John Millman: I'd have to think what to do if US Open gets staged

• Tennis News
• Tennis Interviews

Australian tennis player John Millman says he understands the efforts the United States Tennis Association is putting to stage the US Open but he insists it won't be easy to proceed with the event. The United States Tennis Association is assessing all of their options and one of their latest proposals was to put players in a bubble in stage the Cincinnati Masters and US Open in New York.

However, the United States Tennis Association officials have said on several occasions that the health and safety of players will be the most important thing to them. On April 1, Wimbledon got cancelled for the first time since 1945 but the US Open organizers are still planning to host the event as initially scheduled from August 31 - September 13.

"If you look to the current environment in America right now, both with COVID and the riots, it’s probably not the most conducive conditions. Obviously the USTA, they have an objective and that is to try and play it at all costs.

I understand their predicament. But for me, that timeframe looks a little unlikely," Millman told The Sidney Morning Herald.

John Millman suggests he would have to think what to do if the US Open gets staged

"That’s a decision individual players are going to have to make.

I’ve heard the deadline is mid-June, I wouldn’t be surprised if that gets pushed back just due to the desperation for them to get the tournament going ahead," Millman said. "As a player you have to weigh up whether or not it’s worth getting over there.

I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking that. It’s only normal to have a proper think about the benefits and risk and rewards. "If a decision has to be made mid-June, it doesn’t look great. You can’t just throw in a tournament like this with no preparation.

From some of the protocols that I’ve seen as to what tennis would look like – and the security and safety measures that go into place – it’s a massive ask." John Millman, ranked at No. 43 in the world, claimed the biggest win of his career at the US Open in 2018 when he stunned record 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.