May 15, 2020
 
Don’t Touch Anyone Else’s Balls! Coronavirus Leads To New Tennis Rules As Courts Reopen
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
 
Don’t touch anyone else’s balls, shake hands or high-five your opponent.
These are among the list of no-nos as people return to the Tennis court following the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.
The relaxation of strict stay at home rules announced by the government means that people can now indulge in unlimited exercise and travel to public places for outdoor activities.
Tennis, along with golf, has been cited by the government as one of the sports that can make a tentative return as close person-to-person contact can be avoided – and clubs have started to reopen.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), tennis’s national governing body, told HuffPost UK it worked closely with Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to come up with some clear guidelines to allow people to return to playing tennis safely.
Demand from people eager to play tennis is already high and on Wednesday, the first day the government’s new relaxed rules meant courts could open, the LTA reported its online booking service saw 20,000 bookings compared to 3,000 at the same time last year – a staggering increase of 567%.
 However, players need to use their own clearly marked balls, keep at least two metres from other players at all times and are warned not to make physical contact such as shaking hands or high-fiving in celebration.
If a tennis ball that isn’t theirs needs returning to another player or court, they are told to use their foot or racket to kick or hit it away and they are also urged to stay on their side of the court and avoid changing ends.
 Booking on our website was more intense than booking tickets for Glastonbury."Highgate Tennis Court, London 
Highgate Tennis Court in London reported on Friday that after 52 days of lockdown and no tennis, its courts were once again open for business – but for singles matches only and for one hour sessions.
The tennis club stated: “Booking on our website was more intense than booking tickets for Glastonbury, but luckily no technical glitches.”
 Olly Scadgell, participation director at LTA, told HuffPost UK that they are anticipating huge demand to play tennis this weekend and over the coming weeks, but the most important thing is to ensure people do so safely.
He said the new government measures allowing people to use outdoor sports facilities have come as a huge relief to lots of tennis players.
“People just want to get back on the tennis courts and do some exercise and have fun.” he said.
“We are delighted that people can get back to playing after two months of being in lockdown.
“But what is fundamentally important is that people stay safe and play tennis while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
“This is why we have worked with the government and Sports England to produce some robust guidelines using a safety-first approach which concentrates on minimising social interaction.
 We are asking tennis players to mark their own tennis balls with either their initials or some other marking and only use and handle these and whoever they are playing with should do the same.”Olly Scadgell, the Lawn Tennis Association 
“We feel this adjustment of lockdown restrictions is a great opportunity to encourage people to get on tennis courts and have fun while exercising, but we want them to do it in a safe way.”
Scadgell explained that while there was no specific evidence to point that tennis balls can spread Covid-19, as a precautionary measure, their guidelines urge players to use their own clearly marked tennis balls and not touch any balls that aren’t theirs.
  
“We are asking tennis players to mark their own tennis balls with either their initials or some other marking and only use and handle these and whoever they are playing with should do the same.”
The LTA guidance states that there should only be a maximum of two people per court (singles play only), but players can be from different households.
They need to stay at least two metres away from others at all times including when taking breaks and before, during and after play.
They are also told to avoid chasing the ball down to another court if other players are using it.
Players are also warned that onsite toilet facilities may not be open and where they are, they should take particular care. They should avoid equipment such as courtside benches, net handles or court sweepers.
Anyone going to play tennis is told to take hand sanitiser with them and all their own equipment such as rackets, grips, hats and towels.
They should arrive changed and ready to play and shower at home and not use the venue’s changing area. They should also leave the court before the end of their allotted time so it is empty for the next players.
 Although playing tennis is now possible in England, tennis facilities and courts in Scotland and Wales remain closed.
Meanwhile, although amateurs can return to tennis, it has been announced that there will be no professional tennis until the end of July.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) have extended their suspension of the game. 
The men’s and women’s tours were due to resume on July 13 but that has now been extended until the end of that month.Related... Here Is What The 51-Page Official Lockdown Document Says You Can And Cannot Do Wimbledon 2020 Tournament Cancelled Amid Coronavirus Lockdown English Tourist Spots On Alert For ‘Weekend Mayhem’ After Lockdown Rules Change
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Politic
Mary Trump 'energized' as uncle 'Donald's campaign spirals into chaos'
Mar 29, 2024
Donald Trump's campaign is in chaos, and his niece says she's energized.Mary Trump, the niece of the former president and a psychologist by trade, has previously been critical of her uncle.On Thursday, she said her uncle's failures are adding up.ALSO READ: A neuroscientist reveals how Trump and Biden's cognitive impairments are different"As the RNC’s fundraising falters and Donald’s campaign spirals into chaos, I am energized!" she said in a Substack post.She then continued:"When Donald dominates the news cycle, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Every bad headline has a negative impact. But then I remember something crucial: There’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. I’m determined to cut through the media noise and share with you all the good that happened this week. These are the headlines we need to remain energized and hopeful that the media largely ignored."Mary Trump goes on to highlight President Joe Biden's recent fundraising hauls."President Biden’s $155 million+ war chest has just received another turbo boost, bringing the total of cash on hand to at least $180 million. (By comparison, between his campaign and the RNC, Donald barely has over $50 million — and continues to drain the accounts to cover his absolutely staggering legal expenses)," she wrote. "This is a development that could significantly increase Biden’s ability to influence the narrative in crucial swing states."This, she says, also tells us a lot about voter excitement for Biden."While critics have expressed doubts about the degree to which the Democratic base is fired up as compared to 2020, today’s $25 million fundraiser, raised with donations ranging from $250 to $500,000, should put any doubts to rest — yes, we are absolutely behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and we’re in this fight until the end," she wrote.Read the full post here.
READ MORE
Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Ruby Franke’s Husband REVEALS Alleged Rules He Had to Follow at Home | E! News
March 28, 2024
_mU-3lE2QwI
#KenanThompson speaks out following the #QuietonSet documentary. (🎥: Tamron Hall Show) #shorts
March 28, 2024
8AGP-Gfw_Ek
King Charles Shares "Great Sadness" at Missing Royal Appearance | E! News
March 28, 2024
lyizFqf1kQY
Martha Reeves Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 27, 2024
QzyezumEPtQ
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
Montell Jordan Dishes On Young MC Wedding, 'This Is How Date Night' Plans | TMZ
March 28, 2024
G3SMExj-qio
Davina Potratz Says TV Not Helping 'Selling Sunset' Relationship Woes | TMZ
March 28, 2024
D4piy4GNm4k
Logan Paul Rips Graham Bensinger Over Documentary, You Promised Apple TV+ | TMZ Live
March 28, 2024
NiSDpZhZklQ
Prince William pinned royal medal to Spice Girl Mel B’s boobs #shorts
March 28, 2024
O1cQ0UW9pco
Jennifer Garner shares ‘hard’ part of raising her and Ben Affleck’s kids
March 28, 2024
3Q7mZaVUdgc
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy named as an alleged sex worker in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit #shorts
March 28, 2024
yhLFI8DG9rM
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
PSG W - Hacken W
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Barcelona W - SK Brann W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Chelsea W - Ajax W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Lyon W - SL Benfica W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.