Despite the backpedaling in COVID-19 progress of multiple states and poor outcomes of recent tennis tournaments, the US Open is still scheduled to begin on August 31st. It is set to take place at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, NY. Although a live audience is prohibited, there will certainly be no shortage of broadcasting to fill all of the empty sports channels.
However, there is a lot more at risk than a profitable audience: how will the United States Tennis Association prevent another sporting event outbreak?
All that will be on-site must have their temperature checked, get tested for COVID-19, and manage a safe distance – which should be no issue with such an astronomical decrease in capacity. Double draws have been reduced to encourage social distancing during games. Strict sanitizing and cleaning guidelines have also been developed as a safety net. And, of course, the most important component is keeping the spectators away to watch safely from their homes; in a “normal” event, over one million individuals would enter the space.
Considering the adjustments made to place more emphasis on singles, the United States Tennis Association will be providing an additional five million dollars in relief funds to the Women’s Tennis Association and Association of Tennis Professionals. Sixty million dollars will be distributed among players for compensation of being a part of this risky yet historic event.
There have also been vague announcements of a more “intimate” viewing experience of the event from home. Aside from the exciting plays, the USTA is planning to also let fans see more off-court portions of the events. Evidently, a lot of care and determination sits within these plans to ensure a blockbuster for all.
As August grows closer, more curiosity grows for this approaching historical moment in sports history. Will it crash and burn, or give hope for a world turned upside down? Time will only tell.
