Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev on Friday supported Novak Djokovic and expressed their hesitation over playing at this year's US Open amid the coronavirus (COVID-19).
“All of these circumstances are pretty tough. So I think some circumstances will have to change (for it to) make sense to go there,” Austria's Thiem said, during a press conference in Belgrade.
Thiem stressed that a Grand Slam can be pretty demanding physically and it is not good that the new rules, with respect to the pandemic, make you choose either your coach or your physio to travel with you.
“Well nobody knows, maybe things improve, maybe not, so we'll have to wait until the facts are out and then decide,” the 26-year-old added.
World number seven Zverev also echoed Thiem's view. Like Djokovic recently, Zverev cited notably the obligatory 14-day quarantine for players arriving in the United States.
READ |
“It's great if we get the opportunity to play, but under these circumstances I don't think a lot of players will feel comfortable in the environment there. So that's my opinion. But it's not really up to us players in that way, in a way the US Open decides,” the German star claimed.
The 23-year-old also said housing the players in airport hotels near the tournament venue and not allowing them to be accompanied by more than one member of the team was not the ideal scenario.
The US Open main draw is due to get underway in New York on August 31. Meanwhile, the two players had arrived in Belgrade for a charity tournament hosted by Djokovic, which kicks off on Saturday. The Adria Tour will be held until July 5 in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia.
Djokovic, also the ATP players' council president, suggested on Wednesday that his season might resume on clay ahead of the French Open rather than at the US Open as he repeated concerns about playing in North America.
The Serbian, a three-time champion in New York, stressed that US Open organisers had to relax their “extreme conditions” or players would wait for the European tournaments.
The tennis season has been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus, with Roland Garros pushed back to September-October and Wimbledon cancelled.
Comments
SHARE