Page updated 31st May 2020.

The LTA and the Government have now updated their guidance for all tennis clubs and players. This will come into affect on the 1st June 2020.

For the saftey of you, your family and other members of Westoning Tennis Club, we encourage you to read the full guidance here.

At all times, players should adhere to the Government’s social distancing guidelines (staying at least 2m away from others), and practice public health advice for hygiene and you must always book a court online before playing.

EQUIPMENT

• Take hand sanitizer with you
• [UPDATED] Use your own equipment where possible. Equipment such as rackets can be shared, but where this happens ensure thorough cleaning before and after use. Players should not share items such as towels.
• Only take the minimum amount of equipment with you that you need to play
• Clean and wipe down your equipment, including racquets and water bottles before and after use
• Bring a full water bottle, and do not share food or drink with others
• Ensure you take all your belongings with you at the end of the session and do not leave anything on court

TENNIS ACTIVITY [NEW]

• Both singles play and doubles play is now permitted with people from outside of your household, as long as you remain 2 metres apart as far as possible – meaning that four people from different households can now play doubles
• For padel, doubles play is also permitted but extra care is advised and it should only be done so where players are confident they can maintain 2 metres apart
• Coached sessions should be limited to groups of no more than 6 people, including the coach(es)

MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING

Other than where players are from the same household:

• Stay at least two metres away from other players (including during play, when taking breaks and before and after play)
• Do not make physical contact with other players (such as shaking hands or high five)
• Avoid chasing the ball down to another court if other players are using it
• [NEW] For doubles, consider agreeing in advance which player will take the shot if a ball travels to the centre of the court
• For coached sessions, pay careful attention to the instructions of the coach

HYGIENE

• [NEW] Hand hygiene is imperative - use alcohol gel to clean your hands after touching a shared surface
• If you need to sneeze or cough, do so into a tissue or upper sleeve
• Avoid touching your face

EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES

• [NEW] Players do not now need to use their own clearly marked tennis balls – however, if you choose to use shared balls then extra care must be taken to ensure you do not touch your face during play, and you should clean your hands before play and immediately after finishing (use alcohol gel if required)
• Players should still avoid using their hands to pick up tennis balls from other courts where possible - use your racquet/foot to return them
• Avoid using other equipment such as courtside benches, net handles or court sweepers where possible
• When playing padel, try to avoid touching the court walls
• Be aware that onsite toilet facilities may not be open. Where they are open, players are advised to take particular care when using them and clean hands thoroughly after use

Enjoy your facilities responsibly and please take time to read the full guidance by clicking on this link - LTA Guidance for Players

IMPORTANT: Do not leave your home to play tennis if Government advice means you should stay at home, or you are in the clinically extremely vulnerable category and have been advised to shield from the coronavirus.