[ad_1]
World primary Ashleigh Barty pulled out of the US Open Thursday over “significant risks” 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 largest title to this point to withdraw from the event, along with her choice coming because the United States marked a grim milestone when its COVID-19 deaths topped 150,000. “My team and I have decided that we won’t be travelling to the US for the Western and Southern Open and the US Open this year,” she stated in an announcement to Australian media. “I really like each occasions so it was a troublesome choice however there are nonetheless important dangers concerned because of COVID-19 and I do not really feel comfy placing my staff and I in that place.
“I wish the USTA all the best for the tournaments and look forward to being back in the US next year,” she added.
Her choice got here regardless of the New York space retaining coronavirus instances at a comparatively low stage since spiking in March and April whereas areas resembling Florida, Texas and California have turn into hotspots.
There have been greater than 4.Four million detected infections in America to this point.
It was not surprising from Barty, who final month expressed considerations in regards to the US Open going forward, and she or he gained loads of assist Thursday on social media for her “sensible” choice to provide 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 will make my decision on the French Open and the surrounding WTA European tournaments in the coming weeks,” she stated, with Roland Garros because of begin on September 27.
– Reshuffled calendar –
Barty was one in all 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.
While 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 they play the US Open will be seen.
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.
Also on the listing was Barty’s fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios, who final month blasted the ATP as “selfish” for urgent forward with plans for the US Open.
The opinionated Kyrgios has since waged a operating battle on social media with among the prime names within the sport 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 constructive 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 War II.
Promoted
Calendars have been reshuffled with the WTA tour scheduled to restart on August three in Palermo, Italy.
The males are set to get again beneath manner on the Western and Southern Open, one of many few occasions because the event started in 1899 that it has not been held within the Cincinnati space.
Topics talked about on this article
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink