The world is still responding to the coronavirus, 5 months into general lock-down and Sports personalities are feeling it harder than ever.
The number of cases in the US is worrying but the organizers of the Tennis US Open are not bowing out just so soon. The event is one of the oldest championships in the game of Tennis and has been chronologically the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Of the top 10 women seeds in the world, six have confirmed that they won’t participate in the event because of COVID19 concerns in the US and former Wimbledon Champion Marion Bortoli has particularly said there is no way 2020 US Open counts as a Grand Slam.
Bartoli won Wimbledon in 2013 and reached the final at the same event in 2007.
“The players who will win the US Open under these circumstances will know that they didn’t really win the US Open,” she said.
“You know it is just a regular tournament that you won, and you are happy that you won and you are happy that you have been able to get through all the difficulties and you navigated through all of this, but you can’t really call it a Grand Slam when there is that many people not showing up at all.”
World No.1 Ashleigh Barty, defending Champion Bianca Andreescu (World No.4), Simon Halep (year-end No. 1 in 2017 and 2018) have already withdrawn from participation.
Garbine Muguruza(World No.16), who is a former French Open and Wimbledon champion is a doubt for the US Open because of an ankle injury.
On the plus side, the great Serena Williams has committed to play, as have 2018 winner Naomi Osaka of Japan, American Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin and Czech world number three Karolina Pliskova.
On the men’s side, four-time champion Rafael Nadal is out, while Roger Federer who is still recovering from surgery won’t make it either. Serbia’s world number one Novak Djokovic, Britain’s three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and Russian 2019 runner-up Daniil Medvedev are competing.
Official communications regarding player withdrawals prior to the start of the 2020 US Open as provided by the Official US Open Website.
Update – August 18, 2020
Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) has withdrawn from the US Open.
Federico Gaio (ITA) moves into the main draw.
Update – August 18, 2020
Aniek van Koot (NED) has withdrawn from the 2020 US Open Wheelchair Competition presented by Deloitte.
Dana Mathewson (USA) moves into the main draw.
Lucy Shuker (GBR) receives the wild card previously awarded to Mathewson.
Update – August 17, 2020
Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) and Priscilla Hon (AUS) have withdrawn from the US Open.
Usue Arconada (USA) and Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) move into the main draw.
Allie Kiick (USA) receives the wild card previously awarded to Arconada.
Update – August 17, 2020
Simona Halep (ROU) has withdrawn from the US Open.
Irina Khromacheva (RUS) moves into the main draw.
Usue Arconada (USA) is now the first player out.
Update – August 15, 2020
Belinda Bencic (SUI) has withdrawn from the US Open.
Barbara Haas (AUT) moves into the main draw.
Update – August 13, 2020
Bianca Andreescu (CAN) has withdrawn from the US Open.
Olga Govortsova (BLR) moves into the main draw.
Update – August 13, 2020
Fiona Ferro (FRA) has withdrawn from the US Open.
Caroline Dolehide (USA) moves into the main draw.
Claire Liu (USA) receives the wild card previously awarded to Dolehide.
Update – August 12, 2020
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) has withdrawn from the US Open.
Tereza Martincova (CZE) moves into the main draw.
Update – August 10, 2020
Barbora Strycova (CZE) and Wang Xiyu (CHN) have withdrawn from the US Open.
Ann Li (USA) and Priscilla Hon (AUS) move into the main draw.
Hailey Baptiste (USA) receives the wild card previously awarded to Li.
Update – August 9, 2020
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) has withdrawn from the US Open.
Andy Murray (GBR) moves into the main draw.
Mitchell Krueger (USA) will receive the wild card entry previously awarded to Murray.
Federico Gaio (ITA) is now the first player out.
Update – August 7, 2020
Elina Svitolina (UKR), Kiki Bertens (NED) and Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) have withdrawn from the US Open.
Francesca Di Lorenzo (USA), Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) and Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) have moved into the women’s singles main draw.
Sachia Vickery (USA) receives the wild card entry previously awarded to Di Lorenzo.
Ann Li (USA) is now the first player out of the main draw.
