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Alcott, who won the 2015 and 2018 wheelchair
singles titles at Flushing Meadows and is the reigning doubles
champion, said players were not consulted and posed no greater
health threat than able-bodied entrants.
With the coronavirus still rife in the United States, the Aug.
31-Sept 13 U.S. Open is going ahead without fans or a qualifying
tournament for able-bodied players.
"I thought I did enough to qualify - 2x champion, number 1 in
the world," Alcott wrote on Twitter.
"But unfortunately I missed the only thing that mattered, being
able to walk. Disgusting discrimination."
The organisers have also eliminated the mixed doubles and
juniors competitions while reducing the number of teams in men's
and women's doubles events by half.
Tournament director Stacey Allaster said organisers are
providing $3.3 million each to the men's ATP Tour and the
women's WTA in relief grants and subsidies.
"We had to make the really difficult decision that that extra
load of the number of bodies that is in the multiples was
outside something we felt we could handle ultimately to mitigate
the risk and the health and well-being for all," she told
reporters on a video conference.
Melbourne man Alcott has won 10 wheelchair Grand Slam singles
titles and took the singles and doubles gold at the 2016
Paralympic Games at Rio.
"And please do not tell me I am a 'greater risk' because I am
disabled," the 29-year-old wrote.
"I am disabled yes but that does not make me SICK.
"It is blatant discrimination for able bodied people to decide
on my behalf what I do with my LIFE AND CAREER just because I am
disabled. Not good enough," he wrote.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom, additional reporting by Sudipto
Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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