One of South America’s best known tennis figures believes that it is unrealistic for the US Open to take place later this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nicolas Lapentti argues that the event could pose a risk to the players as he described New York as one of the world’s ‘most contagious cities.’ There have been more than 250,000 cases with almost 15,000 deaths related to the virus in the American state, according to figures provided by The New York Times. Recently the City’s major Bill de Blasio admitted that he was unsure if public gatherings would be able to resume in August, which is when the grand slam is scheduled to take place.
“I think that the US Open should not be played, even the facilities of the Flushing Meadows are being used as a hospital or as a supply centre. Other than that, and that it could be ready, I don’t think we (the tennis players) could be ready for that time, considering that New York is an epicentre and one of the most contagious cities in the world.” 43-year-old Lapentti told Spanish news agency EFE.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is not giving up on their hopes of staging the major tournament with a final decision expected to be made in June. At present officials are still going ahead with preparations for the tournament to take place. Recently launching online virtual additions to find singers to sing on the Arthur Ashe Stadium during the night sessions. They have ruled out the prospect of holding the event behind closed doors.
The US Open isn’t the only grand slam in doubt. There are also concerns for the French Open, which has been postponed from May until the end of September due to the coronavirus. A decision that caught many in the world of tennis off guard and eventually resulted in the suspension of the Laver Cup until 2021. The team event was originally set to take place during the same time in Chicago.
“I do not agree with the decision made by Roland Garros. They should have discussed it with the other Grand Slams, with the ATP and with more people. It seemed quite selfish to me. Going out and giving a date without consulting it before seemed like a surprise to everyone and I think it was a mistake,” Lapentti commented on the decision.
No Disadvantage
All professional tennis tournaments have been suspended until July 13th, however, there is a chance that the shutdown could be extended due to the COVID-19 threat. With many players in lockdown, their training routines have been dramatically scaled back. Although the restrictions differ depending on the country.
It could be argued that some players are in a better position than others when they return to the tour. For example, in Austria Dominic Thiem has been allowed to return to training due to a change in his government’s policy. On the other hand, for British players all sports facilities remain shut.
“This does not benefit or harm anyone. I think it’s a general break,” Lapentti argues. “They all remain in the same conditions. It is still uncertain when the Tour will restart, and until this happens, it will not be known who benefited and who was harmed. They are all in the same conditions.”
The former top-10 player also believes the veterans of the sport will also not suffer physically due to the break. For Serena Williams and Roger Federer, who are both 38, he believes that the biggest issue for them is their mentality.
“It is difficult to say. It is obvious that the more time people like Federer or Serena spend, the older they are, but at the same time they are not suffering wear and tear in these months. It will be more of an attitude issue, a mental issue of whether they want to stay active and later continue competing and can do it at a great level.” He concluded.
Lapentti peaked at a high of 6th in the world with his best grand slam performance being a run to the semi-finals of the 1999 Australian Open. He is his country’s most successful Davis Cup player of all time with a total of 61 wins in the competition over a 17-year period.
