Rafael Nadal: 'We have replaced the French Open terrace with Zoom'

The 2020 French Open will take place. Unless, of course, new and unfortunate worsening in the Coronavirus emergency. “I feel like saying that we have avoided the worst: suspension or cancellation. We have a delay of a few months, that's all: it's a great sigh of relief" - said the president of the French Federation, Bernard Giudicelli, who on the FFT Twitter account showed optimism in view of this edition of Roland Garros next September. 12-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal could lock Roger Federer's all-time record if he wins in Paris.

Nadal on the 2020 French Open

In an interview with France TV Sport, the 19-time Grand Slam champion believed that the COVID-19 outbreak has created an unprecedented situation: "The reality is that I don't see the future from a professional point of view, but from a medical, health point of view. I project myself into a world where we can protect the health of all the people who work around tennis, in tournaments and the ATP circuit, the players, the staff… At the same time, it's a very complicated situation, where we don't know how things will develop" - Nadal said. On the French Open, he added: "We all hope to find a quick solution to resume normal activity. So with regard to Roland-Garros in September, if we can play in optimal conditions and in complete safety for players who come from all over the world, everyone can participate, if all this is combined, then yes I will be there. We replaced the terrace with Zoom, that's how it is! There is nothing 'else to do other than that right now. You have to do with what you have, and what you have today is meetings on Zoom and not on the Roland-Garros terrace. Like everyone else, I couldn't leave my apartment for two months. Luckily, I received weight machines at home to train a little and keep myself in shape. Little by little, I resumed training a few days a week, but not seven days a week. It is a very gradual, very slow recovery, with great care and caution. The goal is to be ready for the day when we can play tennis again. We don't know that yet."

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