Williams: "I feel the USTA is going to do a really good job of ensuring everything is amazing and everything is perfect and everyone is safe."
Serena Williams announced she will participate in the 2020 U.S. Open despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"[I] really cannot wait to return to New York & play the 2020 U.S. Open," Williams told reporters on a conference call on Wednesday. "I feel the USTA is going to do a really good job of ensuring everything is amazing and everything is perfect and everyone is safe."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the U.S. Open will be held as scheduled from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13. The tournament will be held without fans, and players will be subject to frequent COVID-19 testing. Additional social distancing measures will be put in place, and only broadcast media members will be allowed on the tournament grounds.
"The USTA will take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space, and dedicated housing & transportation," Cuomo said in a tweet on Tuesday.
The U.S. Open will be the second Grand Slam of 2020. The French Open has been delayed until September due to the COVID-19 crisis, and Wimbledon has been canceled for the first time since 1945.
2019 champion Rafael Nadal has expressed concerns about playing the 2020 U.S. Open in New York. Roger Federer will miss the tournament after undergoing knee surgery in February.
“Well, is not an ideal situation, honestly no,” Nadal told the New York Times' Christopher Clay. “If you ask me today if I want to travel today to New York to play a tennis tournament, I will say no, I will not.
Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam champion with six U.S. Open titles under her belt. She will enter the 2020 tournament looking to win her first U.S. Open since 2014. Williams is one Grand Slam behind Margaret Court for the most in the Open Era.