Venus entrenched in Tennis bubble ahead of Cincinnati Masters and US Open

Nearly six months after Michael Venus and his Australian partner John Peers won their last match together, the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai, the antipodean duo are ready to resume their season at this week’s Cincinnati Masters ATP tournament at the venue for next month’s US Open, Flushing Meadows in New York.

The 33-year-old world number 11 ranked Kiwi flew to New York on Emirates via Dubai, a long way around but he chose that route because the airline required him to test negative for Covid-19 before he travelled.

Venus has since tested negative twice after arriving in New York and will be tested every four days as part of strict USTA rules in the ‘tennis bubble.’

“I got tested when I arrived and waited in my hotel room for 24 hours before I got the result. I got a text to say that it had come back negative and was able to leave the room and go on site.” Venus said.

“It’s been great to catch up with John again and get back on court with him and start re hashing things and get familiar with each other, but we are really excited.”

The vast US Open site is usually choker with people and Venus says it’s certainly a strange feeling in what is now the new norm.

“Yeah you have to have your mask on unless you're on court and even in the gym they suggest you should have it on. Only the players are allowed in the locker rooms and nobody has a locker so you just go in and have a shower and leave. There are very few tables in the dining room but plenty of space in other parts of the complex due to no fans being here.” Venus said.

It’s a tricky first round match for the doubles specialists who although avoiding a seeded team, meet quality singles players in Belgium’s David Goffin and Britain’s Dan Evans.

“I think everyone is going to have some nerves after not playing matches for such a long time and it’s going to be about trying to get back into a rhythm. These are two quality singles players so we're going to have to play well and try and take any chance we can get.” Venus said.

All going well Venus and Peers will make a deep run this week to set themselves up for a decent crack at the US Open which follows from the 1^st of September NZ time.