For the players it's good that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are not at USO: Stefanos Tsitsipas

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both missing from this year's US Open, which got underway on Monday. And while that is a significant loss for the tournament and fans, Next Gen star Stefanos Tsitsipas has claimed that the players themselves are not complaining.

In a press conference before the start of US Open 2020, Stefanos Tsitsipas discussed how the competition would be like without multi-time winners Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Tsitsipas talked about Federer having already been ruled out of the season because of his injury issues, and also speculated about Nadal's priorities for the rest of the season.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two great players: Stefanos Tsitsipas

20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer won five consecutive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008. While he hasn't won a single title at Flushing Meadows in the last 12 years, Federer is always considered a threat.

Roger Federer is a former 5-time US Open winner

Rafael Nadal meanwhile was the defending US Open champion, but he still decided against traveling to the US because of COVID-19 concerns.

When asked about his view on Roger Federer and Nadal's absence from the US Open, Tsitsipas replied:

"I feel that Nadal has given more priority to Roland Garros and has therefore decided not to travel here. Roger is injured and we already knew he wasn't going to play for the rest of the season."

Talking about the impact that their absence would have on the tournament, the 2019 Australian Open semifinalist claimed that the players would be delighted as they wouldn't have to battle Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. However, Tsitsipas did also mention the loss to the organizers due to the lack of star power.

"I think for tennis players it's good that they're not there to have more opportunities to play a good role, but for the tournament, it's a big loss. They are two great players, and when they play, the tournaments are totally different," the Greek player continued.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was also asked about Novak Djokovic's Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), to which he replied that he had no clue about the new association.

Can Stefanos Tsitsipas take the advantage of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's absence?

The 22-year-old from Athens had made it to the semifinals of the recently concluded Cincinnati Masters 2020. He now has a golden opportunity to improve upon his record at the US Open; Tsitsipas has never made it past the second round of this Grand Slam.

The 2019 ATP World Tour Finals winner holds the fourth seed in the tournament and will open his campaign against Albert Ramos-Vinolas.