Romanian world No.2 Simona Halep is the sixth WTA player from the Top 10 to decide not to play the 2020 US Open, as she believes it is wiser for her to stay in Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 28-year-old, who won her 21st career title at the Prague Open yesterday, explained her reasoning on Twitter:
After weighing up all the factors involved and with the exceptional circumstances in which we are living, I have decided that I will not travel to New York to play the US Open and I therefore prefer to stay and train in Europe. I know the USTA and the WTA have worked tirelessly to put on a safe event and I wish everyone there a successful tournament. I always said I would put my health at the heart of my decision.
The only four Top 10 players that are still on the US Open entry list are Karolina Pliskova, Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
With Halep’s withdrawal, Irina Khromacheva of Russia moves into the main draw.
