Tips To Play Tennis In COVID-19 Days

We all have seen the severity of coronavirus in the last few months. Although, as the weather is getting warm, life is, somehow, getting back to normal and business are slowly opening. The danger of COVID-19 is still there.

Coronavirus has taken thousands of lives across the globe. With this danger in mind, how can an enthusiastic player, especially a tennis lover, keep himself/herself motivated and continue practicing on a daily basis while keeping oneself safe?

This is exactly what I am going to discuss throughout this article. Let's dig into details.

Tennis is not just a sport, rather a great exercise as well. Moreover, studies show tennis helps release stress to a greater extent. In fact, tennis is a non-contact sport that is played on an almost 78-foot long court which makes tennis a great social-distance friendly sport. Remember you are still touching a tennis ball, racquet, or nets most of the time.

UTSA said, "Although there is no specific evidence that tennis balls can spread COVID-19, we know that contamination by respiratory droplets from an infected person can potentially survive on hard surfaces up to three days". But we still need to follow safety precautions on our own to keep our life and other lives safe.

Although you are determined to practice regularly, you need a foolproof plan to smash some balls on the court or at least at the home.

Here are some of the tips that I personally follow while training my tennis students.

1) Avoid unnecessary touches, like benches, tennis net, shoes, bag, gates, etc.

2) Try to play with only closed ones. Like your family members, very close friends, or at least the ones who are considered to be low risk.

3) Make sure the region you are playing in, doesn't have corona victims. Otherwise, prefer to play indoor. Robert from STR has beautifully mentioned the tips to play alone at your home or on the court. You can study his guide and tips here.

4) Keep sanitizing your hands and arms every 10 minutes.

5) While leaving the court, make sure you don't hug any other player. Simply leave the court and wash your hands and arms upon reaching home and sanitize again.

6) Arrive at the court only when you need to be there. There is no need to arrive early.

7) While playing keep 6 feet distance all the time. There is no need for a hug or high-five.

8) Do not share your towel, water bottle, or anything with anyone.

9) When changing ends, do not make any physical contact.

10) Once you are done with the game, do not use the locker or changing room. Simply go home and take a shower there.

11) All players should immediately leave the court after finish the game. There is no need to meet and talk.

12) Focus on more indoor tennis activities. If you are a trainer/coach, prefer 1:1 coaching. Do not create a crowd in your training center.

Here you might have a question, is playing indoor is safe? Well, I am not a medical expert but I do listen to them. So, the answer is Yes, if you follow proper guidelines and safety tips.

If you own a tennis club, it's your responsibility to impose strict rules, to make the environment safe.

13) Make sure you clean your equipment before, during, and after the match.

Although tennis is a social-distance friendly sport, we still need to follow safety precautions to avoid any mishap.

Following the rules/guidelines is not that tough if you keep your near and dear ones in your mind.

Their health and safety are in your hand. So, please I request help yourself and others to prevent the spread of this deadly virus.

Hope you will strictly follow these guidelines. Best of luck!