New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday gave the green light for the US Open to be held from August 31-September 13 without fans as part of the state’s reopening from shutdowns related to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Cuomo said on Twitter the United States Tennis Association (USTA) will take “extraordinary precautions”, including robust testing, additional cleaning and extra locker room space.

While a number of top players have expressed concerns about attending the tournament, the USTA had said it hoped to go ahead with the event so long as it got approval from the state.