In an unexpected announcement, defending champion Rafael Nadal announced yesterday that he will not play the US Open, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It must be noted that the Spaniard won his 19th Grand Slam in New York last year.

The US Open in New York is scheduled to be held between August 31 and September 13, and is planned to be followed by the French Open at Roland Garros after a fortnight. Currently, New York is one of the biggest hotspots of Covid-19 in US.

Australia’s world No 1 Ashleigh Barty and Nick Kyrgios have also withdrawn from the US open citing health and travel issues. Previously, Nadal’s long-time rival Roger Federer already opted out of the tournament as he's recuperating from a knee surgery, and this will be the first US Open since 1999 that will not feature both Nadal and Federer.

As Nadal and Federer are missing the event, world number one Novak Djokovic has an opportunity to land an 18th Grand Slam singles title.