TENNIS STARS MUST PAY FOR US OPEN SECURITY
THE world’s leading players will be forced to pay for security guards to check on them 24 hours a day during next month’s US Open. Any player choosing to stay in a private house outside the official hotel — a common practice at Wimbledon — must foot the bill for staff to check that they are not breaking ‘bubble’ regulations around the clock. Houses must be rented through official US Tennis Association channels. Andy Murray has been among those demanding a properly enforced regime and heavy sanctions for those who break the rules — and the tournament appears to have heeded that message. No player will be allowed more than three designated people to accompany them and all will have to adhere to the protocols both within Flushing Meadows and when they are off duty. Any player found to have met someone from outside will be removed from the tournament. The same will apply to an entourage member who steps out of line and they will also be banned from the event in 2021. Players who test positive for Covid will be removed and told to isolate for 10 days. Rafael Nadal joined the list of those officially withdrawing from the tournament on Tuesday evening. Reports from Serbia yesterday suggested that, even though he has remained on the entry list, Novak Djokovic is still not fully committed to playing and he will make a decision in the next few days. He has previously expressed reservations about restrictions on entourages.
Nadal has confirmed that he will work towards playing the French Open in late September and he is unlikely to be the last withdrawal from New York.
One consideration discussed within the game is whether this year’s US Open, where the prize money of £40.7million is £2.75m down on last year, will end up being marked with an asterisk due to its depleted field.
Nadal said: ‘It’s true that lots of important players are not there. But it’s still a Grand Slam and the winner will feel like the winner of a Grand Slam.’