‘Huge blow’: Wheelchair tennis players slam US Open omission

Top professional wheelchair tennis players have slammed a decision by US Open officials to scrap the wheelchair event from this year’s tournament as “disgusting discrimination”.

Tournament organisers confirmed earlier this week that a curtailed US Open will go ahead – from August 31 to September 13 in New York – without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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The qualifying event for able-bodied players, mixed doubles and junior competitions were also eliminated, while the number of teams in the men’s and women’s doubles events was reduced by half in a bid to cut the number of players at the tournament for health reasons.

Australian Paralympic champion Dylan Alcott said the wheelchair omission was “blatant discrimination” and the decision was made without consulting the players.

“I thought I did enough to qualify – 2x champion, number 1 in the world,” the 10-time Grand Slam winner wrote on Twitter. “But unfortunately I missed the only thing that mattered, being able to walk. Disgusting discrimination.”