Players begin to job hunt as shutdown continues

With the ATP and ITF tour shutting down for at least six weeks, and the WTA cancelling through Charleston, players are scrambling for work.

With prize money income screeching to a halt, some are even posting resumes.

And offering lessons.

Jeremy Chardy spoke with *Le Equipe* about his shock at Indian Wells being called off, and the ensuing chaos.

"I no longer know, actually, if I am unemployed, on paternity leave, or a tennis player," he said. "Many players want to talk about it. It's not our fault what's going on. If many tournaments are canceled, it can be difficult if you're not an employee. And for ATP points, it can also be complicated."

One could argue that players have dealt with long layoffs before due to injury and illness, but this is different because everyone is impacted, all players, tournament and tour organizers, stadium employees and media. And there's no definite ending in sight, not to mention all the confusion and fear.

One option is to treat it like a spring off-season, but that requires careful planning of days off followed by slowly ramping up training for a particular start date. If the suspension lasts longer, the whole off-season system gets thrown out of wack.