Adriano Panatta on The Changes He Foresees in Tennis e His Lockdown Experience

Former French Open champion Adriano Panatta says new protocols will be developed in tennis when it resumes in different countries after the current global crisis.

Speaking to Euronews, the 1976 French Open champion spoke about some of the changes he thought was likely when the sport resumes. "Within a maximum of one month, at least in my opinion, however, everything will be restarted ..new protocols are being developed: it is thought that the change of rules on the court will see a player pass on one side and the other on the opposite side; the ball boys will no longer hand over the towel to the athlete, just to give some examples. And the clay courts could be played around September October when you can still play outdoors in Europe. "

Panatta says he hopes recreational tennis at the clubs can resume in the near future. "I'm more concerned about amateur tennis, the tennis that takes place in clubs. Everyone has been standing still for too long and if you don't start again, the activities will have big survival problems, I think of the coaches who don't work. Of course, the situation is critical and equal to that of many other sectors ".

The 69 year old says the stoppage will also affect the professional players. "For those who are here in Europe and in the US at least it is so, I follow Nadal on Instagram and I see that he plays with his wife at home. I don't think there will be big surprises in the rankings on the return, both for men and women. Just think of the Flushing Meadows in New York (where the US Open is held) which has now been transformed into a Covid hospital."

Speaking about his own experience during the current lockdown, Panatta says he is at home during the current lockdown. "I am very homely, so it is not weighing on me that much and like everyone else these days, I do things that I never have time for. It weighs on me not to see my children, my grandchildren, yes. But I do my part, I stay at home and I am grateful to those who are on the front lines these days. For me, phase 2 will be the same as the first one, since my children don't live in my region and I won't be able to go and see them anyway. However, I would like to underline one thing. I hope that more weight will be given to certain activities in the society that will come: doctors and nurses and all health workers have spent themselves with moving self-sacrifice and I hope this will be recognized. And forever. But that's not enough, I sincerely hope that we will improve the health sector in our country to avert another crisis of this type."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2SvvTTl