Palermo (Italy) (AFP)

The WTA tournament in Palermo, which marks the return of professional tennis on Monday after a five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, is a "test week to see if it is viable to organize tournaments under these conditions", described to AFP the French Fiona Ferro, engaged in the Sicilian table and at the gates of the top 50.

Q: What does a tournament look like in the Covid-19 era?

A: "It's special. Already, we must have arrived three days before the start of the competition, and as soon as we arrived, we did tests, PCR and serological. There is a truck and a tent on the hotel parking lot, it lacked a little privacy, the tent was not closed on the sides, everyone could see when they were doing the tests on us, it was weird. Then we had to wait 24 hours to the hotel to get the results of the PCR test, and it was only when we got them that we were able to go to the club. We were just allowed to go to the supermarket to buy water, otherwise we are stayed in the hotel. There are a lot of different things than usual: everything happens at the hotel, physiotherapy, meals ... In fact, we just go to the club to play. Wearing the mask is mandatory as soon as we do not play sports or eat. Afterwards, for matches, I know that the collectors are not allowed to touch our towels and that coaching on the court is not not at torized. "

Q: You have also been invited to keep your distance between players ...

A: "They asked us not to mix too much, not to group too big players, not to be too much in a small space."

Q: Do you feel like you are taking part in a life-size test for tennis as a whole?

A: "The WTA told us clearly that the three (first) tournaments, Palermo, then Prague and Lexington (the following week, note), were really test tournaments, to see if it's possible, if it's viable to organize tournaments under these conditions. "

Q: Do health constraints spoil the pleasure of playing again?

A: "The joy of replaying this kind of tournament prevails, and the pleasure of finding all the girls. The sanitary rules are quite demanding but we are happy to be able to resume competition, regardless of the conditions. Even if they are restrictive conditions. , we're all happy to play a tournament again. "

Q: Do these conditions seem viable in the longer term?

A: "Frankly, it seems complicated to me all the same. In addition, there are practically only European players, and those who came from Russia and Latvia could not come because there were government restrictions. It's not very fair that not everyone can stand up for their chances. If it stays that way, I don't think it's viable in the long term. But I have no idea what solutions can be done. find to continue to organize tournaments anyway. Maybe try to organize tournaments by continent? "

Interview by Elodie SOINARD.

© 2020 AFP