Competitive tennis should not return until next year, says Judy Murray.
A decision is expected on Monday regarding whether, and when, the US Open, scheduled to start in August, can be played.
Coach Murray, mother of Grand Slam title winners Jamie and Andy, feels the ATP Tour should resume in 2021.
“We should just park it and start again at the beginning of next year, almost like a clean sheet,” said Murray.
“That would be fairer to everybody. It feels to me that until there’s a vaccine, I don’t think you’re going to get a full complement of players anywhere.
“It’s so tough because everybody sees things in a completely different way. I believe there were 400 players on a Zoom call discussing with the ATP, the men all discussing what they felt about going back and of course you’ll get some who desperately want it and there’s others who are more cautious and I wouldn’t like to be the tournament director.”
The US Open is scheduled to conclude on 13 September – a week before the rearranged French Open is slated to start.
One tournament definitely going ahead is the closed-door Best of British event at the end of June, organised by Murray’s elder son.
“Jamie’s been incredibly busy over the last few months putting together this event to create competition, or match play, for the top players,” Judy said.
“Obviously when the tour goes back, whenever that may be, you can’t just go in blind, you need to have had that whole competitive opportunity beforehand. So he’s taken into account all of the restrictions from no spectators to creating live streaming options.
“The players will be allowed to have one coach with them who can coach from outwith the court area. They’ll have an umpire but probably no lines people. There certainly won’t be ball-kids so they’ll be picking up their own balls and their own towels. They’ll be doing their own commentary to a mic at the changeovers.
“It’s going to be very, very different but I think everybody has welcomed it as a chance to get back on the match court again and give the fans something to watch at a time of year when we would normally be watching Wimbledon and Queen’s and there’s nothing going on.”
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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