Jeremy Chardy: I Don't know if I am unemployed, on paternity leave or tennis player

Frenchman Jeremy Chardy says he is concerned about the financial impact and the implications on the rankings due to the cancelation of the Indian Wells Masters Series event. Chardy has not played any tournaments since January as he had just become a father.

Speaking to L'Equipe, Chardy commented, "I was happy to resume, and I did not hit a ball ... Since Melbourne, I hadn't played a game, and I really wanted to play. I missed it! I arrived in California on Saturday midnight. On Sunday morning, I started in the morning with some training, I had eaten take a little nap, and I started to stretch with my physiotherapist when Magnus (his former coach) came to me and said, "You can stop, the tournament is canceled." I thought it was a joke. But the tour manager came to confirm it. Nobody expected it. There had just been the Challenger final between Sock and Johnson on site, everyone was training. It was really weird."

While several players had wondered about holding the tournament without spectators, Chardy said that it is something the players would not enjoy. "It's a solution but not a good thing. It's not sport. It's true, it can allow us to continue working, but the beauty of it is the atmosphere, the sharing with the fans. Sport is entertainment. If you take that away, you only play for yourself, it's a shame. With closed doors, nobody enjoys. I don't quite understand. Between what we are told about the relative dangerousness of the virus and the drastic measures that are taken, there is a huge gap. At first, I did not feel any concern. And I ended up saying to myself maybe it's more serious than I thought ... I asked a lot of doctors, pulmonologists. I am not sure anymore."

Chardy says that besides the players being affected by not playing and the financial difficulties around the same, the whole economy also suffers in this regard. "The whole economy suffers and we too will suffer. If we cancel our fifth biggest tournament of the season like that, it's because we can expect difficult times. There is Miami, but also Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros at the end of the race. We talk about Masters 1000 and a Grand Slam without knowing what can happen. I no longer know if I am unemployed, on paternity leave or tennis player. In fact, I do everything except my basic job. If it is, I will only play three tournaments in six months, the three in January! You lose money if you don't play. Many players want to talk about it. It is not our fault what happens. If a lot of tournaments are canceled, it can be difficult when you are not an employee. And for ATP points, it can be complicated too. If it lasts, I think we are going to have to freeze the ranking otherwise it may become too unfair. If the Challengers are going on, there are also some who will take points while we can't play."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3cOWV0h