Azarenka made it to the final last year before losing to Naomi Osaka but did it in empty stadiums as COVID-19 restrictions barred spectators from the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. "To me that's a bit bizarre that fans have to be vaccinated and players are not. World number three Stefanos Tsitsipas said he would only get the COVID-19 vaccine if it became mandatory to compete in tennis, drawing a sharp rebuke from the Greek government. "I respect everybody's opinion as long as it's not conspiracy theory," said Azarenka, a three-times U.S. Open runner-up. "I hope that as an association we make the best decision for our business, for our health, for the tournaments, for public."

Source: CBC News September 01, 2021 23:03 UTC