This Monday (17:00, Eurosport) in New York starts a US Open marked by the coronavirus pandemic. Doubly. On the one hand, it will be a tournament without an audience and under strict sanitary measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the bubble set up by the USTA (“There is no safer place in the world,” says Thiem). And contrary to what happened in other sports that resumed the activity with all their stars, Not all the best are in Queens. It can be said that it is a half Grand Slam.
In the men's team, Novak Djokovic, with COVID-19 overcome, is the great favorite in the absence of Nadal, the current champion who resigned as a precaution, and Federer, convalescing from a knee operation. Nor will figures like Monfils, Fognini, Wawrinka and Kirgios play. Nishikori and Paire are out for having tested positive for the condition that has the world in check. The Frenchman's was confirmed yesterday and forced his compatriots into mandatory isolation at the hotel, about 40 minutes from Flushing Meadows. The loss of the 17th favorite favored the entry of a Spaniard, Marcel Granollers, who plays on Tuesday against the Polish Majchrzak. Thus, Djokovic, undefeated this year (23-0) and recently won the Cincinnati Masters, has at hand to add his 18th great and harass Nadal (19) and Federer (20). The Balkan (debuts at 01:00, almost without a break, against the Bosnian Dzumhur), Cilic and Andy Murray, who are playing a Slam again, are the only ones who have won any on the payroll of this US Open that will have 20 debutants.
14 Spanish
Apart from Granollers, there will be nine other Spaniards in the ATP tournament: Martínez, Davidovich, Andújar, Carreño and Ramos They perform on the first day and Bautista, Munar, Carballés and Feliciano will do so on Tuesday.
In the WTA draw, the casualties are even more sensitive. Six of the top 10 are missing, including number one, Barty, and number two, Halep. Nor is the current champion, Andreescu. Serena Williams will try again to equal the 24 Grand Slam titles of Court and Muguruza is the Spanish trump card. It starts on Tuesday like Bolsava and Sorribes. This Monday Badosa does it.
And as a backdrop, the schism mounted by Djokovic and his new players association (PTPA) on the sidelines of ATP, which ignores women and was born with a meeting and a photo in which not all tennis players are seen, far from it.