Cuomo: U.S. Open Will Be Held Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 in New York City Without Fans

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the 2020 U.S. Open will be held in Queens, N.Y., without fans from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 as originally scheduled.

"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.

The U.S. Open, traditionally the fourth Grand Slam on the tennis calendar, will be the second major played this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The French Open was postponed until late September, while Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since 1945.

USTA CEO Mike Dowse issued the following statement: "We are incredibly excited that Governor Cuomo and New York State have today approved our plan to host the 2020 US Open and 2020 Western & Southern Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. We recognize the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first global sporting events in these challenging times, and we will do so in the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks. We now can give fans around the world the chance to watch tennis' top athletes compete for a US Open title, and we can showcase tennis as the ideal social distancing sport. Being able to hold these events in 2020 is a boost for the City of New York and the entire tennis landscape. We will have more details and an official announcement tomorrow."

According to Christopher Clarey of The New York Times, players will be subject to frequent coronavirus testing, and many will stay together at a hotel outside Manhattan.

Reigning men's champion Rafael Nadal has expressed concerns about playing the 2020 U.S. Open in New York. Five-time U.S. Open champion Roger Federer won't participate after undergoing right knee surgery in February. 

Serena Williams, last year's runner-up and a six-time champion in Flushing Meadows, could win match Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 major titles if she competes at this year's tournament. Williams's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has said she "would love to play," but that her participation hinges on the tournament's rules and restrictions. 

New York's daily death toll and reported cases from the coronavirus has decreased steadily since April, when it was considered the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States.