According to Kevin Mitchell of The Guardian on Tuesday, tennis icon Rafael Nadal of Spain has pulled out of the 2020 U.S. Open because of concerns with coronavirus. Nadal joins Australians Nick Kyrgios and Ashleigh Barty, who will not be traveling to Flushing Meadows, New York, later this month.
Just how significant has coronavirus been in the state of New York? There have been 446, 691 cases, 89, 419 active cases, and 32, 801 deaths. New York state has had more fatalities due to coronavirus than every country except for Brazil, Mexico, Great Britain, India, and Italy.
It should be no surprise that Nadal is skipping the U.S. Open. Even though he has won the U.S. Open four times (2010, 2013, 2017, and 2019), the best chance for him to a win a grand slam this year is at the French Open, which he has won a remarkable 12 times. The 2020 French Open is scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 11.
Kyrgios announced his decision not to go to the U.S. Open on Sunday. According to Field Level Media he stated, “I’m sitting out for my people, for my Aussies, for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives.”
The 2020 U.S. Open will be from August 31 to September 13. Even though the reigning men’s singles champion will be absent, the reigning women’s singles champion will be present. Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ontario made tennis history last year by becoming the first Canadian grand slam singles champion ever.
Meanwhile, in other tennis news, the 2020 Madrid Open has been cancelled. The event was supposed to be a tuneup for the French Open.
