2021 Nationals Moved to New Jersey
February 23, 2021
After months of discussions and input from players and the Super Tournament Committee, the APTA Board has voted to hold Men’s and Women’s Nationals in April. Because of the mask mandate in Massachusetts and the player survey showing players' reluctance to play with masks, the board has decided to move Nationals from Boston to New Jersey the weekend of April 9.
To ensure the safest environment for our volunteers, contractors, and players, the NJ tournament directors have offered to host a 32-team draw for both men and women with strict social distancing and hut restrictions. We are working out the details on timing of matches, scoring formats, and playing requirements (possibly a PCR test), and will communicate those decisions as quickly as possible.
We understand this is different than the 64-team draw we had originally planned for and realize that this is not the Nationals celebration we have enjoyed in the past. However, Covid-19 has forced us to make many hard decisions this season and we are doing our best to provide great competition in a safe environment for players and volunteers alike. To make this happen, we have had to make changes to our original plans, and we realize that nothing about this year is typical or fair to everyone. Next season we fully expect to return to a 64-team draw, Thursday competition, parties, and a celebration of our great game.