US Open Plans To Continue Amidst Concerns From Novak Djokovic And Other Stars

KEY POINTS

The US Open is planning to continue with their planned 2020 schedule
This, however, was met with some concerns from the top stars of the sport
Novak Djokovic is one of the players who are not fully convinced about the resumption of the games

The tennis season may be on hold due to the global pandemic but the US Open has made progress on the game’s resumptions on August 31. With everything that is happening, top stars have raised concerns regarding the stipulations of the modified tournament.

Per ESPN by way of Bleacher Report, the USTA has been working its way in recovering the games. The USTA’s director of communications Chris Widmaier said that they’re seeking to have the games in the original plan.

"We're following each step in the [restart] procedure in the great hope that we can announce that the 2020 US Open will be played in its regularly scheduled date," Widmaier said.

While these efforts are slowly on their way, certain top players have also been vocal on its implementation. One of these stars includes the world’s current number one player Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian icon spoke up regarding certain limitations that the proposed setup will entail. Per Serbia’s Prva TV, the 17-time Grand Slam champion had some thoughts on the entire idea.

"The rules they told us we would have to respect to be there, to play at all, they are extreme. We would not have access to Manhattan, we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to be tested twice or three times per week,” Djokovic said.

“They want the tournament to go ahead at any cost for economic reasons, which I understand. But the question is, how many players are willing to accept those terms," the three-time US Open Champion shared.

In the women’s division, icon Serena Williams also raised some concerns about the games. In an interview on the No Challenges Remaining podcast, Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou shared some thoughts on where his athlete stands.

"I think Serena will want to play [U.S. Open] 100 percent, but I don't know how she can go there with only one person," Mouratoglou said.

"I don't imagine her three weeks without her daughter, so maybe her daughter will coach her? I mean, she can only do better than me in Grand Slam finals," Mouratoglou concluded.

It will be interesting to see how the US Open will end up in the coming few weeks. With the threat of the coronavirus not fully eliminated, there will be precautionary measures that must be strictly followed while everyone endures in this ever-evolving time.