to its first ATP tournament in 2020, issued as a single-year licence to expand playing opportunities and explore new markets for professional tennis, before hosting a second event in 2021."

Russian officials have denied that the step has anything to do with the new sanctions imposed on Russia by countries including the United States. The St. Petersburg Open has been held since 1995 and past winners include the likes of Marat Safin, Andy Murray, and current world number two Daniil Medvedev.