Tennis players mull competition or rest at start of new season

As the 2021 professional tennis season began this week, several of the top players opted not to attend the only opening tournaments before they have to quarantine for two weeks in Australia. This year, they cannot simply show up for the Australian Open and compete right away.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, ranked No 1 and No 2 among the men, remained on their practice courts rather than venturing to Turkey or Florida for the first events on their tour. On the women’s side, the American stars Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka skipped the event in Abu Dhabi.

For most players, the decision to play or not to play came down to whether they thought playing real matches now would help them get mentally and physically prepared for the rigours of a Grand Slam.

© 2020 The New York Times News Service