Madrid Open’s loss could be US Open’s gain as Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep stay on NY entry list

US Open
Rafael Nadal press conference

The imminent cancellation of the Madrid Open is set to give the US Open an unexpected boost as several players could feature at Flushing Meadows despite previously being hesitant about playing in New York.

The Madrid Open was rescheduled for September 12-20 due to the coronavirus, but organisers announced last week that they were advised not to stage the event due to an increase in Covid-19 cases in the Spanish capital.

Spanish paper ABC reported on Monday that the joint ATP-WTA tournament has officially been cancelled and an announcement will be made soon.

Madrid Open set to be cancelled due to surge in coronavirus cases in Spanish capital

If the event does get axed, it could see players who were previously hesitant to compete at the US Open signing up for the event.

Defending Flushing Meadows champion Rafael Nadal and world No 2 Simona Halep had both indicated that they are unlikely to play at this year’s New York tournament.

However, tennis journalist Christopher Clarey reports that both have decided to remain on the US Open entry list for now.

Some of the major concerns for players were quarantine regulations, which could be up to 14 days for those coming back into Europe after the US Open, and the lack of time off between the hard-court Grand Slam and the French Open.

The US Open final is scheduled for September 13 and the Madrid Open was due to start on September 14 followed by the Italian Open (September 21) before Roland Garros kicks off on September 27.

However, if the Madrid Open gets cancelled players will extra days off between the two Slams and even allow them to adhere to quarantine restrictions after travelling between the United States and Europe.

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Rafael Nadal Simona Halep

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