Organisers announced yesterday that the tournament would take place behind closed doors on its scheduled dates of August 31 to September 13 at Flushing Meadows in New York.

The men's and women's singles tournaments will take place with the traditional 128 strong fields, while the fields for the men's and women's doubles competitions will be halved from the traditional 64 teams down to 32.

There are no competitions for wheelchair players, while the junior events and mixed doubles tournaments are not scheduled to take place.

The absence of wheelchair competitions has prompted a furious backlash from wheelchair tennis players, who claimed they were not consulted on the decision.

Dylan Alcott, the Australian who won gold in the men's quad doubles and men's quad singles at Rio 2016 was among the most vocal labelling the decision as "disgusting discrimination."

"Just got announced that the US Open will go ahead without wheelchair tennis," Alcott said on Twitter.

"Players weren’t consulted. I thought I did enough to qualify - two time champion, number one in the world.

"But unfortunately I missed the only thing that mattered, being able to walk - disgusting discrimination.

"Please do not tell me I am a "greater risk" because I am disabled. 

"I am disabled yes but that does not make me sick.

"I am fitter and healthier than nearly everybody reading this right now. There are no added risks.

"For sure there are far more important things going on in the world, but that choice should’ve been up to me.

"It is blatant discrimination for able bodied people to decide on my behalf what i do with my life and career just because I am disabled."

In a statement, International Paralympic Committee President (IPC) Andrew Parsons called on US Open organisers to "reconsider" their decision.

"The IPC is disappointed at the US Open’s decision not to include wheelchair tennis in this September’s event, a decision that has left a lot of the athlete community rightly upset and angered," Parsons said.

"We urge organisers to reconsider this decision which could potentially undo years of great work to promote and showcase the sport of wheelchair tennis.

"We appreciate that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up multiple challenges for sport event organisers all around the world, but such challenges should not be used as an excuse to discriminate against a group of players and not offer inclusive competition for all.

"There has been tremendous progress in recent years to advance wheelchair tennis and promote inclusion, not least by USTA and at the US Open. 

"However, just as we cannot have a situation where athletes are barred from sporting events on the grounds of race, gender, nationality or sexuality, they should not be stopped from competing because they play in a wheelchair.

"I am grateful that the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is speaking with event organisers to try and find a solution to ensure that wheelchair tennis players can safely compete at the US Open.

"The IPC is disappointed at the US Open’s decision not to include wheelchair tennis in this September’s event, a decision that has left a lot of the athlete community rightly upset and angered. 

"We urge organisers to reconsider this decision which could potentially undo years of great work to promote and showcase the sport of wheelchair tennis.

"We appreciate that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up multiple challenges for sport event organisers all around the world, but such challenges should not be used as an excuse to discriminate against a group of players and not offer inclusive competition for all.

"There has been tremendous progress in recent years to advance wheelchair tennis and promote inclusion, not least by USTA and at the US Open. 

"However, just as we cannot have a situation where athletes are barred from sporting events on the grounds of race, gender, nationality or sexuality, they should not be stopped from competing because they play in a wheelchair.

"I am grateful that the ITF is speaking with event organisers to try and find a solution to ensure that wheelchair tennis players can safely compete at the US Open."

Fellow Rio 2016 gold medallist, Britain's Gordon Reid, who won gold in the wheelchair singles competition, said the first he heard of the omission of wheelchair events was through social media.

"Massively disappointed to find out on Twitter this morning that the US Open plan on cutting wheelchair tennis from this year's tournament. 

"The wheelchair players have had zero communication or consultation from either the International Tennis Federation (ITF) or the Grand Slam around this decision."

Meanwhile, Britain's Andy Lapthorne, a three-time Paralympic medallist described the decision as "yet another terrible example of leadership in the sport of tennis."

The US Open has not responded to comments from Alcott and fellow wheelchair players, however the ITF did issue a statement earlier today.

It read: "The ITF understands and shares the disappointment felt by many that it may not be possible for this year’s US Open to host a wheelchair event.

"We fully appreciate the huge logistical challenges faced by organisers in what are unprecedented times. 

"It is right that in the midst of a global pandemic, the safety of all competitors must be the first and only priority.

"We continue to discuss with the organisers potential approaches that could allow the wheelchair tennis competition to take place either on or off site."