Published 20:11 IST, August 13th 2020
After Adria Open fiasco, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic confirms participation in US Open
While several bigwigs have pulled out of the upcoming US Open due to COVID-19, Serbia's Novak Djokovic has announced his participation in the tournament
While several bigwigs have pulled out of the upcoming US Open due to COVID-19, Serbia's Novak Djokovic has announced his participation in the tournament which is set to commence later this month. Taking to Twitter, Djokovic affirmed his decision to participate in the US Open and the Cincinnati Open. The Serbian was criticised recently after he participated in the Adria Open which went on to become a virus hotspot. Djokovic, his wife and several other players had contracted the virus during the tourney.
"It was not an easy decision to make with all the obstacles and challenges on many sides, but the prospect of competing again makes me really excited," Djokovic said in a statement on Thursday.
"Nevertheless, I have trained hard with my team and got my body in shape so I am ready to adapt to new conditions. I’ve done all the check-ups to make sure I am fully recovered and I am ready to get back on court fully committed to playing my best tennis. I respect and appreciate everyone taking time, effort, and energy to organize these two events for the tennis players to be able to go back to their working field. Unfortunately for the players and the game itself, the current situation is not allowing everyone to travel and compete at the same level of risk, and I hope the situation will change soon and we will all be back to doing what we love and do best,” he added.
Nadal, Kyrgios to skip US Open
Meanwhile, defending champion Rafael Nadal has announced that he will miss the US Open this year due to the COVID-19 situation. Nick Kyrgios, Ashleigh Barty and Stan Wawrinka will also skip the tournament while Roger Federer is also likely to miss out as he is still recovering from an injury. “I will not be playing this year at the U.S. Open. It hurts me at my core not to be out there competing in one of the sport’s greatest arenas, Arthur Ashe Stadium," Kyrgios had said in the video. The US Open is set to commence on August 31 and end on September 13.
The US Tennis Association is yet to announce its guidelines to hold the tournament amid a pandemic. According to a 10-page Player Q&A Update sent out this week by the USTA, There are no guidelines available to determine what number (of positive tests) will compel the cancellation of the U.S. Players have asked the USTA to provide a transit letter that would allow them to bypass a quarantine period when going from New York to Europe.
Among the coronavirus-related protocols explained in this week's USTA update for players, players and guests up to three per entrant in singles must pass two Coronavirus nasal swab tests 48 hours apart after arriving, although they're allowed to go to the tournament site if the first test comes back negative.
Updated 20:11 IST, August 13th 2020