WTA plan return to China and a full 2021 calendar.

MUMBAI -- China is central to the WTA's plans for 2021 as women's tennis seeks to put a COVID ravaged season behind it and hit the new year with a full bouquet of tournaments, tour chief Steve Simon told media.

The WTA lost more than half its events in 2020 after a five-month shutdown of the tour in March.

All its tournaments in the Asian swing were cancelled, resulting in a significant loss of revenue.

Despite the financial strain, the WTA kept its entire workforce in place and with support from its main sponsors, the women's governing body said it is in a strong position.

Simon feels the challenges will continue, but with news of effective vaccines around the corner says he expects some level of normality to return next year.

'We have the foresight now to know what we're dealing with,' he said in an interview. 'Contingency planning can be in place, things that we didn't have the advantage of in 2020.

'For 2021 we're planning our full calendar, our full complement of events which usually will fluctuate between 53 and 55 events a year.' With health protocols and dates for the Australian Open yet to be confirmed, the WTA is planning to start the 2021 season on Jan.

4 outside Australia before the players travel to Melbourne for quarantine ahead of the Grand Slam.

China was to have featured prominently in the 2020 calendar with three WTA 1000 events plus the season-ending WTA Finals in...