STUTTGART - Germany's Angelique Kerber on Thursday
sounded a note of caution amid the excitement caused by the
announcement that tennis would soon return from pandemic-prompted
suspension.
"Of course we all want to play again and to get back to normality as
quickly as possible," the three-time major winner said on the latest
episode of her Generali-sponsored podcast, Lunch-Break mit Angie
Kerber.
"But I think that's only possible if the safety of all participants
is guaranteed, and that's definitely the priority for me."
The leading tennis tours of the ATP and WTA are to resume in August
after a five-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic,
organizers said Wednesday, while the US Open and French Open
grand-slam events were also confirmed.
Women's play is to resume from August 3 with a clay-court tournament
in Palermo, Italy, while the US Open starts August 31 at Flushing
Meadows in New York, which is also to host the usual Cincinnati
Masters tune-up event the week before.
"It's very clear that it won't be the US Open that we know from
previous years," 32-year-old Kerber said. "One thing is clear: It
should be fair for everyone and conditions must be the same for all
female players."