Corona Daily 337: A Closed US Open Tournament

The US open that started in New York this week is usually the year’s last grand slam tennis tournament. In 2020, Wimbledon was cancelled, French Open postponed, and US Open doubtful with the ever-rising infection numbers in New York. A few months ago, the National Tennis center was turned into a field hospital with sirens and ambulances instead of cheering fans.  

Annually 850,000 spectators from all over the world attend it, with some American celebrities given front view seats. The 80 luxury suites are sold to corporate sponsors for $500,000 for the fortnight.

This year, players were tested before they left for New York. On Long Island, they are provided two rooms in official hotels. Players must wear masks unless they are practicing or playing or working out. Last year’s winners Nadal and Andreescu withdrew. Nick Kyrgios tweeted he would travel in a Hazmat suit, and then spend two weeks in quarantine on his return to Australia. He wasn’t exactly joking. The legendary Brian twins, earlier meaning to make it a swansong, retired before the tournament.

Djokovic and Serena Williams are renting private houses paid for by themselves. They also had to pay for the USTA-approved security guard who monitors their movements. Absolutely no player is allowed to go anywhere except between the home and the tournament.

Not a single spectator is allowed. The smell of hamburgers and waffle fries is missing. A handful of lucky bartenders, laundry workers and security are the only people watching. And players watch one another’s matches because they have nothing better to do. Ball boys are not allowed to touch a towel. Nadal made it a ritual to ask for a towel after each point. But now players must fetch a towel themselves, from the colour-coded boxes. They are allowed 25 seconds between points. Even Djokovic received a warning for a towel-time violation.

Most line judges are gone. Hawk-eye live, the electronic system, makes all line calls. So as to feel familiar, the hawk-eye talks in male and female pre-recorded voices shouting “out”, “fault” or “foot fault”.

Since the whole show is arranged for television, sound system provides background noise and crowd cheering taken from the 2019 matches. The public address system introduces players with highlights of their careers. There is nobody at the venue who doesn’t know those details.

*****

In this knockout tournament, losing in the first round is cruel. But every year, those unlucky players still retain a free room for two weeks at a midtown Manhattan hotel and enjoy the nightlife and shopping. This year, they must continue to stay in a boring bubble.

Damir Dzumur travelled from Belgrade and spent 16 days in a bubble before losing in a second round of an earlier tournament. With a world rank of 109, he has been spookily unlucky; his US open first round opponents for the last three years were Federer, Wawrinka and now Djokovic. He duly lost in less than two hours. For three matches in New York, he has already spent three weeks in seclusion and travelled 9000 miles wearing a mask.

*****

US Open started in 1881. It is the only grand slam tournament that was never cancelled. During the world wars; Wimbledon, French and Australian were cancelled but not the US open. After the bombing of the Pearl Harbour (1941) president Roosevelt insisted it is held as a morale booster.

This uninterrupted record looks like the main reason why a spectator-free, bubbled- players tournament is held this year.

Ravi