World no. 23 Elise Mertens, of Belgium, says she is trying to remain positive about the decision of the French Tennis Federation to postpone the French Open to September and hopes that the tour would be able to be resumed in June.
Speaking to Sudpresse, Mertens says, “I want to remain positive. We, the players, we must already be happy to be able to compete in it. The tournament is not canceled. A Grand Slam is so important in our sport. So the transition between the American hard surface and the clay is going to be difficult, but we will all be in the same boat.
Same thing for the resumption on June 8 on the grass, with Wimbledon in sight. hope so… If we play again on these dates, it will mean that we will have mastered part of the crisis linked to the coronavirus, that would be the real good news.”
Mertens says while she is enjoying the time with her family at home, she is also missing the tour. “It’s a little paradoxical, when you are on the circuit for a long time, you dream of meeting your loved ones quickly, and now that you have to stay at home, you dream of going back to the circuit!
So, in addition to my physical exercises , I spend time with my parents, I play ping pong with my dad, I spend time in the kitchen with mom. I take care of my animals, I do gardening and also an important task: I sort out my sports clothes and I’m packing for Africa!
It’s clear that you have to keep busy your days because, otherwise, mentally, you can quickly suffocate!”
