Barty, Nadal wary of US Open start

SYDNEY • World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty yesterday voiced caution about resuming tennis too soon, saying she needed more information before committing to the US Open, which is currently slated to start at the end of August.

The Australian, who finished last year as the top-ranked player and has kept her position since, said she had to take into account the concerns held by her entire team amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's exciting that tennis is being talked about again and things are moving in the right direction for us to start competing," she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"But I'd need to understand all of the information and advice from the WTA (Tour) and the USTA (United States Tennis Association) before making a decision on the US events."

The WTA and ATP schedules have been on ice since March, with action not set to resume until August at the earliest.

Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II, while the French Open has been shifted to late September.

A decision about the US Open is set to be made by the middle, if not the end of this month, but Barty has worries, given that global travel restrictions have yet to be lifted and New York, which will host the hard-court Grand Slam, remains a hotbed for the virus.

While a directive from the US government last month exempted foreign professional athletes from a two-week quarantine period, it remains unclear whether that also applies to their entourage.

"It's not just me, it's my team I have to consider," Barty said.

Her comments came after world No. 2 Rafael Nadal insisted tennis cannot resume "until the situation is completely safe".

"If you told me to play the US Open today, I would say 'No'," said the Spaniard, who captured his fourth US Open and 19th Slam at Flushing Meadows last year.

"In a few months, I don't know. I hope so. We have to wait for people to return to normal life. And when it does, wait to see how the virus evolves."

Even if professional tennis does restart - it is expected to be the last major sport to get going owing to its international format - it will likely recommence behind closed doors, a concept that does not sit well with Nadal.

He said: "I hate the idea, honestly... I don't understand tennis without the energy of the crowd, without the passion a full stadium brings."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 06, 2020, with the headline Barty, Nadal wary of US Open start. Subscribe