Is Indoor Tennis Safe?
by: Mike/TennisCT
This article was originally posted in the Fall of 2020.
Studies about the sport of tennis from medical experts and health professionals, done earlier in 2020 during the spring and summer months, rated it the safest sport to play during the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, from a long list of common activities such as opening your mail and getting take-out food from your favorite restaurant, tennis was still rated as one of the very safest things you can do!
Especially for those in northern climates, there is a distinction between outdoor and indoor tennis. As Winter draws closer, the sport will be played predominantly indoors. When it's played indoors, there are questions about air flow, player spacing, being in more confined spaces like lobbies, and interaction with other players both on-court and off-court. The question is: is the sport as safe as it was when doctors and medical experts gave the sport an "A" and can it be as safe indoors as it has been outdoors?
We are not medical experts, but we do listen to them and our local health officials. The answer right now basically is "yes, with a few changes, precautions and overall a greater awareness of safety protocols."
Specific rules for your indoor club likely vary by state and municipality. Across the board, we can tell you that wearing masks into and around your indoor facility will be required. Mask requirements for players on-court also vary, but most clubs we know require teaching pros to have them. Nearly every club we know of has a "no loitering" policy: you show up, play, and then depart the club. No mingling. Likewise, plexiglass dividers between staff and guests are commonplace and expected.
In terms of next-level safety, frequent sanitizing and cleaning are in place at clubs. Most have a one-way traffic flow to allow players to maintain social distancing. Most have a system in place for utilizing ball hoppers and carts, as well as disinfecting them each hour they are in use. A few clubs we know of, like Fairfield and Kings Highway, are ahead of the curve and have installed new air filtration systems like Bipolar Ionization technology that basically cleans the air around the club continuously while disinfecting 99.9% of virus particles.
Things you should expect not to see or have: common water coolers on-court; benches, chairs, score cards, or other common touch points; access to showers or lockers; and towels provided by the club.
The point is that the sport of tennis itself is relatively safe. Even at an indoor facility, the max number of people playing at a 6-court facility would be 24, or 30 if you count some staff. That's across a large facility with a massive square footage. Even while playing doubles, players are usually separated by at least 6 feet if not more.
As always in our new world, nothing is totally without risk if you don't follow safety procedures. If you're careful about wearing masks, washing your hands, and paying attention to social distancing, it minimizes the risk while still allowing you to play the sport you love.
From a health standpoint, the sport's inherent benefits - physical, social, emotional - will always be clear. The sport itself hasn't changed in that respect, but of course it's up to us to change our habits and what we do when we show up at the courts. If everyone - players, coaches, and facilities - make a few sacrifices, it will allow the sport to continue to grow in a safe and healthy way.