Despite his legendary endurance in the longest match ever played, Nicolas Mahut found a brief one-hour training session on Wednesday to be quite taxing. This is the result of a long period of inactivity during the pandemic. Once the French lockdown—which had been in place since March 17—finally lifted on Monday, Mahut and other professional players were able to slowly start practicing again.
Mahut warned that rushing back into intensity could easily lead to injuries, noting that he already feels some soreness after just one hour of easy play. For him and many others, this hiatus was unique. Unlike a standard injury that keeps a player off the tour for half a year, this wasn't a recovery period or a holiday; it was a forced confinement that created a very strange mental and physical state. The experience is further complicated by odd new safety rules designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, including restrictions on using chairs, the requirement to use different balls than their partners, and the need to wear gloves while disinfecting the court equipment after their sessions.
Mahut expressed hope that training will soon return to normal, though he stresses the importance of following safety guidelines, acknowledging how lucky they are to be playing at all. He's keeping his fingers crossed for Roland Garros in Paris, which was pushed from May 24 to September 20 because of the virus. While he feels optimistic about competing, he realistically admits the season could be incredibly difficult, potentially with very little play. There is a lot of debate about when tennis can truly resume, even without crowds, but the consensus is that play cannot start if there's a risk of infection. As Mahut and Barrere prepare for virus testing to help lead the way back, others, like Montalvan, suggest that a full return to normalcy might require a vaccine. While the timeline for a vaccine is uncertain, Montalvan believes the sport will likely find a way to resume before one is officially validated.
There are myriad opinions on when tennis can resume, even without fans. What’s needless to say is that we will not start playing again if there is a risk of contamination. He’s helping ease French tennis players back to training, with Mahut and Barrere expected to be tested shortly for the virus. But Montalvan thinks tennis may need to await a vaccine before fully returning to normal. I cannot say when the vaccine is going to be ready, probably not for an extended time. We’ll see what the directives are, but I imagine tennis will resume before a vaccine is validated.