World number one Ashleigh Barty
World number one Ashleigh Barty has said that while she is happy that there is talk of the return of the sport amid the coronavirus pandemic, she would be reluctant to go for the upcoming tournaments based in USA until she understands all of the information surrounding them.
"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 and the USTA before making a decision on the US events."
The USTA is mulling shifting the Cincinnati Open to New York. This would let them host the US Open right after the tournament, thus maintaining a secure biosphere for the players.
Players have, however, voiced concerns over being able to participate in either due to travel restrictions that may be in place at the time it is being held which is between August and September. Men's defending champion Rafael Nadal said that he would refuse to travel to New York if he had to do so today whereas Australian Open men's doubles winner Rajeev Ram said that the US Open should be be held if even one qualified player is unable to make it.
All professional tennis activities currently remained suspended till July 31 amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed more than 3.8 lakh lives so far across the world.
