New York, Jun 18 (IANS): The US Tennis Association (USTA) has announced that the US Open will allow 100 per cent fan capacity this summer, a year after spectators were not allowed at the Grand Slam due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 700,000 people are expected to attend the tournament to be played at the Flushing Meadows in New York from August 30 to September 12.

The US Open will mark the first Grand Slam tournament to have fans in full capacity since the 2020 Australian Open. That tournament took place in February 2020, just before the pandemic began to shut down the sports world.

A statement on the US Open website said, "The 2021 US Open will welcome fans back to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at 100 per cent capacity for the two-week tournament. Tickets to the event will be put on sale to the general public on Thursday, July 15.

"All ticket categories for the 25 tournament sessions, from reserved stadium seating to general admission grounds passes, will be available."

USTA CEO Mike Dowse said on Thursday, "We are extremely excited to be able to welcome our incredible fans back to the US Open this year the challenges presented by the pandemic were tough on us all, but our sport came together like never before and tackled each challenge head on."