Published 07:49 IST, June 17th 2020
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo gives go-ahead for US Open to be held in August sans fans
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the U.S. Open tennis tournament will be held on its scheduled dates starting in late August — but without spectators.
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo permitted US Open to be played in the Queens on its scheduled dates starting in late August this year. Governor Cuomo's announcement on Tuesday comes at a time when the number of coronavirus cases in the region has witnessed a steady fall.
US Open gets green light
The @usopen will be held in Queens, NY, without fans from August 31 to September 13.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 16, 2020
The USTA will take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space, and dedicated housing & transportation.
"I am so proud what the people of this state have done to defeat this virus. The numbers are looking very good, and today we are excited to announce that the U.S. Open will be held in Queens without fans this August. We must remain vigilant and the USTA is taking all necessary precautions with players and staff, but this is an exciting day for the state," said Cuomo.
New York has witnessed a steep fall in the number of coronavirus cases, with the state reporting 1,538 hospitalizations on Monday, the lowest since March 20. The administration, in the third phase of reopening, approved gathering of up to 25 people.
A Statement on the 2020 US Open pic.twitter.com/WIrb77MXz5
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) June 16, 2020
The decision to greenlight the fourth and final Grand Slam in a tennis calendar was appreciated and Mike Dowse, USTA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, who said that he was "incredibly excited" to know that the plan to host the tournament had been approved. "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. 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," he added.
Both the ATP and WTA tours have been suspended since early March because of the virus. Out of the four slams, only the Australian Open has been played this year, with the French Open rescheduled to take place a week after the U.S. Open ends and Wimbledon abandoned altogether for 2020 due to the outbreak of the virus.
US Open is all set to take place. However, if the cases surge again and violations of the guidelines take place, Governor Cuomo stated that he will reintroduce the restrictions.
07:49 IST, June 17th 2020