Former World No 1 Chris Evert reckons Novak Djokovic might "want to take advantage" if several top players decide to sit out the tournament.

The hard-court Grand Slam is currently scheduled to take place at Flushing Meadows from 31 August-13 September, but it will be played without spectators and with stringent health and safety measures in place.

Some of the biggest stars of the game, including Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, have expressed concerns about playing in the United States due to the recent spike in coronavirus cases and the strict protocols.

Evert believes someone like Nadal might be better off preparing for the French Open, which takes place straight after the US Open, but thinks Djokovic might be lured into traveling to America as he looks to edge closer to Roger Federer and Nadal in the race for the most Grand Slams.

"I wonder if Nadal is going to take that chance of coming over here [to the United States], playing on hard courts, maybe getting injured, maybe not even winning it when he could just stay in Europe and practise on the clay," she said in an interview with Ubitennis.

"If Djokovic sees Nadal and Federer and maybe a couple of other players not playing, and he's chasing the numbers, wouldn't he want to take advantage of that and come over and win it?"

- TEAMtalk media