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The effort will kick off August 24 with an exhibition event at
Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York, with 22-times Grand Slam
winner Rafa Nadal, world number one Iga Swiatek and John McEnroe
among the headliners.
Ticket sales will go toward assisting impacted communities in
Ukraine.
"This is a vitally important cause, and I'm proud of the way in
which our sport has rallied together to lend a much-needed hand
to our friends in Ukraine," USTA Chairman and President Mike
McNulty said in a statement.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, calling it a "special
military operation" aimed at preemptively safeguarding its
security against NATO expansion. Ukraine and the West accuse
Moscow of waging an unprovoked imperial-style war of aggression.
Belarus, a close Russian ally, was a key staging ground as
Russia launched the invasion.
Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing
this year, following in the steps of sporting bodies around the
globe.
The U.S. Open, in contrast, will allow competitors from the two
countries to play under a neutral flag, a move that Ukrainian
Olympic bronze medallist Elina Svitolina criticised.
"I don't support it because I feel like they should have taken
more serious action," she told Reuters in June.
The U.S. Open main draw begins August 29.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Alexandra
Hudson)
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