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US Open to be first Grand Slam to allow 100 per cent spectator capacity since 2020 Australian Open
YB WEB DESK. Dated: 6/18/2021 12:14:51 PM
New Delhi, June 17 The US Open will allow 100 per cent spectator capacity throughout its entire two weeks in 2021, a year after spectators were banned from the event because of the coronavirus pandemic. The final Grand Slam of the year is scheduled to be held at Flushing Meadows in New York from August 30 to September 12. "The 2021 US Open will welcome fans back to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at 100% capacity for the twoweek tournament," said the USTA. The USTA's decision to return to its usual number of people on-site is the latest step in a return to normal for New York - and for fans of various sports - as the world emerges from more than a year of COVID-19 restrictions. On Tuesday, New York Governer Andrew Cuomo said many of the state's remaining social distancing rules would be eased because 70 per cent of its adults have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The New York Mets announced Wednesday they will return to full capacity next week. A sellout crowd of 52,078 attended a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Indianapolis 500 on May 30 sold around 135,000 tickets, which is 40 per cent of capacity at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For tennis, the US Open will be the first Grand Slam tournament to have full attendance since the Australian Open in January- February 2020 - shortly before the coronavirus outbreak turned into a full-blown pandemic. The USTA held the 2020 US Open with no spectators at all, significantly altering the atmosphere and the competitive conditions at an event where raucous crowds are a part of the scenery.