The United States Tennis Association will hold the US Open without fans even though some top players have expressed concerns about attending the tournament amid the COVID-19 outbreak, according to reports.

Forbes, which cited unnamed sources, said the men’s ATP Tour and the WTA, which runs the women’s circuit, are both expected to approve a plan for the August 31-September 13 event in New York and that a formal announcement is due soon.

The USTA’s agreements with the men’s and women’s tours are “happening or almost there,” one source told Forbes.

ESPN, which cited a source familiar with the plan, said the USTA is waiting for a green light from local and state health officials.

“We’re following each step in the (restart) procedure in the great hope that we can announce that the 2020 US Open will be played in its regularly scheduled date,” USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said in the ESPN report.

“We hope to make an announcement in the very near future.”

No professional tennis tournaments have been held since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left the sport’s calendar in tatters, and the shutdown will extend until August.

Wimbledon was cancelled altogether while the French Open has been moved to September and is due to start one week after the scheduled US Open men’s final.

World No.1 Novak Djokovic and reigning US Open men’s champion Rafael Nadal are among the players who have expressed concerns about attending the New York tournament.

The US Open is held annually in New York City, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was even turned into temporary hospital to help in the battle against the virus.