The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Serena ‘cannot wait’ to play at fan-free Flushing Meadows
Serena Williams has given her backing to the US Open going ahead behind closed doors this year.
A number of prominent tennis players have criticised the decision to go ahead with the grand slam tournament at Flushing Meadows from August 31 to September 13.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic has said proposed safety protocols are “extreme” and make it “impossible” to play while defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal has also said he has no desire to travel overseas currently.
But speaking remotely at a United States Tennis Association news conference, Williams said: “This announcement has been on my mind all day but ultimately I really cannot wait to return to New York and play the US Open 2020.
“I feel the USTA is going to do a really good job of ensuring everything is amazing, perfect and everyone is safe.
“It’s going to be exciting, it’s been over six months since a lot of us have played professional tennis.
“I’ll certainly miss the fans, don’t get me wrong, just being out there in the New York crowd and hearing everyone cheer,
“I’ll really miss that and getting me some tough matches. But this is crazy, I’m excited.”
The ATP has announced its revised calendar, starting on Friday, August 14, with the Citi Open in Washington while the WTA Tour is provisionally scheduled to begin again on Monday, August 3, at the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy.
Both tours have been suspended since early March because of the coronavirus pandemic but are set to resume in late summer, with either reduced fans or none on site.
The ATP and WTA have both confirmed that the French Open will be pushed back a week, and is now scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 11.
“Our objective has been to reschedule as many tournaments as possible and salvage as much of the season as we can,” ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said.
WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon said: “It has been a truly collaborative effort and we hope to add more events to the calendar as the situation evolves.
“For now, the vital energy of spectators in stadiums will be greatly missed, but our athletes are eager to return to competition and our broadcast and social media partners are exploring new ways to engage with our fantastic fans. It is our sincere hope and desire that we will be able to return to play this summer.”