Six of the top 10 women's players, including
defending champion Bianca Andreescu and world number 1 Ash Barty,
have dropped out of the Aug. 31-Sept. 13 U.S. Open, boosting
Williams' chance of winning the major for the first time since
2014.
"It still has to be tennis that's played, asterisks or not," the
six-time U.S. Open champion told reporters on Friday. "I think
this whole year deserves an asterisk, because it's such a
special year - history we have never been through in this
world."
"I think we are living a future history lesson. I think
regardless, there is always going to be some asterisk by it,
because it's never been done before.
"If you win, it was, like, wow, I was able to win in this crazy
circumstance where there was no fans. It was just so sterile and
weird, but I mentally came through. It might be a more mental
test than anything."
Williams, who has a history of blood clots and pulmonary
embolisms, said she had concerns over travelling to New York and
is living in a rented house instead of the official players'
hotel as a precaution.
"I have health issues and I don't necessarily want to get sick,
and if I do, I want the good version," she said.
"I didn't want to be in the hotel because I have lung issues and
felt it was a big risk for me personally. In a house, I can
control more. I needed to put my mind at rest so that I could
perform."
(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by William
Mallard)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|