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This past week has felt like an eternity, hasn’t it? The well-warranted major concerns over health and safety in the wake of the global coronavirus spread has resulted in a shut down of most significant sporting events – including those in tennis at all levels.

The ATP Tour has announced a minimum six-week break from competition, while junior events across Canada have also been scrapped for the time being. It’s an unprecedented global phenomenon, with information being updated by the minute.

The WTA hasn’t announced full suspension just yet, but it seems like only a matter of time after the cancellations of major the WTA Premier event in Charleston as well as Fed Cup in April.

Tennis Canada has cancelled all National events until the week of April 6th.

Postponing all major sports is certainly the right move in the interest of public well-being, but life without tennis for the foreseeable future will be challenging for those making a living in it. Many players that were in Indian Wells preparing for the BNB Paribas Open are as in the dark about this as the general public.

The overwhelming message from players is to stay positive and well-informed.

Tennis fans across the world are thinking the same thing, Shapo…

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9pPa84hD1X/

No thanks to social media, the panic COVID-19 has caused has also made grocery shopping quite interesting in parts of Ontario. 😂

According to CBC’s Devin Heroux, the Olympics, planned to begin on July 24th, will be going forward. The games are still a ways away, but it’s a drop of optimism in a sea of cancellations and postponements.

In the meantime, the Davis Cup draw was announced this week, with Canada set to play Sweden and Kazakhstan in Spain at the end of November.

No doubt about it, life without sports sucks. As part of the fabric of society, sport and other cultural events are often turned to by people as a distraction from difficult times. But this is a bigger issue, and the steps that the global medical community is taking to combat the virus seem appropriate and effective.

Tennis will ultimately come back, but until then, we must listen to medical professionals and focus on the most important thing: staying safe and healthy.

(Feature image: Twitter/@atptour)

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