"My personal view is I think for tennis to come back this year is going to be tough"
Wednesday 1 April 2020 10:34, UK
Australia chief executive Craig Tiley says tennis could lose the remainder of the 2020 season.
The men's ATP Tour and the WTA, which runs the women's circuit, have suspended all tournaments until June 7 after countries started locking down borders to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
"My personal view is I think for tennis to come back this year is going to be tough," Tiley told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"It relies on global travel, and I think that's probably the last thing that's going to come back. I think sports that have a domestic focus are in a strong position and sports that have a global focus are more challenged."
The Australian Open, which started in January, has so far been the only Grand Slam that was not impacted with the French Open organisers moving the clay-court major back to September from its May start, while the All England Club are expected to make a decision regarding cancelling Wimbledon for the first time since 1945 on Wednesday.
Tiley said Tennis Australia was planning to run next year's tournament on schedule.
"We've got to plan for the worst and hope for the best," he said. "Tomorrow morning we wake up and there is some miracle cure or some concoction of drugs that really helps, or they're on a path to a vaccine. From all the literature you read, it doesn't seem likely in the immediate future.
"(When) you can travel globally is when tennis can come back, from a pro level. From a local level, we can start right away and that's what we would be focused on at the beginning."
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