Coach Courteau says Pouille won't play the US Open; Goffin hesistant

Lucas Pouille will not play the US Open, his coach has announced.

Pouille had been sidelined with a right elbow injury even before tour competition was halted four months ago.

"I will not be in New York, for the good reason that Lucas... is not going to play the tournament," Pouille's coach, Loic Courteau, told French television.

And there are likely to be more joining the Frenchman, especially with Roland Garros scheduled just two weeks following the US Open. Pouille's compatriot, Benoit Paire, has also said he is considering not playing.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic's recent comments indicate he is looking at going straight to clay, and No. 2 Rafael Nadal has also entered the rescheduled Mutua Madrid Open, the first event following the US Open. Now, another Top 10 player is suggesting he might not play, saying it's tough to choose between all the events.

"David [Goffin] is extremely professional in everything he does [but] it's been hard for coaches to make a schedule," said Thomas Johansson, Goffin's coach, in an interview with Tennis Australia.

Goffin just finished playing the Ultimate Tennis Showdown event on hard courts in France, where he lost in the semifinals to Stefanos Tsitsipas after five weekends of competition. The world No. 10 is reasonably concerned about traveling to the U.S., where the COVID-19 pandemic is far from being under control.

"The number of cases with coronavirus is increasing. I don't know if it is reasonable to go there but we will try," the Belgian said in a translation. "I will train on the hard surface to prepare for the Cincinnati tournament and the US Open."

Austria's Dominic Thiem has stated he plans on playing.

Hall of Fame experiences and tennis memories will always have a special place in our hearts. Help commemorate this historic pause in tennis and put your name in the Hall of Fame at tennisfame.com/yourname

With a donation of as little as $25.00, your name and photo will be a part of this new interactive exhibit in the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. A virtual rendering of the exhibit will also be online to share with the world!

Join thousands of tennis fans from across the globe to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime exhibit to have your name alongside the names of the 257 legends of the game. Your contribution enables the International Tennis Hall of Fame to continue our work to preserve tennis history, celebrate its champions, and inspire generations to come.