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I suggest tournaments as the were are not only out of the question right now, but possibly will be for another 12 months.
We are a long way from when all players from around the world, and their support teams, can choose to travel to a new country every few weeks. This means tournaments as they were, being open to any player without regard to where they are from, are not about to resume as they were.
It is possible to envisage tournaments open to select players:
When a tournament effectively excludes some players, it is no longer exactly comparable to previous tournaments which were open to all players.
Any Grand Slam event held while parts of the world are still in lock down may not be considered the equal or a regular grand slam.
For the regular ATP tour, and Grand Slams as we know them, will be among the last things in the world able to resume as they were.
This means if there is an appetite for tennis in the interim, the best hope is for tournaments like the Davis Cup or for exhibitions where it is accepted that
not all players can attend.
Perhaps more thought should be allocated on not holding a Hamburg or Kitzbuhl or even the full US open, but some form of exhibition tournaments where the fact that only
a selection of players can enter is already accepted.
Perhaps innovative solutions can also be found to allow an effective 'live audience' feel?
There must be solutions that allow for tennis to build up towards a time when truly open tournaments scattered around the world are again feasible?
We are a long way from when all players from around the world, and their support teams, can choose to travel to a new country every few weeks. This means tournaments as they were, being open to any player without regard to where they are from, are not about to resume as they were.
It is possible to envisage tournaments open to select players:
- from selected locations
- or who have been in effective quarantine
- or have been in virus free environments
- etc
When a tournament effectively excludes some players, it is no longer exactly comparable to previous tournaments which were open to all players.
Any Grand Slam event held while parts of the world are still in lock down may not be considered the equal or a regular grand slam.
For the regular ATP tour, and Grand Slams as we know them, will be among the last things in the world able to resume as they were.
This means if there is an appetite for tennis in the interim, the best hope is for tournaments like the Davis Cup or for exhibitions where it is accepted that
not all players can attend.
Perhaps more thought should be allocated on not holding a Hamburg or Kitzbuhl or even the full US open, but some form of exhibition tournaments where the fact that only
a selection of players can enter is already accepted.
Perhaps innovative solutions can also be found to allow an effective 'live audience' feel?
There must be solutions that allow for tennis to build up towards a time when truly open tournaments scattered around the world are again feasible?