Feliciano Lopez: We need US Open - Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic don't have to play

• Tennis News
• Rafael Nadal

Former world No. 12 Feliciano Lopez says he would be willing to play the US Open if it gets staged and suggests the tournament organizers should proceed with the event if top players decide not to come. The US Open organizers have set a strict hygiene restrictions rules as they are keen on finding a safe solution to stage the tournament.

But some of the biggest names of the game have raised some doubts on the US Open -- most notably Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal -- and questioned their hygiene restrictions plan. "Speaking about myself, I will go and play,’ Lopez tells a small group of journalists in a Zoom conference, as quoted on Metro UK.

"I think the US Open they know they might be many players that don’t want to go and play there. I think they know already. They are thinking about that. "But I think the US Open is not depending on only the top players playing.

I think there are a lot of things that will force the US Open to happen.

Feliciano Lopez says we need tennis to return

The current suspension sees the Tour being suspended through to July 31, while the US Open is scheduled to take place from August 31 - September 13.

Lopez, now ranked at No. 56 in the world, says tennis needs to return and suggests a lot of players would be willing to play at Flushing Meadows. "Now I don’t think it is the time to think about two or three players. I think it is time to think about everybody and not only the players, it is also the tournaments, the ATP," Lopez added.

"Remember that the ATP is also struggling economically if tournaments are not happening. It is four or five months already, it is very, very long. "We need to start rolling I think for the benefit of everyone almost. But I respect that Roger or Rafa or Novak, they don’t want to go and play the US Open in those specific conditions.

I respect it – I think this is fair also. "But I think that the US Open has to happen. It would be great for tennis, it would be great for the majority of the players… given the circumstances that we are going through, this is what we have guys.

We don’t have anything else. We need to start rolling." Feliciano Lopez made the quarterfinal at the US Open in 2015.