World primary Ashleigh Barty pulled out of the US Open Thursday over “vital dangers” from the coronavirus pandemic in a significant blow for the Grand Slam, which is scheduled to start out in New York on August 31. The Australian is the most important identify to this point to withdraw from the match, along with her determination coming as the US marked a grim milestone when its COVID-19 deaths topped 150,000. “My workforce and I’ve determined that we cannot be travelling to the US for the Western and Southern Open and the US Open this yr,” she stated in an announcement to Australian media.
“I really like each occasions so it was a troublesome determination however there are nonetheless vital dangers concerned resulting from COVID-19 and I do not really feel comfy placing my workforce and I in that place.
“I want the USTA all the very best for the tournaments and look ahead to being again within the US subsequent yr,” she added.
Her determination got here regardless of the New York space preserving coronavirus circumstances at a comparatively low stage since spiking in March and April whereas areas reminiscent of Florida, Texas and California have change into hotspots.
There have been greater than four.four million detected infections in America to this point.
It was not surprising from Barty, who final month expressed issues in regards to the US Open going forward, and he or she received loads of help Thursday on social media for her “wise” determination to present it a miss.
The 24-year-old, who surged to the highest of the rankings final yr and has stayed there since, stated she would proceed to watch the state of affairs earlier than deciding whether or not to journey to Europe to organize for a defence of her French Open crown.
“I’ll make my determination on the French Open and the encircling WTA European tournaments within the coming weeks,” she stated, with Roland Garros resulting from begin on September 27.
Reshuffled calendar
Barty was considered one of a number of main ladies gamers not on the entry listing Wednesday for the ATP and WTA Western and Southern Open, a tune-up occasion for the US Open from August 20-28 in a quarantine surroundings with out spectators at Flushing Meadows.
Whereas Serena Williams was confirmed, others lacking included world quantity two Simona Halep, the present Wimbledon champion, plus fifth-rated Elina Svitolina and final yr’s US Open champion, sixth-ranked Bianca Andreescu, together with Japan’s Naomi Osaka.
Whether or not they play the US Open continues to be not confirmed.
In distinction, world primary Novak Djokovic, the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, and second-ranked Rafael Nadal, the present US Open champion, had been among the many males’s entries, signalling their probably intent to play the Grand Slam.
Additionally on the listing was Barty’s fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios, who final month blasted the ATP as “egocentric” for urgent forward with plans for the US Open.
The opinionated Kyrgios has since waged a working battle on social media with a number of the prime names within the recreation who performed at Djokovic’s ill-fated Adria Tour tennis exhibition final month, blasting their “stupidity” and dangerous behaviour.
Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all examined optimistic for COVID-19.
The tennis season has been at a standstill since mid-March as a result of virus outbreak worldwide, with Wimbledon cancelled for the primary time since World Battle II.
Promoted
Calendars have been reshuffled with the WTA tour scheduled to restart on August three in Palermo, Italy.
The lads are set to get again beneath method on the Western and Southern Open, one of many few occasions because the match started in 1899 that it has not been held within the Cincinnati space.
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