US Open will start on August 31, New York governor Andrew Cuomo confirms
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Updated 16/06/2020 at 16:44 GMT
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has confirmed the US Open will take place without fans from August 31 until September 13.
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The dates had already been pencilled in, but there was uncertainty whether the Grand Slam would go ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But on Tuesday, Cuomo gave the tournament the green light, stating the United States Tennis Association will take “extraordinary precautions” when holding the event at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York City.
Following a briefing, Cuomo tweeted: “The USTA will take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space, and dedicated housing & transportation.”
A USTA statement went on to confirm that the Cincinnati Masters will also take place in New York.
“We are incredibly excited that Governor Cuomo and New York State have today approved our plan to host the 2020 US Open and 2020 Western & Southern Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center,” the statement read.
We recognise the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first global sporting events in these challenging times, and we will do so in the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks.
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“We now can give fans around the world the chance to watch tennis’ top athletes compete for a US Open title, and we can showcase tennis as the ideal social distancing sport.
“Being able to hold these events in 2020 is a boost for the City of New York and the entire tennis landscape. We will have more details and an official announcement tomorrow.”
Before Cuomo’s confirmation a number of high-profile players voiced their concerns over the US Open’s plans to go ahead.
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Women’s world No 1 Ashleigh Barty believes that playing tennis should not be a concern while there is still a significant threat caused by the virus.
"I have concerns too," Barty said in an email to The Associated Press. “I understand the tournaments are eager to run but keeping everyone safe has to be the priority.
[I'm] still getting my head around what the tournament set up would be. I can't wait to get back out there and play but we have to make sure it's safe to do so first, not just for me but for my team.
Nick Kyrgios branded the US Open’s plans as “selfish”, adding that the coronavirus and racial tensions in America make the event inappropriate.
Meanwhile, men’s world No 1 Novak Djokovic has already admitted he will consider skipping the US Open.
In an interview with the Serbian state broadcaster, the three-time US Open champion said: "For me currently, as things stand, most probably the season will continue on clay at the beginning of September."
Danielle Collins accused Djokovic of contradicting his desire to help lower-ranked players by stating he may not play the US Open, while Briton Dan Evans said the Serbian's concerns only affect higher-ranking players.
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Meanwhile, Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes the 23-time Grand Slam champion will definitely play in the US Open.
"She's definitely come back to tennis to win Grand Slams, that's her goal," Mouratoglou told BBC Radio 4.
"For a player to be out of competition is extremely difficult. So the US Open will be a first opportunity to win one. There'll be a lot of restrictions and I have to speak with her to see if she will be able to accept and manage those expectations."
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