Dylan Alcott has called out the US Open, accusing it of “blatant discrimination” against disabled players after the US Tennis Association (USTA) and New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced the huge event will go ahead in 2020, without the annual wheelchair tennis tournament.
Alcott, who has previously won the US Open in singles and doubles, alleged that the US Open didn’t consult with disabled players before deciding to not run the wheelchair tournament in 2020.
He took to Twitter to call out the “disgusting discrimination” of the Open, and that being disabled doesn’t mean that players are sick, or a higher risk than able-bodied players.
Just got announced that the US Open will go ahead WITHOUT wheelchair tennis.. Players weren’t consulted. I thought I did enough to qualify – 2x champion, number 1 in the world. But unfortunately I missed the only thing that mattered, being able to walk. Disgusting discrimination
— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) June 17, 2020
And please do not tell me I am a ‘greater risk’ because I am disabled. I am disabled yes but that does not make me SICK. I am fitter and healthier than nearly everybody reading this right now. There are no added risks.
— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) June 17, 2020
He also said that the decision to not run the wheelchair competition this year should have been a decision that included players including himself, and noted that abled bodied people making decisions on behalf of disabled people is “blatant discrimination”.
And for sure there are far more important things going on in the world, but that choice should’ve been up TO ME. It is blatant discrimination for able bodied people to decide on my behalf what i do with my LIFE AND CAREER just because I am disabled. Not good enough @usopen
— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) June 17, 2020
The US Open is also reducing the men’s and women’s competitions, as well as nixing the junior tournament and mixed doubles, reportedly to limit the number of people visiting the venue during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to the US Open for comment, and the organisers have not responded to Dylan’s allegations at the time of writing.
