The U.S. Open is back on — without fans

One sporting event has actually not been canceled.

The U.S. Open tennis tournament, which is usually held from late August through early September, will go on as scheduled this year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Tuesday. It'll be held in the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, just as usual, but won't include fans just like every other sport just starting up again.

The U.S. Tennis Association confirmed Cuomo's announcement later Tuesday, affirming the "ideal social distancing sport" will run from Aug. 31 through Sept. 13. The U.S. Open will be the first tennis Grand Slam tournament held since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the biggest international sporting events to resume as well.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

To keep everyone at the event safe, Cuomo promised "robust testing" for players and staff, extra cleaning for locker rooms and facilities, and, like other sports getting restarted, dedicated housing for players and staff. Players will also benefit from the fan-free silence that allows them to concentrate on their shots, and an echo-inducing arena to enhance their signature grunts.