World No 2 Simona Halep will not travel to New York to take part in the US Open due to Covid-19 concerns, the Romanian announced on Monday.
The Grand Slam is set to go ahead on 31 August, though many players remain uncommitted and skeptical about the safety measures in place to guard against the pandemic.
Halep was victorious in the Prague Open on Sunday, beating Belgian Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-5.
But despite returning to tennis, Halep has opted not to make the trip to Flushing Meadows, pointing to her health as a priority.
“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 U.S. Open,” the reigning Wimbledon champion announced.
“I always said I would put my health at the heart of my decision and I therefore prefer to stay and train in Europe.
“I know the USTA and WTA have worked tirelessly to put on a safe event and I wish everyone there a successful tournament.”
Halep now joins defending champion Rafael Nadal, women’s world No 1 Ashleigh Barty and reigning women’s champion Bianca Andreescu to miss the iconic event.
Her news follows Kei Nishikori becoming the latest tennis player to test positive for coronavirus, with Novak Djokovic, Viktor Troicki, Borna Coric and Grigor Dimitrov also previously testing positive.
