Defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal will skip the US Open due to COVID-19 considerations.
With Nadal’s decision, he will score the first Grand Slam tournament since the 1999 US Open (won through Andre Agassi) which will not feature Nadal or rival Roger Federer, who in the past had announced that he had finished 2020 with knee surgery. Training
“After much thought, I made the decision not to play at this year’s US Open,” the 19-time Grand Slam champion said on Twitter. “The scenario is very confusing in the world, the COVID-19 instances are on the rise, it turns out that we have not yet overcome it.
“We know that the reduced tennis schedule is barbaric this year after four months without matches, and I appreciate the efforts they make to get there. We have just noticed the announcement of the absence of Madrid this year.
“All my respects to the USTA, the organizers of the US Open and the ATP for preparing the occasion for players and enthusiasts from all over the world through television.
“It’s a resolution I never wanted to take, but this time I stay at my center and for now I prefer not to travel.
Nadal, 34, has 19 Grand Slam titles, one less than Federer’s men’s record of 20. He can still fit Federer in 2020 if he won Roland Garros for the 13th time. The French Open is scheduled to begin on September 27, two weeks after the U.S. Open.
Nadal has been a clay-court education in his local Spain and there were already doubts that he would come to New York for the Open, even though he had been announced as a bettor at the Western and Southern Open in New York starting August 22.
He had committed to playing the Madrid Open on clay from the day after the US Open final, but that occasion was cancelled on Tuesday due to COVID problems.
The ATP Masters 1000 event takes place in May, but has been postponed until September due to the virus.
“We gave everything to host the tournament,” said tournament director Feliciano Lopez. “After the first cancellation in May, we were given to paint in September in the hope of enjoying a top tennis in the Caja M-gica. This year, it’s been so complicated for everyone. However, the persistent instability is still too wonderful to host a tournament like this safely. Once again, we thank the City Council of Madrid and all our sponsors and suppliers for being by our side each and every step we have taken “.
Without Nadal or Federer, global No. 1 Novak Djokovic becomes a big favorite to earn his 18th top name in New York.
The USTA on Tuesday that Djokovic would play the Open.
In addition to Djokovic, a three-time US Open champion, among the 10 most sensible players on the list is No. 3 Dominic Thiem of Austria; Russia’s fifth Daniil Medvedev, 2019 US Open finalist; No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece; No. 7 Alexander Zverev, from Germany; No. 8 Matteo Berrettini of Italy; and No. 10 David Goffin of Belgium. Marin Cilic of Croatia, the 2014 US Open champion, is also inscribed.
The thirteen Americans who signed up for this year’s tournament are 21st John Isner of Greensboro, N.C.; No. 24 Taylor Fritz, de Rancho Santa Fe, California; No. 39 Reilly Opelka, delray Beach, Florida; Forty-five Sam Querrey, from Las Vegas; No. 55 Tennys Sandgren, de Gallatin, Tennessee; No. 57 Tommy Paul, de Delray Beach, Florida; No. 63 Steve Johnson, de Redondo Beach, California; No. 81 Frances Tiafoe, de Hyattsville, Maryland; No. 83 Mackenzie McDonald of Orlando, Florida; No. 102 Marcos Girón, de Thousand Oaks, California; No. 111 Denis Kudla, from Arlington, Va.; No. 119 Jack Sock, de Kansas City, Missouri; and No. 126 Bradley Klahn of Los Angeles.
Federer’s three majors, Nadal and Djokovic, have won thirteen consecutive primary titles dating back to the 2016 US Open (Stan Wawrinka).
Djokovic, 33, filmed hard-court education in Serbia and said he would play at the U.S. Open if he could skip the 40th on his return to Europe.
Djokovic was seen in Spain recently without a mask, even after being criticized for his unfortunate Adria Tour in which four players, adding Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, tested positive for the virus. Both have recovered since then.
“It was a blatant mistake,” Thiem said on CNN Sport about the lack of social estrangement and the party that took a stand on the Adria Tour.
“Everyone who tested positive is healthy again. I think everyone has learned from this Array bug … It’s a mistake. Everyone is sorry, of course, but it’s time to look to the future.”
This story was updated to reflect the fact that Dominic Thiem did not have COVID-19.
I’m a basketball and tennis expert who collaborates with the New York Times, NJ Advance Media and the country’s newspapers. I’m also the one with two books and one
I’m a basketball and tennis expert who collaborates with the New York Times, NJ Advance Media and the country’s newspapers. I’m also the one with two books and an award-winning filmmaker. My family circle lives in Manhattan with our dog.