An odd year with a Euro and the Olympics is unheard of for decades. Due to the coronavirus, the two flagship competitions of 2020 have indeed been postponed and will be held next summer. Some events could also be postponed depending on the health situation, while the return of the public to stadiums and venues around the world is only being done sparingly for the moment. Europe 1 gives you the list of major sporting events of the year 2021.
JANUARY 2021
9 January : African Cup of Nations (final on February 6). CAN will be played in Cameroon this year. Algeria, defending champion, should still be among the favorites.
FEBRUARY 2021
February 8: Australian Open (until 21). As usual, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year in tennis will take place in Melbourne. But unlike usual, pandemic requires, it will be held in February and not in January. The Serbian Novak Djokovic and the American Sofia Kenin are the title holders.
8 February: World’s Championships downhill skiing. The best skiers on the planet will meet in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The French clan had won three medals in 2019, including one in gold for Alexis Pinturault.
AVRIL 2021
April 13: Fed Cup finals (until the 18th). This new Fed Cup will be held over a week in Budapest, Hungary. The French, who had achieved a huge feat in the final in Australia in 2019, will put their title on the line.
MAY 2021
23 May : Roland-Garros (until June 6). Shifted to September in 2020, the Roland-Garros tournament hopes to take place at the end of May, as in a “normal” year. For Rafael Nadal, whatever the context, he remains the undisputed king of clay. What if he won the Paris tournament for the 14th time?
@RafaelNadal conquers Novak Djokovic 6-0 6-2 7-5 to remain perfect in Paris finals and earn title 1️⃣3️⃣ at #RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/lzOz5dmoqQ
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020
Champions League final: Bayern Munich, impressive winner last year after beating PSG in the final (1-0), should once again be among the contenders for victory. The final will take place in Istanbul, on a date to be determined.
JUNE 2021
June 11: kickoff of the Euro football. Scheduled across the continent, the European football championship will be held after a one-year postponement. UEFA could, however, decide to reduce the number of host countries, depending on the evolution of the health situation.
12 june: Copa America (until July 12). The gratin of South American football will meet in Colombia, two years after the victory of Brazil.
June 26: start of the Tour de France (until July 18). Initially planned for Copenhagen, the Grand Départ will finally take place in Brest, due to the coronavirus. The young Slovenian prodigy Tadej Pogacar, incredible winner last year, should be in contention for the double.
June 28: tWimbledon tournament (until July 11). The most prestigious Grand Slam tournament, canceled last year due to the coronavirus, should be back in 2021. Grass, beautiful game: that’s all we hope for.
JULY 2021
July 11: final of the Euro football. No need to remind you that Portugal beat the Blues in the final at the Stade de France in 2016… Will the world champions take their revenge? Before thinking about it, we will have to survive a terrible first, in the group of Germany, Hungary and… Portugal.
July 23: opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games. Postponed due to the pandemic, the Olympics are taking place as planned in Tokyo. On the other hand, many uncertainties remain, in particular on the presence or not of spectators.
AUGUST 2021
August 8: closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. After the Japanese capital, the Olympics will take place in Paris in 2024.
August 30: start of the US Open (until September 12). The 2020 edition of the US Open had been chaotic, with many incidents related to the “health bubble” decreed to fight against the coronavirus. The 2021 lifting of the Grand Slam tournament should be more serene, as Dominic Thiem in the men and Naomi Osaka in the women will put their titles on the line.
SEPTEMBER 2021
September 18: Women’s Rugby World Cup (final on October 16). The Women’s Rugby World Cup will be played in New Zealand over nearly a month. The French hope to finally break their glass ceiling, they who have qualified seven times in the semi-finals (out of 8 editions!) Without making it to the final.
September 24: Ryder Cup (until 26). Three years after Europe’s victory over the National Golf of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, in France, the 2021 edition of the competition created in 1927 will take place in the United States. Americans who hope to take their revenge.
–
