Two of the biggest stars in the sport did not make the trip. Another one was disqualified midway through.

Six of the top 10 women’s singles players decided to skip the event, citing concerns about traveling during a pandemic. There were no ticket-buying spectators, robbing one of the grand celebrations in sports and New York City of the buzz and vitality that only packed stadiums can deliver.

A cadre of French players ended up quarantined in their rooms at the Long Island Marriott for 14 days after one of them tested positive for the coronavirus, possibly setting back French-American diplomacy a few degrees, at least in tennis.

Television ratings have plummeted from past years.

Was the United States Open worth it?

“Absolutely,” said Mike Dowse, the chief executive of the United States Tennis Association, which owns and organizes the championship. “The gratitude we have gotten from players for getting their tours back up and running again, allowing them to earn some compensation after six months without it, and elsewhere throughout the game, that to me speaks for itself.”

Source: New York Times

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