Nadal to skip U.S. Open due to COVID-19 concerns
VIDEO SHOWS: FILE OF RAFA NADAL TRAINING / SCREEN SHOTS OF HIS TWEETS IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH ANNOUNCING THAT HE WILL NOT COMPETE IN THE U.S. OPEN / FILE OF NOVAK DJOKOVIC TRAINING / FILE OF U.S. OPEN VENUES
RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT
SHOWS:
MANACOR, MALLORCA, SPAIN (FILE - JULY 20, 2020) (RAFA NADAL ACADEMY BY MOVISTAR - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY "RAFAEL NADAL ACADEMY BY MOVISTAR")
1. WORLD NUMBER TWO AND 19-TIMES GRAND SLAM CHAMPION, RAFA NADAL, HITTING BALL DURING PRACTICE SESSION WITH DANI RINCON
2. DANI RINCON HITTING BALL DURING PRACTICE SESSION
3. NADAL ON COURT WITH HIS COACH, CARLOS MOYA
4. NADAL PRACTISING
5. VARIOUS OF RINCON AND NADAL HITTING BALL DURING PRACTICE SESSION
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
6. VARIOUS OF NADAL RECEIVING SERVES ON SIDELINES OF WIMBLEDON
LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - NOVEMBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
7. NADAL LACING UP HIS SHOWS
8. VARIOUS OF NADAL AT PRACTICE AT ATP TOUR FINALS
INTERNET (AUGUST 4, 2020) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - TWITTER / @RafaelNadal - ACCESS ALL)
9. SCREEN SHOT OF NADAL'S TWEETS (English) ANNOUNCING HE WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE U.S. OPEN
10. SCREEN SHOT OF NADAL'S TWEETS (Spanish) ANNOUNCING HE WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE U.S. OPEN
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
11. VARIOUS OF WORLD NUMBER ONE, NOVAK DJOKOVIC, TRAINING ON SIDELINES OF WIMBLEDON
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - NOVEMBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
12. DJOKOVIC PRACTISING AHEAD OF ATP TOUR FINALS
BELGRADE, SERBIA (FILE - JUNE 19, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
13. VARIOUS OF DJOKOVIC PRACTISING
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 28, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
14. EXTERIOR OF ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 27, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
15. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM
16. PEOPLE WALKING PAST U.S. OPEN SIGN
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 23, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
17. U.S. OPEN SIGN
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 27, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
18. THE UNISPHERE SCULPTURE (LARGE STEEL GLOBE) IN FLUSHING MEADOWS-CORONA PARK
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 28, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
19. UNISPHERE SCULPTURE
20. PEOPLE MAKING THEIR WAY TO MATCHES
21. PEOPLE WATCHING A TENNIS MATCH
22. PEOPLE SEATED
23. PEOPLE WALKING
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 23, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
24. PEOPLE WALKING
25. PERFORMER ON STILTS
26. EXTERIOR OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM
STORY: World number two Rafa Nadal confirmed on Tuesday (August 4) that he will not defend his U.S. Open crown this year at Flushing Meadows as organisers released the singles entry list for the Grand Slam.
Spain's Nadal had said in June that he had reservations about travelling to the U.S. amid the COVID-19 pandemic and he joins women's world number one Australian Ash Barty in skipping the tournament due to COVID-19 concerns.
"After many thoughts I have decided not to play this year's U.S. Open," Nadal said on Twitter https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal/status/1290713864506683393.
"The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don't have control of it.
"We know that the reduced tennis calendar is barbaric this year after 4 months stopped with no play, I understand and thank (everyone) for the efforts they are putting in to make it happen. We have just seen the announcement of Madrid not being played this year.
"This is a decision I never wanted to take but I have decided to follow my heart this time and for the time being I rather not travel."
The Madrid Open, which was scheduled to take place from September 12-20, was cancelled on Tuesday (August 4) due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the Spanish capital.
World number one Novak Djokovic, a three-time champion in New York, headlines the men's list along with last year's runner-up Daniil Medvedev and other top 10 players including Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.
Nine of the top 10 women's players, including 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and holder Bianca Andreescu, are on the entry list along with 2018 champion Naomi Osaka.
As many as 13 Grand Slam champions are in the women's draw including Romania's Simona Halep, the reigning Wimbledon champion and 2018 French Open winner, and this year's Australian Open champion American Sofia Kenin.
Organisers said the seedings would be announced closer to the start of the tournament which is scheduled for August 31.
(Production: Kurt Michael Hall)
