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US Open to proceed behind closed doors on schedule despite players' concerns

Multiple sources confirmed on Monday that the US Open will go ahead behind closed doors on its original dates of Aug 31 to Sept 13, although the formal announcement is not expected until Wednesday.

The news will place the naysayers - including world No 1 Novak Djokovic - in an interesting position. Many top 20 players of both genders have expressed their reluctance to travel to the United States for the tournament. But that was while there was still a strong possibility of a cancellation.

Now that the event is on, players who decline will effectively be encouraging their rivals to overtake them on the rankings ladder. And then there is the internal battle for the most grand slams among male players.

Although Rafael Nadal suggested two weeks ago that "if you ask me today … I will say 'No, I will not [travel]'," his non-attendance would mean missing out on a chance to draw level with Roger Federer's 20 major titles.

Likewise, Djokovic stands on 17, needing only three more slams to equal that all-time male record. Federer has already written off his season after undergoing a second operation on his right knee.

On the other hand, Djokovic has described the event's protocols - which involve bringing only one member of support staff to New York, and most players staying in a hotel near JFK Airport - as "extreme".

Meanwhile, Nadal will surely be concerned about how his vulnerable knees might cope with a sudden burst of best-of-five-set tennis. The US Open final is due to take place in New York only a fortnight before the start of the rescheduled French Open in Paris, on Sept 27.

Djokovic's resistance to the US Open's safety protocols continues to be criticised by other players, with American No 26 Sachia Vickery adding her voice to comments by Dan Evans and Danielle Collins. "He should go and play a 60k [second-tier event] in Troy, Alabama and then come back and let us know how hard the conditions are," Vickery told Sky Sports

"It's a little selfish to say that," Vickery said, "because there are so many players who cannot afford to have seven or eight people travel with them in their team. He's earned the right to have as many people as he wants, but it's an entire tour. If they have to make a few restrictions to be able to play tennis again, I don't think it's a big deal."

Richard Gasquet, who appeared on Sunday in the flashy UTS exhibition event organised by Serena Williams's coach Patrick Mouratoglou, agreed with Vickery. "It is not catastrophic to come with one or two people for three weeks," said Gasquet, the former world No 7. "It is not death, life is long. The important thing is that everyone can play, from 300th to No 1."

Meanwhile, Djokovic's involvement in an exhibition event in Belgrade - the Adria Tour - has come under scrutiny after photographs and live-streamed footage showed players hugging and high-fiving. Almost every seat appeared to be taken in the stadium, while other videos emerged of players dancing with their shirts off in a nightclub afterwards. Reports from Serbia suggested that Djokovic might have come into contact with a carrier of Covid-19 when he attended a Partizan Belgrade basketball match the previous week. Nicola Jankovic, one of the basketball players present, has since tested positive for the virus.

Serbia is not Covid-free, with more than 50 new cases being recorded every day. But when Djokovic was asked about the risks of infection at the weekend, he said: "You can criticise us and say this is maybe dangerous. But it's not up to me to make the calls about what is right or wrong for health. We are doing what the Serbian government is telling us. Hopefully, we soon will get back on tour collectively."