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Players talk about 2020 WTA

The pandemic of coronavirus It has turned the whole world upside down. For the vast majority of mortals, 2020 It will be a year of nightmare, to forget. It is also the case of tennis, which has seen some of the most important events on its calendar say goodbye due to a bug that has put the whole world in checkmate. Other tournaments, however, have managed to reposition themselves on an express calendar that has allowed tennis to pick itself up and the circuit to move forward, but which has in turn exhausted many players.

While ATP still has several stops marked on its roadmap, the WTA has practically said goodbye to a broken year, atypical and with a decaffeinated finish due to the impossibility of hosting tournaments in Asia. The big contracts of the women’s circuit with countries like China have created a situation in which only one tournament, the WTA of Linz, remains to be played at the end of October. However, for many players this break was already necessary. Not only that: they fear that following a schedule under the conditions imposed this year is practically impossible.

The odyssey of traveling, the restrictions between countries, the impossibility of having a social life for several weeks being practically confined to your room … the coronavirus has put many of the best players on the circuit to the test, who have come clean for The National News. “Even though we haven’t played a lot of tournaments after the restart, I think this break is more than necessary. Travel, to this day, is a nightmare. You also have the stress of not testing positive each tournament, you are afraid of catching the virus. It’s very stressful: I needed to rest, “he admits. Maria Sakkari, # 22 in the world.

And that the Greek has done relatively well on her return to the competition: other players have seen their form drop suddenly, unable to take flight on the small tours that have been set up around the circuit. This is the case, for example, of a whole number one like Karolina Pliskova. “I did not know how I would react after five months without playing. Even my head completely disconnects. I could never find the rhythm, neither when playing games nor when traveling. I think nothing worked.”

Others accumulated more successful results: this is the case of Aryna sabalenka, which will close its 2020 with the penultimate trophy on the calendar, the WTA of Ostrava. At what price? When you play without spectators who are cheering you on in the stands, something that really hurts. “The hardest thing for me has been play without an audience, I love the energy of people when they see us. Feeling the support of the people is vital for me and for my emotions “, affirmed the last champion.

A call for responsibility

Meanwhile, there are other players who decide to accept the situation, gather their strength and adapt as soon as possible. It is the case of Victoria Azarenka, who reached the final of the Us Open and who appeals directly to her teammates in a call for responsibility. “I think the most important thing right now is to keep yourself fresh mentally. I think physically it’s not all that different from what we had before, but mentally the players are taking a much harder toll.

It is something we have to accept. I think we all have to learn from what is happening and accept it. If there is one thing that I get clear is that in such a difficult time we are fortunate to be able to do our work, that should be highlighted. I trust that there is greater responsibility by the players so that the risk of contagion is minimized and we maximize the possibility of hosting a greater number of tournaments. I think that’s everyone’s job, also mine: we have to be more attentive to what we do. “

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