Wimbledon champion Simona Halep will skip the U.S. Open and said on Monday that she prioritized her fitness and would remain in Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Halep, a former top-ranked player lately No.2, won the name on Sunday in Prague.
“After weighing all the points in question and given the exceptional cases in which we live, I have made the decision not to travel to New York to play at the US Open,” Halep wrote on Twitter.”I said I’ll put my fitness at the center of my decision, so I’d rather stay and work out in Europe.
Six of the 8 most sensible women in the WTA rankings will play in New York.No. 1 Ash Barty and protective champion Bianca Andreescu also withdrew from the tournament.
Other women who might not play come with the No.five Elina Svitolina, No.7 Kiki Bertens and No.8 Belinda Bencic.
The US Open is scheduled to begin at Flushing Meadows on August 31.
“I know that the USTA and WTA have worked tirelessly to organize an occasion and I wish everyone a success in the tournament,” Halep wrote.
Irina Khromacheva of Russia will update Halep in the main draw of the American Tennis Association.
Rafael Nadal, the protective men’s champion, also retired from the tournament, Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked, said he would play.Roger Federer will be out for the rest of the season after two operations on his right knee.
Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 US Open champion, is absent, along with Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios.