Conclusion on the Challenger Tour comeback: arrived in the "new reality"
Four tournaments in two countries were held again on the ATP Challenger Tour after the Corona shutdown, we were at the events in Italy. How does professional tennis work in times of pandemic? The picture is rather mixed.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Sep 01, 2020, 01:49 pm
While the impressions via live stream of the two-week tournament series in the Czech city of Prague, supported by the star appearance of the three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, recalled the unfortunate Adriatic tour with packed ranks, arose upon arrival at the Città di Todi in Umbria a completely different picture.
Already outside the tournament area you were greeted by the organizers with a mask low on your face. There were no classic press accreditations. "Press - tutti i giorni" was noted on the back of a ticket. After successfully completing a fever test using an infrared hand-held device, the piece of paper finally took you to one of the two grandstands of the center court in 1971, taking a short detour under shady trees in the sweltering heat on the spacious grounds of the Todi Tennis Club.
The official entrance was reserved for the players, their companions, the officials and staff of the tournament. It was mandatory to wear a mask on the entire facility. Meticulous care was taken to ensure that it did not slip and that one or the other nose came out. The grandstands on the long sides of the main square offered space for around 300 people. However, every second seat had to be kept free. The now familiar social distancing took hold.
Negative tests, positive mood
A rush of spectators did not have to be coped with up to and including the day of the final. Perhaps it was due to the temperatures of up to 40 degrees, the holiday season in mid-August or the seclusion of the event in nowhere in Italy. Probably a little bit of everything. Nonetheless, the organizers of MEF tennis events, under the direction of a family from Todi, who organize several Challenger tournaments on boots, were always ready to meet the demands of the "new normal".
A fact that the local players also paid the greatest respect. They were all full of praise. With one exception, the regular tests of the players and their entourage for COVID-19 were consistently negative, and the mood among the cracks was positive. A secure feeling of a "life in the bubble" emerged, reinforced by a separate area on the tournament grounds, comfortably furnished with deck chairs and a restaurant. A summer idyll in times of the pandemic.
Another picture in Trieste
After seven days in Umbria, arrival in Trieste, around 600 kilometers away. The capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region differed noticeably from other metropolises in the country due to its eventful history. The influences of the long rule of the Habsburgs and the proximity to Slovenia were clearly noticeable. The place names are spelled out bilingually as we walked up a hill high above the Gulf of Trieste in the direction of the Triestino Tennis Club. While the 12th edition of the event had already taken place in Todi, the premiere was held here on the ATP Challenger Tour.
The first impression was also different. There was free entry. There seemed to be no separate areas for the players. In addition, with the exception of the players and tournament officials, hardly anyone wore a mouth and nose covering, which has seemed a bit strange since the masked ball in the province of Perugia. Only the obligatory temperature check at the entrance was also carried out here, accreditations for the media representatives were made, as was usual in the pre-Corona era, with the handing out of an official "badge" for the tournament. Even if mine - despite registering beforehand - showed the role of “coach”, I was not deterred and added it to my personal collection as a “special item”.
Criticism from the players
The mood among the professionals: ambivalent. The actors who had traveled from the Czech capital for the tournament seemed less irritated by the somewhat sloppy handling of distance rules and mask requirements than those who had come with me from Todi. "Perhaps it is also because a German supervisor was on site in Todi, here an Italian," was the somewhat smug comment from one of the professionals on the edge of the field.
Admittedly, the audience statement at the beginning of the week was also clear. However, as more and more audiences filled the much smaller area towards the final weekend, it was hardly possible to maintain a safety distance and around the Campo-Centrale. More and more people huddled close together along the fence, in particular to watch the sensational run of the Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz to his first title win on the Challenger Tour.
U-turn on Friday
On Friday afternoon in the middle of the quarter-finals the time had come. The security staff, consisting of two young men in blue uniforms, became active and began to inform people in a friendly but decisive manner to put on their "Masquerina". A corresponding announcement followed.
“In Italy there is a minimum distance of one meter. No mouth and nose covering must be worn during outdoor events. As soon as this is no longer guaranteed, the mask requirement applies ”, explained tournament director Piero Tononi the procedure. "This case occurred on Friday and we have initiated the appropriate measures."
Conclusion
In general, hats should be taken to any organizer running a tournament during these difficult times. Surely each of the organizers would like to hold a safe event that complies with hygiene rules. However, the approaches to implementation have turned out to be different, also shaped by regulations in the various regions and countries.
So can professional tennis work during the corona crisis? If you ignore travel restrictions, which are certainly one of the biggest hurdles for professionals in the global traveling circus, events can certainly be held. Appropriate preparation by the organizers and the efforts of those involved in such an event to behave responsibly are essential and a basic requirement.