U.S. Open Of Tennis Will Start August 31 Without Fans, Announces NY Governor Andrew Cuomo

Tom Tapp
·3 min read

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New York Governor Mario Cuomo announced today that the U.S Open of Tennis will go forward this year, but without fans.

The annual event has been pushed back several days, but will still reside in its traditional late-summer window, running from August 31-September 13 in Flushing Meadows, Queens.

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Commentator Patrick McEnroe speculated that the tournament will again air on ESPN stateside, with the network hosting a feed for all broadcasters worldwide. An announcement is expected this week.

Cuomo promised that the U.S. Tennis Association “will take extraordinary measures to protect players and staff.”

U.S. Open Tennis released a statement today that it would be “mitigating all possible risks” and would “showcase tennis as the ideal social-distancing sport.” Event planners promised specifics and an official announcement on Wednesday.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said on Tuesday that many players are not excited about the USTA’s stringent COVID protocols.

“Most of the players I have talked to were quite negative on whether they would go there,” Djokovic said on Serbian TV. “For me currently, as things stand, most probably the season will continue on clay at the beginning of September.”

“The rules that they told us that we would have to respect to be there, to play at all, they are extreme,” continued the three-time U.S. Open champion. “We would not have access to Manhattan, we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to be tested twice or three times per week.

“Also, we could bring one person to the club, which is really impossible. I mean, you need your coach, then a fitness trainer, then a physiotherapist.”

Reigning U.S. Open champion and world No.2 Raphael Nadal had concerns about the virus.

“We need to be responsible. We need to be sure that the situation is safe enough, and then of course try to come back to our tour when the things are clear.”

But for sports-starved fans, the event will be welcome.

The French Open (on clay) was postponed to September and Wimbledon has been cancelled entirely for the first time since 1945, after it was bombed by the Nazis.

Other sport leagues have been dark, as well.

The PGA Tour only just returned with the Charles Schwab Challenge last week. Sunday’s final round delivered the event’s highest ratings in 16 years. Major League Soccer starts July 8th. The NBA is set to resume in late July. The NFL season will kick off in early September.

See the 2020 U.S. Open schedule here.

Watch Cuomo’s announcement below.

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