US Open could be played behind closed doors in Orlando at end of the year

[ASFN Admin]

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Organisers of the US Open are coming under increasing pressure to change both its date and venue – with Orlando in Florida being considered instead of Flushing Meadow, the grand slam event’s home since 1978. The next wave of tournament cancellations is expected to be confirmed on Friday, moving the hypothetical start date of the professional tour back from July 13 until the start of August. The US Open, which is still scheduled to start on Aug 31, brings in more than 80 per cent of the United States Tennis Association’s annual revenue. Its cancellation would have catastrophic effects. The latest theory is that a closed-doors event could be staged in Orlando late in the year, at the recently constructed 100-court USTA National Campus. Admittedly, there are plenty of challenges to this idea. The courts would require wiring for TV broadcast, the player areas would need to be upgraded and temporarily extended, and a catering service would have to be installed. On the upside, though, the warm temperatures that prevail year-round in Florida would help avoid a potential clash with the French Open, which is now planning a start date of Sept 27. Although this is two weeks after the US Open would normally finish, such timescales become insufficient if a fortnight’s quarantine is required for international travellers. The French player Gilles Simon made this point on Thursday in an interview with L’Equipe. “If we need to do 14 days of quarantine in a hotel room when we arrive anywhere, we will then need to train hard for 15 days to recover fitness,” said Simon. “That means one tournament every month and a half. “The USTA is going to approach the players and negotiate with a few top players so that they come,” added Simon. “We are going to find on one side, the Americans who will favour the US Open, and on the other, the French, who will go to Roland Garros.” .Meanwhile, the Lawn Tennis Association finally received confirmation on Thursday night that they can reopen the National Tennis Centre on Friday as a performance training base. Its risk assessment was approved by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. A set of safety guidelines has been circulated to elite players, which require anyone entering the NTC to have a consultation with the doctor on arrival, fill out a questionnaire and have a temperature check. Only one extra person – whether coach or physio – may accompany a player into the building.

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