Simona Halep is saying no New York.
The Wimbledon champion is "highly unlikely" to play the US Open if current coronavirus conditions persist, Halep's spokeswoman told Reuters.
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The USTA will host the US Open as scheduled starting on August 31st at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo approved the USTA's plan to play the Open, which will be the first Grand Slam event played since the coronavirus pandemic erupted.
"The US Open will be held in Queens, NY, without fans from August 31 to September 13," Cuomo said. "The USTA will take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space, and dedicated housing and transportation."
Halep is not comfortable traveling to New York City, which was the epicenter for COVID-19 in the United States, and play under the safety protocols the USTA has established.
“Everyone is still waiting on an official announcement of details from the U.S. Open and tours about the season," Halep's spokeswoman told Reuters. “But if the conditions are as set out on paper for U.S. Open, as Simo has been consistent in saying, it’s highly unlikely she will play.”
Halep has left the door open for playing in New York if conditions change.
“Of course the conditions of the U.S. Open can still change and it is my understanding that the players will have well into July to decide whether to enter or not,” Halep's spokeswoman said. “[It is a] fluid situation so nothing is set in stone."
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