New York [USA]: US Open will be played from August 31 to September 13 behind closed doors, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday.
Cuomo has also said that the United States Tennis Association will take precautions to protect players.
He also said robust testing will be conducted to ensure that the tournament goes ahead smoothly.
"The @usopen will be held in Queens, NY, without fans from August 31 to September 13. 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 said in a tweet.
The decision to host the tournament comes as many tennis stars have shown their apprehensions of going ahead with the US Open.
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios also said that the decision to go ahead with the US Open is a selfish move, given the current situation on coronavirus pandemic.
However, the USTA might not have been able to go ahead with the tournament without government approval. With no insurance in place against cancellation, it will be relieved to secure TV receipts estimated at more than $120 million from ESPN and other global partners.
After Cuomo’s surprise announcement the USTA chief executive officer, Mike Dowse, issued a hurried update: “We are incredibly excited that Governor Cuomo and New York state have today approved our plan to host the 2020 US Open, and Western & Southern Open, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.”
“We recognise 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,” Dowse added. “We now can give fans around the world the chance to watch tennis’s top athletes, and showcase tennis as the ideal social-distancing sport.
“Being able to hold these events in 2020 is a boost for the city of New York and the entire tennis landscape. We will have more details and an official announcement tomorrow.”
