‘I am holding up well,’ says Felix Auger-Aliassime, as he urges world to learn from coronavirus crisis
Felix Auger-Aliassime says he is “holding up well” during the coronavirus crisis, and he also thinks it may well just chance the world for the better.
The 19-year-old is spending the lockdown in Canada with his family and says that he certainly hasn’t forgotten about tennis.
“I’m not used to being away from the courts for this long,” he told ATPTour.com. “It’s almost like what happens when you’re dealing with an injury, but I’m not actually hurt.
“The good thing is I’m holding up well. My spirits are good. Luckily everyone in my family is healthy. I haven’t slowed down on my fitness, and I am keeping up with my routines.
“As tennis players, we don’t have many months to train and to get better physically, so I’m taking this time to do that.
“I can stay active and keep getting better, which is good. There’s never a day when you can’t improve somehow.
“I’ve been able to reflect a bit on the first few months of the season, what I would do differently and what I would not do differently; what I’ve been good with, and not as good.
“I’ve had time to call my coaches and analyse a few matches, which is also keeping me busy. But at the same time, I try not to look at the past too much. I like to stay patient and focus on what I do every day to get better.”
Naturally, Auger-Aliassime is thinking about more than just tennis right now, and believes that the coronavirus crisis may ultimately help bring the world together.
“It’s a crazy time, and I think everyone is realising that the world is taking a break,” he added.
“It’s kind of a forced break for us. We’re pushing our world to the limit, and now with how fast the virus has spread, we’re seeing that a problem in one country is everyone’s problem.
“I think everyone is realising that it’s a time to stay apart, stay home, but also to unite in our actions. Whatever we do from now on is going to affect everyone else’s lives.
“It’s not just governments that are realising this, it’s everybody.
“This virus is affecting everyone. We’re all facing the same problem.
“We have to face it all together as one world united, and hopefully this will bring everyone together.
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