Neil Ahmed

The United States Tennis Association (USTA), has used the COVID-19 pandemic to further the popularity of their sport through their “From Zoom to Boom” initiative. Tennis could become increasingly popular in the COVID-19 pandemic because it allows you to keep your distance without being socially distant.

When COVID-19 initially was on the rise, we all became more cognizant of social distancing practices. The USTA, the organization that is at the forefront of the US Open, is promoting tennis extensively because the sport is arguably the most socially-distant sport one can play during this pandemic. “From Zoom to Boom” essentially creates opportunity for the average fan to play tennis, and play a sport that abides by universal COVID-19 guidelines.

“From Zoom to Boom” allows people to find tennis courts close to them, and players in proximity that are equal in skill. All you have to do is go to USTA.com (Links to an external site.) and click play. You can meet people through the USTA’s Zoom link, which finds people that are both, close in proximity and close in skill level to you. After having a face to face meeting through Zoom, you can schedule to play with a new friends, or coaches and enjoy tennis while following all social distancing guidelines.

Most importantly, the USTA acknowledges that safety is always first. They advise anyone who finds a court and/or friend(s) to play with to:

-Wash your hands before and after play.
-Bring your own full water bottle and avoid public water fountains
-Play with new balls and new grips each time to avoid the spread of cross contamination. -Label your balls, and not to touch your opponents balls with your bare skin.

Tennis is a fun sport, that innately follows social distancing guidelines, and allows you to stay in shape and socialize with people that have similar interests. COVID-19 has only made tennis a more popular sport.