Ashleigh Barty withdraws from US Open amid Covid-19 concerns

Concerns: Ashleigh Barty is skipping the US Open
AFP via Getty Images
George Flood29 July 2020

Ashleigh Barty - the top-ranked singles player in women's tennis - will not compete at the US Open this year due to "significant risks" involving Covid-19.

The Australian no1 confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that she would be skipping the Grand Slam event as well as the Western & Southern Open warm-up tournament, which this year has been switched from Ohio to Flushing Meadows in New York in order to create a bubble environment for players ahead of the US Open, which begins behind closed doors on August 31.

Barty - who won her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2019 - said she was unwilling to expose herself and her team to the risks associated with coronavirus.

“My team and I have decided that we won’t be travelling to the US and Western and Southern Open and the US Open this year,” Barty told the Australian Associated Press.

“I love both events so it was a difficult decision but there are still significant risks involved due to Covid-19 and I don’t feel comfortable putting my team and I in that position.

“I wish the USTA all the best for the tournaments and I look forward to being back in the US next year.”

It remains to be seen if Barty will play at the 2020 French Open, which was initially postponed due to Covid-19 in May before being rescheduled to begin on September 27 - two weeks after the US Open is due to conclude.

She added: "I will make my decision on the French Open and the surrounding WTA European tournaments in the coming weeks."

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