Normally the last of the four Grand Slam events, it will be only the second of the circuit’s most prestigious tournaments to go ahead since the pandemic started its sweep in January.
Wimbledon, which usually takes place in south-west London in July, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the French Open - delayed from May due to the same reason - will run in Paris a week after the US Open ends on 13 September.
“We recognise the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first global sporting events in these challenging times,” said USTA chief executive Mike Dowse. “And we will do so in the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks.”
The US Open, which will be played without spectators, will be preceded on the hard courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows by the Western & Southern Open.
The USTA, which runs the sport in the United States, said it opted to move the tournament from Cincinnati to New York in order to minimise travel for players taking part in both tournaments.
On Tuesday night, the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, gave the green light for the events to take place in a city which has accounted for 30,000 of the 119,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States.
Confidence
Cuomo said he was confident both would pass without incident.
“We are incredibly excited that Governor Cuomo and New York State have approved our plan to host the 2020 US Open and 2020 Western & Southern Open at the USTA,” added Dowse.
“We now can give fans around the world the chance to watch tennis' top athletes compete for a US Open title, and we can showcase tennis as the ideal social distancing sport.
"Being able to hold these events in 2020 is a boost for the city of New York and the entire tennis landscape.”
Organisers said safety protocols would include regular testing of players and their entourage as well as additional cleaning, extra locker room space and dedicated housing and transport.
Several leading players have expressed reservations about the staging the tournament.
“I'll get my hazmat suit ready for when I travel from Australia and then have to quarantine for 2 weeks on my return," said Nick Kyrgios.
Petra Kvitova, the world number 12, said: "To be honest, I don't feel like going ... we can't do anything, we can't even really enjoy the tournament. And, above all, we'll play without fans which is the worst thing there is for me," Kvitova said.
"But it will be a tournament where you can make money after a terribly long time and I think many girls will go."
However, Kvitova’s fellow Czech, Karolina Pliskova, said she was keen to travel. "I've been at home for six months now. It's important to start,” added the world number three.
“If we stay home waiting for the ideal situation, we may wait forever. The tournament is better with fans but if the players like tennis, they should go."
World number two, Simona Halep, said she would not participate. The 28-year-old Romanian said she would prefer to hone her clay court skills for the French Open where she won her first Grand Slam title in 2018.
