TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
US Open to go ahead without fans, says New York Governor Cuomo
Change Size
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his Men's Singles final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia on day fourteen of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 08, 2019 in the Queens borough of New York City.New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday gave the green light for the US Open to be held from Aug. 31-Sept. 13 without fans as part of the state's reopening from shutdowns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. (AFP/Mike Stobe/Getty Images/)
N
ew York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday gave the green light for the US Open to be held from Aug. 31-Sept. 13 without fans as part of the state's reopening from shutdowns related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Cuomo said on Twitter the United States Tennis Association (USTA) will take "extraordinary precautions" to protect players at its marquee event including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space and dedicated accommodation.
No professional tennis tournaments have been held since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left the sport's calendar in tatters, and the shutdown will extend until August.
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam event to have been played so far this year. The French Open has been moved to September and is due to start one week after the scheduled US Open men’s final, while Wimbledon has been cancelled.
"We recognize 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," USTA Chief Executive Mike Dowse said in a statement.
The USTA will give more details on the arrangements for the tournament on Wednesday along with the official announcement.
While a number of top players had expressed concerns about attending the Grand Slam due to the novel coronavirus, the USTA had said it hoped to go ahead with the event so long as it got approval from the state.
World number ones Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Australian Ash Barty along with reigning US Open men's champion Rafa Nadal are among the top players who have expressed concerns about attending the New York tournament.
Australian Nick Kyrgios on Monday blasted the USTA for being "selfish" by pressing ahead with the US Open on its original dates from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13.
Spaniard Nadal said earlier this month he would not travel to the US Open in present circumstances, while Djokovic said playing the event this year would be impossible given "extreme" protocols that would be in place.
The US Open is held annually in New York City, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. The USTA's Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was even turned into a temporary hospital to help in the battle against the virus.
Last year’s US Open drew an all-time attendance record of nearly 740,000 fans and the event is the engine that drives the governing USTA.
The decision by Cuomo comes one week after the USTA said it will eliminate 110 jobs and close its White Plains, New York office to help combat the negative far-reaching financial effects of the pandemic.
