The US Open is all set to take place from August 31, 2020, to September 12, 2020, in New York despite the world being shadowed by the dreaded wings of COVID-19.
The United States of Tennis Association (USTA), as per certain reports, is waiting for a green signal from state health officials to announce the dates along with Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
USTA spokesperson Chris Widmaier has said in an e-mail to Thomas Reuters that they are taking required steps so that the US Open can take place in its regularly scheduled dates.
While Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have expressed concerns about attending this tournament, others like Nick Kyrgois slammed the organizers for being “selfish”.
Nadal refrained from traveling this year to States while Djokovic said playing the “extreme” protocols will be a hindrance in the game.
In mid-April, the USTA said its decision on whether to hold the Grand Slam this year will be made in June, and playing it without fans is on the table but highly unlikely.
The U.S. Open is held annually in New York City since 1881, which under the sports calender have been reduced to tatters due to COVID-19. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was even turned into temporary hospital to tackle COVID-19.
Last year’s edition had a speculation of nearly 740,000 fans and the event is the engine that drives the governing USTA.