While it may not be a major tournament, some of tennis’s greatest stars have expressed their desire to return to the court by participating in this year’s W&S Open.
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, this tournament will be the first stop on the ATP and WTA tours following the months-long coronavirus shutdown.
The men’s singles roster is filled with top talent, with 16 of the top 20 players in the ATP World Rankings registering to participate. This includes Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who were expected to sit this tournament out in favor of waiting for the European clay-court season.
As for the women’s draw, 15 of the top 20 players in the WTA World Rankings have expressed their intention to participate. This includes the likes of Serena Williams, Belinda Bencic, and number one seed Karolina Pliskova.
Considering that this tournament is based in the United States, the US Open grand slam is expected to have an extremely high attendance rate from the biggest names in tennis. This could, in turn, mean a low turnout for Roland Garros, as travel restrictions and strict safety guidelines may discourage players from making the trip to France should they compete in the New York City-based grand slam tournament.
