This year’s United States Open Tennis Championship will be unlike any other in the history of the grand slam. The tournament will be held from August 31 to September 13 in a bio-secure ‘bubble’ at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, New York. Fans will not be allowed to attend the matches this year, said the US tennis association (USTA).

In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, players and their support staff will have to adhere to strict rules and safety guidelines that have been set forth by the US Tennis Association. They will also have to maintain strict rules to ensure a quarantine atmosphere between player hotels and the tournament sites.

The US Open website states that the health and safety protocol for the tournament was devised and approved by federal, state, and city officials.

A tournament medical team has also been formed to establish medical health and safety protocols to reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting the disease.

According to the safety protocol, a tier system was devised and players with their guests have been designated to Tier One. This group is subject to the strictest set of protocols including two COVID-19 tests within 48 hours of arrival to New York and subsequent tests at an interval of four days.

The US Tennis Association has set up a controlled environment and nearly all players with their limited-to-three entourages will be staying in two hotels on Long Island according to an NBC Sports report. Players have been forbidden from going to Manhattan.

USTA-hired health and safety ambassadors have been placed around the grounds of the National Tennis Centre to remind those involved of all required safety measures and precautions.

According to safety protocol, players have been asked to wear a face mask at all times, except for when they are on the court and when they are having meals. Similarly, they must maintain 6 feet of social distancing from other individuals. The use of sanitizers and washing of hands at regular intervals have been made compulsory.

Players participating in the tournament, are part of Tier One safety protocols, and a slew of measures have been taken to ensure that they do not contract the virus and also limit the spread in case such an untoward scenario occurs.

Similarly, at Tier One hotels where players are staying, “isolation rooms” have been set up if an individual test positive of COVID-19.