New Normal for Tennis Players By Luke Jensen
A
re there words to describe what has happened to planet earth at
the start of 2020? We live in an interconnected world and we’re all concerned for a future that is so uncertain. In early March, as we watched two of the most popular tournaments, Indian Wells and the Miami Open, cancel because of the global situation due to the virus. The very best players in the world traveling the planet living out of a suitcase now had their lives and livelihoods up in the air. Professional tennis is a match-tomatch way to make a living. One injury or one bad losing streak can put
daunting pressure on how the bills will be paid. When I injured my knee in the spring of 1998, I was without any income for an entire year until I started back playing on the ATP Tour again in 1999. As a player, you know the risk and the pressure to produce in order to earn a living, so having the pro tours suspend everything for a long period of time is going to have an effect on a lot of players. Following many of them on Twitter and Instagram has been very interesting. Depending on the level of success they have had in their career seems to determine how they have maintained training, and some have options to make sure they will be ready when the tour returns. The players that I found most interesting to follow have been the
players outside the Top 100 in the world. These players are the blue collar type, living paycheck-to-paycheck while trying to make it to the big money tournaments. As the Director at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills I was taking calls from well-known players looking to make some extra money during this time by playing an exhibition or even teaching. How do they find ways to keep improving their games while also finding an alternative way to make money? Today’s players make more money than they did during my era, but they also have teams of people around them. What happens to the coach, trainer and agent? These are extremely interesting times for all of us on this very fragile planet. As schools and programs close, we have to focus on helping the world around us get through. We must live in the moment and soon enough we will be on the path forward. Let’s be part of the solution and do what we can to contribute to the new normal. Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” Luke is currently director of racket sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 4030752 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.
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New York Tennis Magazine • June 2020 • NYTennisMag.com
