Alison Riske on Coping with the Coronavirus Pandemic and the Importance of Couch Time

It has been a strange, surreal two and a half weeks since Indian Wells was cancelled and the global grip of the Coronavirus pandemic ended sports—and life—as we know it. Three weeks into a shutdown that could last for a devastatingly long time we caught up with World No.19 Alison Riske to talk about what the experience has been like from a player’s perspective.

***INTERVIEW BEGINS AT 3:45***

Alison Riske on Twitter

Alison Riske on Instagram

Alison Riske's WTA Profile

Riske is a consummate pro. She has notched seven consecutive Top 100 finishes and is sitting just one spot shy of her career-best ranking of 18. She was also in line to qualify for a spot in the 2020 Olympic Games as the fourth-ranked American, but that dream is also on hold as the IOC announced the postponement of the games on Tuesday, just a day before we reached Riske at her home in Orlando where she is making the most of her time at home with her husband Stephen Amritraj. 

As the 29-year-old Pennsylvania native points out, we are all in this together, and while her practice and playing routine has been shattered for the foreseeable future she is intent upon making the most of her time away from the tour and is continuing the mental growth that has enabled her to blossom as a player over the last few seasons.

Tune in to hear Riske’s thoughts on the difficulties of training when there is no official return date in sight, how she feels about the Olympic postponement, who she is leaning on for support and information during the crisis, what books and movies she is currently binging and why she is happy to enjoy a luxury that is incredibly rare for a professional tennis player—couch time!

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