NEW DELHI, March 21: Swinging the racquet will not earn them money all their life, so a few Indian tennis players, forced out of Pro Tour due to the health crisis triggered by COVID-19, are utilising their time to work on career beyond tennis.
Almost all of them are restricted to doing fitness drills at home with courts and gyms out of bound due to the restrictions imposed in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic which has wrecked the sporting calendar worldwide.
The ITF, WTA and ATP have shut their respective tours and the French Open too has been pushed back to September-October from the usual late May schedule.
The Tamil Nadu-based Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, who recently made his Davis Cup debut and is expected to lead India�s doubles challenge in coming years, is spending time hitting at private courts and handling the marketing of their family resort in Pondicherry.
�It obviously is unusual situation. We can hit at a few places where people have private space and obviously the gathering is small. A few players doing that. I am in Pondicherry to help with my resort (K resort),� Jeevan told PTI.
�Hopefully, once it gets little better, I will continue to practice. We do fitness at home, running upstairs, running down, body weights, shadow swings. Important is not to lose mind. Everybody is on the same boat,� he added.
The left-hander said he is working on developing a tennis facility at their family resort to host tournaments in future at a scenic location.
�My sister and I will keep running this property after my tennis. It became operational only last year. Now I am spending time (off tour) to look after marketing.� � PTI
