PARIS (AFP) - The ATP Tour announced Thursday (Sept 10) the addition of four new tournaments in October as tennis continues its return in a season heavily disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The updated men's schedule includes back-to-back indoor hardcourt events in Cologne right after the French Open, and a clay tournament in Sardinia which also starts on October 12.

A competition in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan will run from October 26 to November 1.

"Adding new events to the Tour calendar is a positive step given the many challenges our sport has faced this year, and I would like to thank all the event organisers on the calendar," said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"Our goal was to create additional opportunities for players and entertainment for our fans, and to do so in a safe and practical way.

"We are delighted to have tennis back on court again and these new events will help us finish the year strongly, as we build towards the season-ending ATP Finals," he added.