The highest ranked player in men’s tennis could be absent from the next grand slam tournament in order to focus his attention on the upcoming clay-court swing.
Novak Djokovic, who started 2020 by winning 18 matches in a row, has told Serbian media channel RTS that he is seriously considering missing the US Open. Something he hasn’t done since 2017. The New York major is set to get underway on August 31st under what Djokovic recently described as ‘extreme’ rules in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is understood that player’s will be limited to only having one member of their team on site at the grand slam and they will be unable to travel to Manhattan. All tennis tournaments have been either suspended or cancelled since March due to the worldwide health crises.
Djokovic has said he is concerned about how he and other players will be able to train ahead of the US Open given the circumstances with there set to be limited facilities available. Although the United States Tennis Association (USTA) is yet to outline their plans for the event.
“Nothing is certain yet, the final decision will be made at the end of this month. At the moment, the measures are extremely strict,” RTS quoted the 17-time grand slam champion as saying.
“One of the things that are currently in the regulations according to which the US Open would be held in New York is that landing on American soil, you have to be quarantined for 14 days. So for most tennis players, probably including me, there would be no access to the court and no opportunity to train.”
The concerns about quarantine is a somewhat confusing situation. It had been previously reported that those attending the US Open would be exempt from going through such a process and instead be kept in a ‘bubble’. It is unclear if Djokovic, who is the head of the ATP player’s council, has been told otherwise.
Speaking about the rules set to be in place in New York, the world No.1 has said he wasn’t sure if it would be sustainable to do so. Arguing that it may be too early to start the Tour again. The USTA is eager to hold their premier event with various sponsorship and broadcast deals at stake. The organisation recently announced 110 redundancies and the closure of its New York headquarters linked to the financial turmoil caused by the pandemic.
“It’s something that’s pretty unthinkable at the moment. You can’t go to Manhattan, you’d have to sleep in a hotel at the airport, you’d have to pick just one person to come to the club with you. There would be no audience, there would be no media … Quite extreme conditions in which to play. I don’t know if it’s sustainable.” Djokovic commented on the situation.
To add to the complexed situation, the French Open is hoping to play their event just two weeks after the US Open. Tournament director Guy Forget has recently said he is confident it will go ahead and a number of spectators will be allowed to go if approved by the government.
Due to the close timing of both grand slams, Djokovic has hinted that he may instead switch his focus solely on the European clay. An approach that could trigger a domino effect among other players, especially 12-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.
“For me at the moment, as things stand, the most realistic is that the season will continue on clay, in early September.” Djokovic said of his potential plans. “Madrid, Rome, probably some more tournaments before Roland Garros.’
“Of course, we would all like to return to the court as soon as possible, to play tournaments. Before the US Open and the US Open itself. I hope that will happen, but there must simply be some kind of compromise and agreement between the players and the organizers. Will it happen? We will see.”
The ATP will hold an online meeting with player’s on Wednesday to discuss the resumption of the 2020 season and what the calendar may look like. It has been kept confidential as to what will be discussed, but it is likely that top names such as Djokovic will be in attendance.
