The ATP Tour set to return and WTA Tour is happening as early as August 2020, even though the COVID-19 outbreak around the world continues to infect new people. Some have called this shortsightedness with the ATP Tour chief, Andrea Gaudenzi, stepping in to give her reasons behind the move.
Put simply, Gaudenzi argued that the ATP should start exploring scenarios where tennis restarts. The suspension of all events worldwide has had an impact not only on the finances of tennis players but also their mental well-being. The news that Novak Djokovic had contracted COVID-19 after carousing in a night club without observing safety measures hasn’t been very reassuring.
Yet, with the world of tennis returning, one thing is certain. Tennis betting will be picking up again and this is a good thing too. While many websites are already looking to offer the best tennis betting odds on the ATP and WTA Tour, you want to stop by https://tennisbetslab.com/ and check out the available information there.
ATP’s Rankings Are the Fabric to the Whole Sport
In outlining her reasons for restarting competitions, Gaudenzi explained that without keeping rankings updated, the competitive element of the game itself would fall apart. Sure, she acknowledged that the ATP would take some time to restart.
Things wouldn’t be perfect from the outset, Gaudenzi noted, but there will be a balanced approach to the restart that would allow players, staff and audiences to stay safe while, at the same time, helping the game to come as close as possible to pre-COVID-19 time.
Gaudenzi also spoke about the robust protocols the ATP would now implement to make sure that the risk of infection is kept to a minimum. She admitted that the organization had considered many options.
One was to hold off until after everything around the world has returned back to normal. However, the danger of further pathogens disrupting the world of sports, air traffic and the global economy would require new solutions.
Solutions that everyone should come up with again, Gaudenzi argued, as they may very well allow people to live in a better tomorrow. In concluding her statement, she had this to add:
“Our judgement was that we need to start somewhere and if we have tournaments at the top level that are able to run, and in a safe environment, providing earning opportunities not only for players but also for the whole industry, well that’s a start.”
How Can Tennis Return?
Naturally, the ATP won’t invite big audiences and the most likely development at first will be for the tour to be played behind closed doors. Audiences will have to wait and support the tour remotely. The ATP can figure out a way to offer subscriptions or canvass fans and see if they would be willing to pay slightly more to watch the games remotely.
However, the safety of players will have to play a huge role. Without strong players promoted, and participating in events, it would be difficult to draw the interest that tennis needs to see viewership numbers that would justify higher prices.
With Novak Djokovic bound to retire and Rafael Nadal still struggling with shoulder pain, and others not making much of a splash, tennis will definitely see a decline in the coming months. Yet, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Without the dinosaurs of the game, new talent will emerge.
Zverev is already an unstoppable force that will certainly go great lengths and catch up to both Nadal and Djokovic, whether he beats their results isn’t even as important. What matters is that we have some talent in tennis that is yet to stand out even more.
Tennis will return in its present form, with events and circuits played live and some relocated or moved to accommodate and respond to the COVID-19 situation. While the current situation is certainly one of the biggest shocks the ATP has seen in its time, it’s fair to note that this crisis is a chance for every sports organization to move forward.
Surely, it won’t be ideal, and sports personalities would probably not feel very comfortable playing while observing strict health and safety protocols, such as quarantining themselves 14 days prior to an event.
The sports seasons could become shorter. For example, the NBA is already discussing the possibility of having a special location allocated for the regular season games, which will be played to a much tighter schedule, especially if the pandemic continues spreading.
