Simona Halep ‘highly unlikely’ to play US Open

Romanian tennis star Simona Halep is “highly unlikely” to play in the US Open after the tournament organisers introduced restrictions in place for the grand slam, which has been given the nod to be held in August.

According to a Reuters report, a spokesperson for Halep said that if the conditions are as set out on paper, the world number two is highly unlikely to play.

The United States Tennis Association was given the green light on Tuesday to hold the grand slam tournament in New York in August without the presence of fans even as the US continues to be the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the USTA would take “extraordinary precautions” to protect players. It is expected to follow protocols, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space and dedicated accommodation.

Last week, Novak Djokovic had expressed his reservations about playing in the grand slam citing “extreme” restrictions, which included a 14-day quarantine for players outside of the US, restricted access to courts and a reduced entourage among other things.

World number one Ashleigh Barty had also voiced her concern about the timing of the grand slam tournament.

Rafael Nadal had expressed his hesitation to play in the tournament amid the pandemic and the widespread anti-racism protests across the US.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, slammed the USTA for going ahead with its marquee tournament, calling it “selfish”.

The US Open will be held from August 31 to September 13.