Does tennis suffer more than other sports from the Coronavirus? Has the lack of competition had more of an impact on those who practice it? Is the absence of an audience more detrimental for tennis players and tennis players than for other sportsmen? It is not easy to answer these questions with certainty, but with the many tennis players’ packages for the Tokyo Olympic Games, many are wondering.
The high-level men’s circuit seems clearly more affected than the women’s. In the top 100 of the ATP ranking there are no less than 41 packages! Seven in the top fifteen… For the WTA ranking, the figures are a little less maddening but nevertheless important: 17 players from the top 100 have given up, including four in the top ten.
There are also many uncertainties: Novak Djokovic, for example, still seemed undecided due to the strict conditions on site and the absence of an audience. Others are in the same position as him.
The great absentees and great absentees
At men’s : Rafael Nadal (injury), Roger Federer (injury), David Goffin (injury), Dominic Thiem (poor form), Nick Kyrgios (personal decision), Denis Shapovalov (personal decision), Richard Gasquet (personal decision), Roberto Bautista-Agut ( personal decision), Casper Ruud (personal decision), Adrien Mannarino (personal decision), Cristian Garin (personal decision), Taylor Fritz (injury), John Isner (injury), Kyle Edmund (injury), Cameron Norrie, Stan Wawrinka (injury ), Matteo Berrettini (Injury)…
For the ladies: Bianca Andreescu (personal decision), Simona Halep (injury), Serena Williams (injury), Sofia Kenin (personal decision), Monica Puig (injury), Madison Keys (personal decision), Johanna Konta (Coronavirus positive), Tamara Zidansek ( personal decision), Coco Gauff (Coronavirus), Kirsten Flipkens (injury) …
Injuries, crowded schedule and Australian Open ‘trauma’
The reasons for this slaughter for the Olympic tournament are multiple. We can notice that many players are injured. Some people talk about an overloaded schedule and we must admit that the tournaments are linked, but we can not deny the consequences of the Coronavirus either. Apart from the heavy psychological implications of the measures to counter Covid-19, the players lost their rhythm and some their form during this period when many stayed away from the field.
Besides that, the very strict measures imposed for the trip to Tokyo in addition to the imposed closed doors, bring up some bad memories! The quarantine of the last Australian Open has left its mark. Considered as a contact case, many players were completely stranded in their hotel rooms for ten days, without being able to play tennis at all. The fear of seeing this kind of scenario happen again is palpable on the circuit. And the impossibility of traveling with the full staff does not calm the spirits.
The stadiums will be empty, the decision to play these Olympic Games behind closed doors is necessarily taken into account in the decision of some. A player like Nick Kyrgios did not hide it, playing in an empty stadium did not interest him at all and that is the reason for his withdrawal. Morally, it seems too complicated for many athletes. Tennis has the particularity of competing one against one or at most two against two, the absence of an audience is therefore all the more felt.
Between poor form, overloaded schedule, injuries and fears surrounding the conditions linked to Covid, the Olympic tennis tournament has seen a large number of good players amputated.
Despite everything, there is no doubt that those who participate in the tournament will give everything to succeed Andy Murray and Monica Puig. If the Puerto Rican forfeits, the Briton will try to defend his title.
