World No. 1 Novak Djokovic wary of strict hygiene restrictions at US Open in wake of COVID-19 pandemic
Novak Djokovic
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday described the strict hygiene restrictions under which the US Open is likely to be played as "extreme" and a cap on support teams as "really impossible." As doubts grow over whether or not the Grand Slam event can go ahead as scheduled in New York, the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Djokovic admitted the demands of organisers could create severe strain. "Just yesterday I had a telephone conversation with the leaders of world tennis, there were talks about the continuation of the season, mostly about the US Open due in late August, but it is not known whether it will be held," the Serb told Prva TV television and quoted by Blic online daily.
"The rules that they told us that we would have to respect to be there, to play at all, they are extreme." Djokovic, champion at the US Open in 2011, 2015 and 2018, described planned limits on player entourages as "really impossible". "We would not have access to Manhattan, we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to be tested twice or three times per week.
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"Also, we could bring one person to the club which is really impossible. I mean, you need your coach, then a fitness trainer, then a physiotherapist. "All their suggestions are really rigorous but I can understand that due to financial reasons, due to already existing contracts, organisers [want the event to be] held. We will see what will happen."
Djokovic was speaking a day after World No. 2 Rafael Nadal had expressed similar reservations over the US Open, the main draw for which starts on August 31.
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