They are signs. Indications that the US Open (August 31 to September 13) could start without world number one and two. Without Novak Djokovic or Rafa Nadal. As the coronavirus gallops through United States (131,000 dead and almost three million infections), they hint that his head is more in the earth tour which must start in Kitzbuehel (September 8), go through Madrid (from 13), Rome (from 20) to end in Roland Garros (October 27-11) than in New York.
First it was Nadal who confirmed that he will be at the Madrid Open, a tournament that starts in the week after New York and that would allow him to add 640 points in case of victory (the 2,000 of the US Open would not lose them with the modifications of the ranking). Later it was Djokovic, president of the Players Council, who He expressed his doubts to the Serbian media Telegraf: “I am not sure if he will play the US Open. I do plan to be in Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros in September”. Once he had overcome the coronavirus that he contracted in his controversial Adria Tour, the one from Belgrade is already training on clay with another of the infected, Viktor Troicki.
ATP tennis should return on August 14 in Washington and continue with the Cincinnati tournament moved to New York (August 22-28) and the US Open. But The USTA has just suspended five ITF tournaments it had planned for August. The possibility of cancellation of the fast track tour in the United States gains weight. The injured Roger Federer revealed that the organization would decide “between July 15 and 30“They are times of uncertainty, travel and quarantines are big problems,” he warned.
The fight between Nadal, who sees it more feasible to match Federer's 20 Grand Slams in Paris than in New York, and Djokovic could therefore resume in Madrid.