by Bob Stockton
@BobStockton10
The ongoing pandemic has left a serious mark on all our lives. Many people have found their jobs threatened by the social distancing measures imposed by most governments, others had to adapt to the new reality of working from home. Schools, restaurants, airports, entertainment venues, and many others have been closed.
What made this time especially hard for many was the shuttering or suspension of sports all over the world. Fans are stuck at home with little more than watching reruns of older games on sports channels and playing tennis games at the 7Sultans Casino. Which, let’s face it, is quite entertaining for a while but not a substitute for the real thing. But with Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II, and all ITF events – and pretty much everything else happening in a country affected by the pandemic – postponed until at least through the end of July. fans and players can only hope to return to the court as soon as possible.
We all know how sports fans are spending their isolation – but how about players? Well, Romanian player Simona Halep opened up about her time stuck at home to the local sports channel DigiSport earlier, revealing what it’s like for her to be isolated.
Fighting boredom with crépes
A tennis player’s schedule is always packed – this was Halep’s case before the pandemic. With no training to be done, though, and no events to prepare for, she was struck by one of the athletes’ greatest enemies: boredom. Halep found a solution to this issue, turning to a totally trivial and everyday activity for most of us: cooking.
“I was making crépes before. I didn’t make any for three or four years. Now I’m making them again,” she told DigiSport. “It’s a sensitive subject for me, cooking, but I hope that after I leave the quarantine, I will be able to cook more things than before.” She also revealed that she’s doing something unusual for her busy lifestyle: sleeping more than before.
No tennis this year
Asked about the prospects of her playing any tennis this year, Halep expressed her doubt about the return of tennis before the end of 2020. “At least until August there won’t be any games,” she told the reporter. “I don’t know if there will be any games in the United States because the situation is hard there. Realistically, very realistically, I think there won’t be any games played this year but I really hope we can start playing again in September.” Previously asked about the prospects of her playing at the US Open, Halep told the press that she was afraid that the rest of the season will be cancelled. “I hope to be able to play at the US Open,” she said, “because the situation is very difficult in New York right now.” The recent announcement made by the USTA about the status of the US Open is not encouraging: they say that the chances of holding the event at its appointed time and place are “Medvedev-slim” at best.
