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| - Dutch top-ten tennis player Kiki Bertens said Friday she was withdrawing from the US Open, following other senior players who pulled out over coronavirus concerns. Bertens, currently ranked number seven by the Women's Tennis Association made the decision after a "long consideration." "The situation around COVID-19 is still so worrying that the health of everyone comes first and control of this virus is obviously a priority," Bertens said on Instagram. "Our prime minister also indicated yesterday that we should be quarantined for two weeks after coming back from the States," she said. The Dutch government on Thursday tightened measures after a spike in coronavirus infections in the Netherlands, where more than 6,150 people have died. This included a compulsory two-week quarantine for visitors returning from orange-coded high-risk countries including the United States. "Of course we respect that as a team, but this would hinder the preparation for my beloved clay court tournaments in Rome and Paris," Bertens said, indicating that she could play at the French Open, which is due to start in Paris on September 27. Bertens follows other top players who have announced their withdrawal from New York including Raphael Nadal and women's world number one Ashleigh Barty. Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are all still due to play. jhe/pb
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