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BELGRADE. — World No 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic admitted that “as things stand” he won’t travel to New York for the US Open.
The US Open is scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 13, but there are major question marks over the tournament as the tennis season is only set to resume on August 1.
On top of that, strict regulations could be in place due to the coronavirus pandemic as players are likely to be tested several times a week once they arrive in New York while they could also be limited to only one support member.
Three-time US Open champion Djokovic, who made an 18-0 start to the 2020 season before it was suspended, has now admitted that he is unlikely to play at Flushing Meadows this year and will instead focus on the clay-court season.
“Most of the players I have talked to were quite negative on whether they would go there,” he told Serbia’s state broadcaster RTS.
“For me currently, as things stand, most probably the season will continue on clay at the beginning of September.”
The French Open is set to take place from 20 September-4 October with several clay-court tournaments expected to be added to the schedule in the lead-up to the red-dirt Grand Slam.
Djokovic suggested that his tennis season might resume on clay rather than at the US Open as he repeated concerns about playing in North America.
“Nothing is certain yet, a final decision is expected by the end of the month,” world number one Djokovic told Serbian broadcaster RTS, adding that US Open organisers had to relax their “extreme conditions” or players would wait for the European tournaments.
“For me what seems real at the moment is that the clay court season will continue in early September with Madrid, Rome and a few more tournaments before Roland Garros,” Djokovic, champion at the US Open in 2011, 2015 and 2018, said.
The tennis season has been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, with Roland Garros postponed and Wimbledon cancelled.
The US Open is still scheduled to go ahead, with the main draw starting on August 31.
However, New York was the epicentre of the outbreak in the US and the authorities and organisers have drawn up a list of hygiene rules that Djokovic says may mean taking part may not be worth it.
“At the moment the measures in force are very severe,” he said. — AFP.
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