World No.1 Barty pulls out of US OPEN

“My team and I have decided that we won’t be travelling to the United States for the Western and Southern Open as well as the US Open this year,” Barty was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun newspaper recently.

“I love both events, so it was a difficult decision. But, there are still significant risks involved due to COVID19 and I don’t feel comfortable putting myself and my team in that position.

“I wish the United States Tennis Association (USTA) all the best for the tournaments and look forward to being back in US next year,” she added. The Australian is the highest profile player so far to pull out of the event, which is scheduled to take place in New York from August 31 to September 13.

The Grand Slam is slated to be held amid a slew of restrictions on player movements and the number of people that accompany them. The 24-year-old further said she is yet to decide if she will defend her French Open, which has been rescheduled for late September because of the coronavirus pandemic.