New York
Canadian Open title holder Bianca Andreescu has announced that she will defend her title this year despite the health conditions and concerns associated with the coronavirus, hours after confirming the presence of Flushing Meadows Queen Serena Williams.
"I have no doubt that the USTA (the American Federation organising the tournament, note) has put in place the best plan to ensure our safety while we are going to resume tennis in 2020", explains the world No. 6 in a tweet released after the USTA's announcement on Wednesday of the conditions under which the first post-Covid Grand Slam tournament would be held.
"The decision, I know, was not taken lightly and I fully support and understand each player's opinions on the subject, as well as their comfort level with the idea of travelling near or far to play on the biggest world stage," she adds, referring to the doubts expressed by some of the greatest players (Djokovic, Nadal, Halep) about their participation.
"I intend to make the most of the opportunity to come back to the courts, find players and friends and hopefully allow millions of fans around the world to see tennis again," says the 20-year-old who won her first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows last year, defeating Serena Williams in the final.
The US Open will be played behind closed doors from August 31 to September 13. According to the new protocol, players will be tested for Covid-19 before their departure for New York, upon arrival and throughout their stay, once or twice a week.
They can stay in a hotel where two double rooms are reserved for them, or rent a house outside Manhattan. The number of members of their entourage who can accompany them remains to be determined. In addition, the hawk-eye technology will replace the linesmen on all courts, except on the two main ones (Arthur-Ashe and Louis-Armstrong). Only three adult ball pickers will be on the courts.
