USTA “continues its plans” to hold open on schedule

Associated Press reports that as of today, Friday, 31 July the USTA is claiming  that it “continues its plans” to hold its US Open  on schedule  from  Aug. 31 to Sept. 13.

The U.S. Open is normally the calendar’s  final Grand Slam of the year but if it does go ahead, it will become the second Slam of 2020  due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic which has still to reach it’s peak in the USA.

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre will also be the venue for the Western & Southern Open on Aug. 20-28, a warm up event that was recently moved from  it’s regular Cincinnati home.

The USTA statement added “We remain confident that our top priority, the health and safety of all involved in both tournaments, remains on track.”

Details of its health and safety plan will apparently be released closer to the start of competition. The group said it is working with the WTA and ATP tours.

USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier  added “We are constantly and continually monitoring the situation. Right now in New York, the situation has improved dramatically. The state has done a tremendous job containing the coronavirus, We also are making tremendous progress in international travel, not only for coming to New York but traveling from here to Europe and elsewhere. So at this moment, we are very confident we will be holding the two events in those scheduled dates.”

What remains to be seen is which overseas based players will be prepared to negotiate travel to New York, through the quarantine issues and into the bio bubble being thrown around the players, their support team and essential officials.

Players will be allowed on-site on Aug. 16.