Often-opinionated Nick Kyrgios says the United States Tennis Association is being selfish by reportedly moving forward with the US Open on its original dates, from 31 August to 13 September.
The USTA confirmed to ESPN on Monday that the U.S. Open is set to begin on Aug. 31 and continue through Sept. 13 with COVID-19 testing in place and restrictions placed on the activities of players while participating in the tournament.
Kyrgios, who has been in lockdown in Australia since the pandemic brought a halt to the ATP Tour, appeared more concerned about having to undergo 14 days of self-isolation upon his return home. “People that live in the US of course are pushing [for] the Open to go ahead,” the world No 40 posted on Twitter. “‘Selfish.’ I’ll get my hazmat suit ready for when I travel from Australia and then have to quarantine for two weeks on my return.”
Kyrgios, a talented yet often volatile Australian who ranks No. 40 in the world rankings, made similar remarks on June 11, saying on Twitter that the ATP was “selfish” in planning the U.S. Open with “everything going on at the moment.”
Kyrgios is not the only player to raise concerns over holding the marquee event given New York City’s place among the global epicenters of COVID-19.
The city has seen an overall decline in cases since hitting a high of 8,021 new cases on April 15, with 384 documented cases on Monday.
