USTA CEO Michael Dowse today indicated that the organization would make a decision in June on the fate of the U.S. Open currently scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 13 in N.Y. Dowse told reporters on a conference call that the USTA is leaning on a medical advisory group of five or six doctors that are advising on whether conditions will be safe enough to hold the event. Dowse said the U.S. Open is the "engine that drives our organization" but that "won’t be the driving factor" in a decision on holding it. He said, "The driving factor will be the health and well-being of the players, the fans and our staff. To that we just don’t have enough information that we can run the tournament safely.”
Dowse said of potentially holding the U.S. Open without fans, "We’re not taking anything off the table right now, but to be honest and open, I think it’s highly unlikely. That’s not really in the spirit of the celebration of tennis. It also goes back to the health and wellbeing of not just the spectators, but of our players and support staff that help run the tournament. Unless the medical industry or medical experts come up with a solution that truly is foolproof and safe, we don't see that as an option."
