FILE: Madrid Open advised to cancel due to virus spike

The organisers of the Madrid Open tennis tournament have been advised by local health authorities in the Spanish capital to not hold the rescheduled event in September due to the resurgence of the coronavirus in Spain.

Spain’s health ministry reported more than 1,500 new confirmed cases nationwide on Friday, with more than 300 detected in Madrid.

Organisers said they are "analysing and closely evaluating all the possible options, while always focusing on guaranteeing the safety of all those involved in the tournament."

Last month, Rafael Nadal confirmed his participation in the event to be played from September 12-20, a decision that suggested he'd not defend his US Open title as the final there is on September 12th.