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Simona Halep's coach says US Open protocols are too restrictive

The Covid-19 protocols proposed by the US Open organisers are "incredibly difficult" and would probably not work for world No. 2 Simona Halep, said her coach Darren Cahill.

The hardcourt major is scheduled to begin on Aug 31 and men's world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has already said that it would be "impossible" to play under the protocols, which would restrict players to their hotels with only one member from their support team.

"The restrictions are tough. They're incredibly difficult, and every player will have their own opinion as to whether that will work for them. I'm pretty sure that won't work for Simona," Cahill told Reuters in a telephone interview from Australia.

Cahill, 54, said organisers were considering flying players to New York from around the world on charter flights and keeping them in an isolation bubble with regular testing for Covid-19.

"From Simona's point of view, you got to fly over from Romania, you need to spend four weeks in this one hotel in New York, and you can only bring one person," said Cahill.

"Normally you have a physio, a hitting partner, trainer and maybe a coach or two. You've got to basically stay in this bubble with only one person for three or four weeks, and you have to be professional and compete at the highest level.

"So now there are going to be a lot of players that have an issue with that for sure." - REUTERS

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