US Open to be held without fans in August-September

The US Open Tennis Championships are set to be held between August 31 and September 13 behind closed doors. Reportedly, any travel restrictions on international players will not be enforced.

The tournament will be still be organised at Flushing Meadows, despite concerns raised by some players about travelling to New York, which is America's COVID-19 epicentre.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo has already approved plans of hosting the Grand Slam in the city. However, according to his proposal, there would be no qualifying round and no mixed doubles happening this year.

US Tennis Association chief Mike Dowse released a statement on US Open's official website.

The statement reads, "We can showcase tennis as the ideal social distancing sport. We recognise the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first global sporting events in these challenging times. We will do so in the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks. We now can give fans around the world the chance to watch tennis' top athletes compete for a US Open title."

No professional tennis events had been played since March due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. However, players like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have been participating in unofficial competitions in order to restore their fitness levels.

The US Open has also released its health and safety plan, which lists some mandatory practices that players need to follow.

According to the US tennis governing body's plans, players who are travelling to New York would be entitled to rooms in an official hotel on the outskirts of Manhattan. Each room can have only two people at a time. Competitors would also be allowed to rent a private house outside Manhattan at their own expense.

Although players won't be required to quarantine after they enter the United States, they will be tested at the airport before they travel to their accommodations in New York.

The BBC claims that tests will be carried out twice a week during their stay, accompanied by daily temperature checks.

Everyone present at the venue must wear a face mask, unless they are practising or working out, or playing. It has also been revealed that there would only be a 32 player field for the men's and women's doubles instead of the regular 64.

The United States of America has witnessed the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world. Over 2.2 million people in the US have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 119,000 people have died due to the pandemic.

New York happens to be the hardest-hit state, with a death toll exceeding 30,000. Meanwhile, Australian player Nick Kyrgios has called the tournament organisers "selfish" for going forward with the event.