Tennis star Andy Murray was on Monday given a wildcard for the Western & Southern Open, a warm-up event for the US grand slam tournament. Murray, along with American players Tommy Paul, Tennys Sandgren and Frances Tiafoe, was handed wildcard, organisers confirmed.
The Western & Southern Open, which is usually staged in Cincinnati, was moved to New York this year in an effort to minimise risks related to Covid-19 as players travel to Flushing Meadows for the US Open, which will begin from August 31.
The tournament is scheduled to take place during August 20-28 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in New York.
The three-time grand slam winner has previously won the Western & Southern Open in 2008 and 2011.
This would be Murray’s first ATP Tour appearance of 2020. He has been out of action due to injuries, having undergone hip surgeries twice. He has not played an official tour match since last year’s Davis Cup.
The Western & Southern Open will be the first tournament to be played since the ATP Tour was suspended in early March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this week, Murray confirmed that he would play the US Open if it goes ahead as planned and players are given assurance that they would not face mandatory quarantine upon returning from the US.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) will set up a strict bio-security bubble to minimise the risk of spreading the coronavirus during the US Open.
