US Open to be held behind closed doors

The US Open will be held without fans from 31 August to 13 September, after plans were approved by governor of New York Andrew Cuomo.

BBC News reports the Grand Slam will be held at Flushing Meadows, despite some players voicing concerns about travelling to New York. There have been no professional tennis events since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cuomo said extraordinary precautions would be in place to protect players, including coronavirus testing and extra locker room space.

The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases and the highest death toll in the world and New York is the hardest-hit state, with more than 30,000 deaths.

Queens, the New York borough where the US Open is held at Flushing Meadows, has the second-highest death toll of any county in the US. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, where the Slam is held, was turned into a temporary hospital to help with the crisis.