Serena, like Djokovic: hesitates to play the US Open

The family restrictions that the organizers of the US Open they could force the former number one in the world, Serena Williams, to join the figures who have all doubts about their possible participation.

First it was Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Spanish Rafael Nadal, current defending champion, those who expressed doubts about the convenience of being this summer in Flushing Meadows to compete, where the loss of the Swiss Roger Federer is already safe, due to injury. Now the coach of the youngest of the Williams sisters, Patrick Mouratoglou, He is also not sure that the six-time Open champion is interested in seeking the seventh trophy this year.

“I think Serena will want to play the Open, one hundred percent, but I don't know how you can go there with just one person, “ Mouratoglou declared to Ben Rothenberg on the podcast “There are no challenges left.” Mouratoglou explained that “I can't imagine her three weeks without her daughter, so maybe her daughter trains her? I mean, she can only do better than me in the Grand Slam finals.”

There are proposed restrictions, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, that would limit each player to having one guest in the tournament each day. Williams' daughter Olympia turns 3 on September 1. Djokovic described those limitations as extreme and Nadal, the defending champion, has already expressed concern about coming to the tournament in New York City, which has been badly affected by the virus. Federer will not play the rest of the year due to knee surgery. “The rules that we were told we would have to respect to be there, to play, are extreme”, Djokovic highlighted to Prva TV from Serbia. “We would not have access to Manhattan, we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to test two or three times a week.” They want the tournament to go ahead at any cost for economic reasons, which I understand. But the question is, how many players are willing to accept those terms? “

It remains uncertain whether Williams, 38, who has won 23 Grand Slam tournaments, will be part of the Open, if it is ultimately confirmed next week, which is to be held. “We were waiting to hear from the US Open what the plan was,” said Mouratoglou. “Now the plan is pretty clear, so I guess in the next few days we will have to talk.”