“Very Bizarre”: Former World No.4 Speaks Out on US Open and Cincinnati Open

The US Open is 20 days away and players are starting to get into the groove of playing it. Players are now playing extensively elsewhere to gather some match practice. They are also preparing for the Cincinnati Open which will take place before the US Open at the Flushing Meadows itself.

The US Open made headlines a couple of months ago when it announced that it will be held behind closed doors. It was a cautious decision as the coronavirus is nowhere near to stop around the world especially in the US. And so players are thinking about the prospect of playing without fans.

“I will miss the crowd at the US Open” – Johanna Konta

British No.1 Johanna Konta talked about the matter after her 1st round exit in the Top Seend Open in Lexington, US. She believes the situation will be different in a big tournament like a Grand Slam. Smaller tournaments are generally quieter.

“Well, it’s still hard to imagine the same surroundings at a slam. I think it’s very different to small tournaments here, where sometimes it is quite quiet.” Konta said

Konta admitted she loves playing in front of the crowd. But playing a Grand Slam means more to her even if there is no crowd. Also as the Cincinnati Open will precede the US Open, she finds it bizarre that there is a tournament at Flushing Meadows which is not the US Open.

“I am not gonna lie, I love playing in front of a crowd. That is a massive part of what I love about the sport. So I’m 100% not going to be enjoying that gone. I will miss it. But on the flip side at least I get the opportunity to play that means more to me to get the opportunity to play whether there are crowds or not.” she said

“To me what is the weirdest is the fact that we are going to play a tournament at Flushing Meadows which is not the US Open. I think that is going to be very bizarre,” she added

Read More: Rafael Nadal Lists Down the Genuine Reasons to Skip US Open 2020

Konta is a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist but has only reached the quarterfinal at the Flushing Meadows. She will look to better than record and try to challenge for the slam.

Source: Tennis.One