You are reading

US Tennis Open To Go Ahead Without Spectators: Cuomo

Arthur Ashe Stadium (slgckgc via Flickr CC)

June 16, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

The US Tennis Open will go ahead in Queens this summer without spectators, Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced.

The competition will be held on its originally scheduled dates of Aug. 31 through to Sept. 13.

“It will be held without fans but we can watch it on TV and I’ll take that,” Cuomo said at his daily press briefing.

The annual tournament had been under threat due to COVID-19 restrictions but Cuomo has given organizers the green light so long as they take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff.

Cuomo said that the United States Tennis Association has agreed to carry out a number of measures including robust testing. Staff will perform additional cleaning and extra locker room space will be made available. There will also be dedicated housing and transportation for players and officials.

“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,” Cuomo said.

The event will take place at that the Billie Jean King Tennis Center complex in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, the USTA confirmed.

The organization said it would take all steps necessary to protect both the public and players.

“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 Officer and Executive Director Mike Dowse said.

Dowse said that the event will be a massive boost for New York City and for the sport of tennis.

“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.”

However, some top players have hinted they may not take part due to ongoing concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

The men’s and women’s number 1 ranked players Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty, have expressed reservations about participating, according to reports by ESPN. Defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal has also voiced concerns about playing, the report states.

Meanwhile, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios called the USTA “selfish” for going ahead with the event, according to his Twitter feed.

The US Open is one of four major or “grand slam” tournaments held every year on the world tennis circuit.

The Australian Open was held earlier this year while Wimbledon in the UK has been canceled due to COVID-19. The French Open has been postponed until September.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Brooklyn teen charged with murder of 19-year-old in front of Ridgewood school last month: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted a Brooklyn teenager for murder in the second degree and other crimes in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old in Ridgewood on April 22.

The shooting took place on the same street as Joseph F. Quinn Intermediate School 77. The 16-year-old gunman from Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn was arraigned Friday in Queens Supreme Court and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Woman sought for attacking fellow passenger aboard the R train in Forest Hills: NYPD

Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills and Transit District 20 are looking for a woman who allegedly assaulted an older woman on board an R train on the night of Sunday, May 25.

The 53-year-old victim was riding a Manhattan-bound train near the Forest Hills-71st Street station just after 9 p.m. when she was approached by a stranger, and the women engaged in a verbal dispute. The argument escalated into violence when the suspect slapped the woman in the face and punched her in the back of the head before running off the train in an unknown direction, police said Thursday.