The US Open becomes the first Grand Slam of the COVID-19 era when it begins Monday in a no-spectator bubble in Flushing Meadows following a troubled build-up that has seen several stars retire over coronavirus fears.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are the protagonists of a tournament that will be unrecognizable from previous Grand Slams due to rigorous safety protocols that were not yet sufficient to convince some of the biggest names in tennis to travel to New York.
Reigning champion Rafael Nadal and female number one Ashleigh Barty are among the high-profile absentees from the US National Tennis Center, which was turned into a coronavirus field hospital a few months ago.
Loud crowds are a hallmark of the US Open, but this year’s cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium will be eerily empty to mitigate the risk of infection from the deadly pandemic that wiped out much of the tennis season, including Wimbledon.
Players are kept in a tightly controlled environment with regular COVID-19 testing throughout the tournament. Any competitor who is positive once the event has started will be automatically withdrawn.
Most competitors stay in one of the two hotels where the 30 minutes will be transported to and from the tennis center.
Some, including Djokovic and Williams, have chosen to stay in private homes where they have to pay for 24-hour security approved by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Security teams are required to provide the USTA with information on when the player leaves and arrives home.
No player is allowed to travel anywhere other than between the tennis center and their accommodation. Any player who leaves the bubble without the written consent of the organizers will be excluded from the tournament.
Temperature checks are mandatory for anyone entering the US Open site, which is dotted with hand sanitizing machines and signs warning everyone to keep five feet apart.
Players must wear masks when not playing or eating, while ball players and line officials will wear face covers on the pitch at Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums.
There will be no line officials on the outside courts, where Hawk-Eye technology will make line calls.
Organizers are limiting locker rooms to 30 players at once, with contestants encouraged to shower and then get out as quickly as possible where activities including basketball hoops have been set up.
Andy Murray, the 2012 US Open champion, said the atmosphere was “rather grim” but praised the precautionary measures.
“I feel safe and happy that I decided to come,” he told reporters at an online press conference.
The absence of world number two Nadal due to coronavirus concerns and Swiss legend Roger Federer, recovering from knee surgery, gives Djokovic a golden opportunity to bridge the gap over his fierce rivals in the race for records.
Djokovic has captured five of the last seven men’s singles Grand Slam titles and is the overwhelming favorite to take the fourth US Open title in the final on 13 September.
A hard-court victory would take the 33-year-old to 18 Grand Slam titles, behind Nadal with 19 and Federer with 20.
The Serb, who overcame a neck injury to lift the ATP Western & Southern Open on Saturday, begins his quest against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 107th-placed Damir Dzumhur on Monday night.
He could face fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or world number seven Alexander Zverev in the semifinals before a possible championship match against Austrian second seed Dominic Thiem, who pushed Djokovic to five sets before falling into the quest’s Australian Open final. ‘year.
Djokovic said it would be odd without the “explosive” energy of 22,000 fans packed into Arthur Ashe Stadium, but that more downtime was good.
“The circumstances are very unusual, but we have to face them and try to accommodate them,” he said.
A sold out women’s field offers Williams a precious opportunity for a 24th career Grand Slam title to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record.
Missing world number two Simona Halep, reigning US Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada and top 10 players Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens and Belinda Bencic.
Williams, 38, has a tough draw though. He could meet 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the third round, Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the semifinals and potentially Czech top seed Karolina Pliskova in the final.
For Williams, who have lost in the US Open and Wimbledon finals in the past two years, a small field does not devalue the title.
“It still has to be tennis that you play, asterisks or not. I think this whole year deserves an asterisk because it’s such a special year,” he said.
© 2020 AFP
