'Empty void': Genie Bouchard opens up on uncertain tennis future
Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has opened up about how the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has left her feeling as though she’s in an ‘empty void’.
Tennis tournaments across the world have been put on hold for the foreseeable future due to the crisis, with the Australian Open the only grand slam to be played in 2020 so far.
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Despite her online antics providing some respite from the uncertainty surrounding international competition, the 26-year-old said not being able to predict the future was weighing on her.
“I think the toughest part is feeling like I don’t have a job, not having a plan,” she said in her interview with the Tennis Channel.
“I’m someone who schedules things and plans things.
“To kind of feel like I’m in this empty void is tough mentally.”
WTA and ATP tours extend suspension
Bouchard has had a lot of time on her hands due to the coronavirus-induced shutdown of the tennis tours.
There will be no professional tennis until the end of July after the ATP and WTA Tours extended their suspension on Friday.
The men's and women's tours were due to resume on July 13 following a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it was announced that has now been extended until the end of the month.
No tennis has been played since the end of February because of the global shutdown.
The new extension means ATP Tour events in Hamburg, Bastad, Newport, Los Cabos, Gstaad, Umag, Atlanta and Kitzbuhel are all cancelled while Lausanne, Bucharest, and Jurmala will now not host tournaments on the WTA Tour.
“Due to continued uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to announce our decision to extend the suspension of the Tour,” said ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.
“Just like tennis fans, players and tournament hosts all over the world, we share in the disappointment the Tour continues to be affected in this way.
“We continue to assess all of our options in an effort to resume the Tour as soon as it is safe to do so.”
With AAP
