Photo by Brett Connors Photography
By Ricky Dimon
The U.S. Open got the official green light from New York governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday. Barring unforeseen negative developments in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, what is usually the final Grand Slam of the tennis season will take place in Flushing, N.Y. starting in late August.
The USTA will take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space, and dedicated housing & transportation,” Cuomo posted on Twitter. He continued: “The (coronavirus in New York) numbers today look very good. We’re excited about the U.S. being held in Queen’s…. It will be held without fans, but we can watch it on TV. And I’ll take that.”
There will be a lot more tennis on TV, too, because the U.S. Open us not the only tournament joining the party. In fact, it’s not even the only tournament that will be held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Western & Southern Open, normally in Cincinnati, will be played at the BJKNTC one week before the U.S. Open, so that players can stay in a “bubble” for up to three weeks.
“The international nature of tennis is one of its greatest assets; however, this international aspect also creates challenges in restarting the tour seasons,” Western & Southern Open COO Katie Haas explained. “Last year we hosted players representing 47 nations at the Western & Southern Open. With continued restrictions on international travel and quarantine guidelines, hosting multiple tournaments in a controlled environment with shared testing and medical resources at the National Tennis Center provides us the best chance to safely resume play for a combined event that is the size, scope. and stature of the Western & Southern Open.
“While we will miss welcoming our fans and the players to Cincinnati, we are privileged to be the first tournament to bring both tours together for a combined event.”
There will be one event prior to the Cincinnati-U.S. Open bubble double. The Citi Open in Washington, D.C. is scheduled to take Cincinnati’s spot on the calendar (beginning Aug. 16) now that the Masters 1000 event has been moved one week later. Other ATP events that are confirmed for the post-U.S. Open schedule are Kitzbuhel (actually during week two of the USO), Madrid, Rome, and the French Open.
French Open main-draw action is scheduled to begin on Sept. 28.
“We are delighted that consultation with the various international tennis authorities has enabled the 2020 edition of the Roland Garros tournament to be extended to three weeks,” said French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli, referring to qualifying rounds the first week (there will be no qualifying at the U.S. Open). “In the current context, we are fully aware of the privilege of being able to organize Roland Garros in its usual form. Especially since the holding of qualifications will also participate in financially supporting a category of players and professional players affected by this unprecedented crisis.”