“I find it hard to see concerning the US Open, everything is unclear. Nobody knows, so it's hard to imagine the US Open being held. ” With these words, Richard Gasquet delivered this Friday to AFPall his uncertainty about the organization of the US Open, scheduled from August 24 to September 13. The Covid-19 pandemic is raging in the United States with more than 115,000 deaths. And the health situation is still worrying since there would no longer be any doubt that the American country will soon exceed the painful mark of 200,000 deaths. So, we still don't know yet if New York will be ready to welcome the world of tennis at the end of August. Even the video conference organized by ATP on Wednesday with more than 400 players did not provide more response. "Nothing came out of it," admitted the Frenchman on the sidelines of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) which he is preparing to compete this weekend on the courts of the Mouratoglou academy in Sophia. -Antipolis near Nice. Before adding hopefully, "But two months are a long time."
“The conditions are difficult, but it is doable. Everything is possible ”.
Richard GasquetFor its part, the American Federation (USTA), which organizes the US Open, would have proposed drastic conditions, considered "extreme" by the world No. 1, Novak Djokovic, to be able to maintain the tournament. The players would notably be in quarantine in a hotel near the Flushing Meadows complex where they would only go to play before returning to confine themselves in their room. The 50th world player says he is ready to follow these strict measures: "You arrive there, you go to the hotel, you stay in your hotel room, that there is no doubt. It's normal: it's to protect others, yourself, so you don't do anything. ” For Richard Gasquet, who will be 34 years old on June 18, “the conditions are difficult, but it is doable. Everything is possible ”. Whereas for Nick Kyrgios, "it's selfish" to play the tournament with "the coronavirus and the riots". Meanwhile, three options are currently being explored by ATP and USTA regarding the US Open: playing the Cincinnati Masters 1000 and the US Open in New York without qualifying for the American Grand Slam, canceling Cincinnati and playing Flushing Meadows with qualifications, or simply cancel the US Open. The official decision is expected on June 15. Until we learn more about the future of the US Open 2020, tennis is starting to recover! The Habs will face the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (6th in the world) on Saturday as part of the competition designed by Serena Williams coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
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