March 20, 2020
Five Point Friday
Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.
1.) Tennis Suspension Increased
Although it didn’t come as much of a surprise, the ATP & WTA have jointly announced suspending play until June 7, 2020, due to COVID-19. Up until this point, the ATP and WTA communicated their suspensions separately, so it was great to see them joining forces for their latest announcement.
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2.) French Open Goes Rogue
Speaking of communication… the French Open decided to move their tournament to the end of September after the US Open without informing the ATP, WTA, players, or anyone for that matter. The announcement drew criticism from just about every corner of the tennis world.
⚠️The Roland-Garros tournament will be played from 20th September to 4th October 2020.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/eZhnSfAiQA
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) March 17, 2020
3.) Making the Most of Time at Home
Whether you’re practicing social distancing or officially on lockdown, COVID-19 has put tennis on hold in most areas of the world. Despite the changes, players are showing a bit of creativity to maintain their form and pass the time.
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4.) World No. 225 Offering Lessons
American and world No. 225, Noah Rubin, was spotted on Twitter offering to teach tennis lessons in his downtime with the tour on pause. If you don’t live in NY and you’re genuinely interested, he’s offering video analysis too.
Will be in New York for some time. Giving some select lessons during this time if anyone interested. Serious inquiries only. Let me know!
— Noah Rubin (@Noahrubin33) March 12, 2020
5.) ATP Player Superstitions
Athletes in every sport have their superstitions, and tennis isn’t any different. The ATP caught up with some players on tour to talk about some of their unusual habits.
If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.
Really enjoyed the Superstition piece. Nice to get a small glimpse inside the heads of the elite.
Same here, Harvey. I thought it was interesting how common using the same shower was for players. I could see that happening myself, so perhaps not super odd, but a common thread. 😄