Nick Kyrgios is taking aim at the ATP for supporting a plan to play the US Open—and is calling out the Big 3 to voice their views.
Kyrgios called the ATP "selfish" for supporting playing the US Open in a time when New York City has been the epicenter of the coronavirus and demonstrators in the city and around the nation are taking to the streets supporting equal justice and protesting the killing of George Floyd.
Djokovic: Players Negative on Playing New York
Floyd, an African American man, was killed during an arrest near downtown Minneapolis. Fired police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd gasped for air and repeatedly said "I can't breathe" until he died.
"The ATP is trying to make the US Open go ahead. Selfish with everything going on at the moment," Kyrgios said in a tweet. "Obviously Covid, but also with the riots, together we need to overcome these challenges before tennis returns in my opinion."
The 25-year-old Aussie also called on the Big 3—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic—to speak out directly. All three iconic champions sit on the ATP Player Council. Djokovic is president of the ATP Player Council.
Both Djokovic and Nadal have already publicly expressed concern over safety issues playing Flushing Meadows. Federer announced he underwent a second arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss the rest of the 2020 season.
Djokovic told Serbian network RTS "most of the players I have spoken to are pretty pessimistic about the idea of playing in New York."
Reigning US Open champion Nadal said if the US Open were played this month he would not be comfortable traveling to New York City.
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