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Grand Slam show will go on despite pandemic, but with lots of changes

AP photo by Frank Franklin II / Serena Williams arrives for her match against Maria Sakkari last Tuesday in the third round of the Western & Southern Open in New York. The U.S. Open tuneup, typically played in the Cincinnati area, was held this year at the site of the UTSA's Grand Slam tournament.
AP photo by Frank Franklin II / Serena Williams arrives for her match against Maria Sakkari last Tuesday in the third round of the Western & Southern Open in New York. The U.S. Open tuneup, typically played in the Cincinnati area, was held this year at the site of the UTSA's Grand Slam tournament.

By HOWARD FENDRICH / The Associated Press 4 min read

NEW YORK – Back in April, an on-schedule U.S. Open tennis tournament simply did not seem possible.

The coronavirus was at its peak in New York; a building on the tournament grounds housing indoor courts was converted to a field hospital.

The pandemic was locking down much of society, including sports. Wimbledon was canceled for the first time in 75 years, the French Open was postponed, and the U.S. Tennis Association said it was considering “the possibility” of changing its dates, too.

On Monday, the last day of August, the 2020 U.S. Open will, indeed, begin – as scheduled, albeit without any spectators and with one player dropped from the field because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Benoit Paire, a Frenchman who was seeded 17th, was replaced in the draw Sunday, a striking reminder of the circumstances surrounding this attempt to ensure the Grand Slam show goes on. There are many other reminders, such as the plastic signs propped up around the quieter-than-usual grounds, making a mix of requests and commands.