Dirk Hordorff: "If we can play again in October, I would be very happy"
The Vice President of the DTB (German Tennis Association), Dirk Hordorff, talks about the current situation in the tennisnet podcast and explains how tennis could continue.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Mar 27, 2020, 06:28 pm
Tennis has stopped. Not only are the ATP and WTA tours interrupted, in large parts of Europe the entire club system has come to a standstill. Training is currently prohibited to contain the coronavirus. This affects both professionals and amateur players alike: It is no secret that there is currently no training in Germany and Austria, explains Christopher Kas in the tennisnet podcast. The players try to keep fit at home, but even seasoned world-class players like Dominic Thiem are currently staying at home - time that Lichtenwörther is currently using for excessive FIFA games, like Thiem in the daily tennisnet Instagram live talk with "Kasi" " told.
Nevertheless, the question naturally arises as to when tennis can continue. A question to which Dirk Hordorff, Vice President of the DTB, has a good and a bad answer in the tennisnet podcast: Especially for professional tennis, an end is currently quite far away, Hordorff "got the message that one can expect it with certainty." must be that the lawn season can not take place. " However, things look much better for the amateur sector: "Tennis has the great advantage that it is not a contact sport. When life starts to become normal again, tennis is the optimal sport to do sport again"
Tennis clearly playable before other sports
For German tennis aficionados, Hordorff also has a very specific announcement ready: "The media games in Germany can begin in June, at the beginning of July at the latest." Since there is no travel activity in the amateur field and the sport per se in the sense of "social distancing" is optimal, tennis can be played clearly before other sports. Nevertheless, tennis is also dependent on politics and the weekly infection rate, explains Hordorff. The only thing that can currently be said with certainty is: "Even if there are no tournaments for a while, they will emerge stronger."
As mentioned at the beginning, this calculation does not apply to the ATP and WTA tours. The high level of travel activity and the players from all over the world are reasons why professional tennis is unlikely until further notice. However, Hordorff does not dare to give a precise forecast for the resumption of the tour. With "If we can play again in October, then I would be very happy", the Vice President of the DTB found quite drastic and clear words.
Here is the podcast to listen to.
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