When Will Tennis Start Again?

by GP

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 virus has brought a lot of activities to a grinding halt. Tennis is one of them. When will tennis start again?

If you are like many Americans, you are likely sitting at home right now because of the virus. Not only has it affected employment rates across the state, but it has affected some of the biggest businesses there are. Movies are no longer being made, most sports are either canceled or being operated without a live audience, and many manufacturing plants have come to a grinding halt. Luckily, the good people are starting to see a comeback. Not only has UFC hosted a live event or two, but NASCAR just recently hosted an event over the weekend and plans on hosting more. So, what does this mean for the world of tennis?

Not A Contact Sport

Well, if UFC and wrestling can go on, you have to figure that tennis can’t be far behind. Heck, tennis is not even a contact sport so you’d imagine that the threat is a whole lot less likely. In fact, when you look at it on paper, tennis is one of the safest sports from the health point of health. There are no teams, there is no contact, and there are no indoor disciplines. That being said, tennis is a sport that does demand a lot of traveling. Given that it is mostly an international sport, players usually end up traveling from one country to another to play in tournaments, which is where the real problems could lie. Traveling right now is the biggest challenge. Even if the nations were to lift their lockdowns and bans on air traveling there would still be a long way to go.

Italian Tennis Tournament’s Proposed Schedule

Those that have been taking advantage of betting sites available in India will be more than glad to know that there is a proposed schedule to get things back on track, should the COVID-19 virus be cleared up by then. That’s right, the Italian Open 2020 has already come up with alternative dates. One of them is in September and the other is in October, before or after the rescheduled French Open. The real major cause for concern is that the tournament is going to be hosted in Rome. The commission has proposed another option to get around this. They are proposing that the tournament take place in November in Cagliari. It has also been proposed that the tournament be moved to the indoors where it will take place during the month of December. This is right about the same time that the ATP event is scheduled to take place in Milan and the WTA event in Turin.

Unfortunately, this is just all speculation and proposals. Nothing has been set in stone as far as anyone knows. In fact, the only clear and evident thing is that the tennis tour has been suspended until mid-July. The ATP and WTA leagues are still up in the air. The commissions have to decide the fate of both leagues before May 31st, 2020.

Some Cities And States Might Be Open Sooner

The USTA or United States Tennis Association recognizes that this virus is affecting different parts of the country in different ways. Some parts are experiencing it on a more personal level, whereas others haven’t been hit as hard. This means that there is a real possibility for people to return to playing tennis safely in some cities and states sooner than others. The USTA has even gone as far as to create two documents geared towards playing the sport safely during these times. One is geared specifically for the players, while the other is geared towards the tennis facilities where players play. These documents were developed in conjunction with the Medical Advisory Group and its Industry partners to provide extensive guidelines for a safe return to the courts.

An Exciting History

Whatever the situation is, tennis needs to get back on the air as soon as possible because it provides an exciting outlet for many. Just look at what took place between the years of 2003 and 2018. This was when the WTA Indian Open was being in Bangalore. During the 2004 season, it was two unheard-of names that claimed the doubles title together. No betting site has these two pegged as the winners. One was an Indian player by the name of Sania Mirza and the other was a South African player by the name of Liezel Huber. No one has these two pegged for front runners, including the top Indian betting sites. What’s even more impressive is that Mirza claimed the singles titles the very next year. This is a title that was won three years later by the world-famous Serena Williams. Exciting stuff, right? This is why tennis needs to get back on the air and keep captivating audiences from around the world.

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2 comments

Tennis Lion May 21, 2020 - 21:08

I wonder how many people actually watch or attend tennis tournaments outside of the majors? My suspicion is not many. Unlike golf where you get solid TV audiences throughout the season, I’d be surprised if many people watch the ATP & WTA 1000 level games on TV.

I feel that is because you end up with similar people in every 1/4 final onwards, unlike golf where anyone can have a run on the final day. I love watching the big players, but every week? Not so sure.

Perhaps Lockdown presents us an opportunity to see some more local or regional tennis games if there is less travelling allowed. Tennis TV do a good job with the smaller tournaments and given that the normal summer schedule has been eliminated, perhaps some national tournaments could be televised if it can be done safely whilst Wimbledon etc is closed.

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BONNIE M AUSTIN June 2, 2024 - 18:07

Please let us have more tennis soon

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