The announcement came days after Popyrin spoke about his reluctance to play at that event admitting that he feared he might have to do it in order to preserve some of his points. Speaking to Tennis Majors the 20-year old spoke about how playing would be a risk:

"I never really wanted to go to play the US Open. I think with the situation that’s happening in America right now, it is very hard to go and play the US Open. I think it’s a big risk for everybody to go and play. From who I’ve spoken to some are afraid of the virus, some aren’t. Some think it’s just a hoax, we’ll have to wait and see how many players go.”

Popyrin is not alone in such a stance as many players and coaches though that playing was a huge risk. Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep were amongst those skeptical about playing in New York but neither of them did confirm or deny their involvement in the event. That is why Popyrin became the 1st player to officially withdraw from the US Open due to health concerns.

You can check out the full interview below:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7uvk23