Five members of the top 10 on the WTA Tour have not signed up to play at next months Western and Southern Open, according to a report published by opencourt.ca.
The deadline for players to register to play in the Premier event expired earlier this week and among the most notable absentees are the two most recent US Open champions. Bianca Andreescu and Naomi Osaka have not put their names down for reasons that are unknown. Andreescu has been hampered by injury for months and hasn’t played a competitive tournament since the WTA Finals last November. Meanwhile, Osaka opted not to play in any exhibitions during the Tour shutdown but is based in America.
Even more significant is that neither of those two players have yet enrolled to play in the US Open. Although the deadline for the Grand Slam isn’t until August 3rd. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Western and Southern Open have been relocated to New York in a bid to keep players in what officials describe as a ‘protective bubble.’ In recent days, assurances have also been given to players that they will be exempt from quarantine rules when travelling.
Other absentees are players who have previously expressed uncertainty over travelling to America. World No.1 Ash Barty has said she would make a decision on her season when she ‘knows all the facts’ and she needs to take into consideration her team. Simona Halep, who pulled out of next week’s Palermo Open due to ‘travelling anxiety,’ is looking increasingly likely she will stick to European clay over the summer. The same also applies to Elina Svitolina who had previously mentioned one of her potential plans includes returning to tennis in Madrid after the US Open. Finally, Angelique Kerber is yet to commit after recently rehiring former coach Torben Beltz to her team.
The absence of the top names could be a blow to the US Open, who are yet to have any of those six sign up for their event as well. Nevertheless the USTA is determined to press ahead with a series of TV deals worth millions at stake.
“The USTA will create a safe and controlled environment for players and everyone else involved in both tournaments that mitigates health risks that was approved by the State of New York and also conforms to the standards put forth by New York City and the federal government,” the USTA said in a statement.
“We constantly base our decisions regarding hosting these tournaments on our three guiding principles that include safety and health of all involved, whether hosting these events are in the best interest in the sport of tennis and whether this decision is financially viable. We are confident we remain in-line with all three guiding principles.”
The Western and Southern Open will start a week prior to the US Open on August 21st.
Top 50 players missing from Cincy Open entry list
- Ash Barty AUS #1
- Simona Halep ROM #2
- Elina Svitolina UKR #5
- Bianca Andreescu CAN #6
- Naomi Osaka JPA #10
- Petra Martic CRO #15
- Angelique Kerber GER #21
- Wang Qiang CHN #29
- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS #30
- Zheng Saisai CHN #34
- Sloane Stephens USA #37
- Julia Goerges GER #38
- Jelena Ostapenko LTA #41
- Polona Hercog SLO #45
List as of July 29th 2020
