COVID-19 lockdown: Prajnesh Gunneswaran "frustrated" for not being able to play

As the country is under coronavirus-induced lockdown, Indian tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran on Friday said it is "frustrating" for an athlete for not being able to play the sport.

Gunneswaran made a guest appearance during the "Education Webinar for Coaches", an initiative being conducted by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and Sports Authority of India's (SAI), and interacted with hundreds of AITA registered Tennis coaches and the experts on the panel.

"From Tennis standpoint, as an athlete, it is obviously quite bad. Not being able to play tennis, not being able to compete, these are all the things that will hurt an athlete. It's a little bit like being injured, I think," Gunneswaran said during the session.

"It's a bit more frustrating because you know that you are not injured, so you know that you can train and move forward but unfortunately the world is at a stage where we all have to stay at home and stay safe. It is a little tricky situation," he added.

Speaking to Suresh Kumar Sonachalam (Director, AITA Coach's Education Program), Gunneswaran answered few queries on his strategies and tactical decisions over the years in his playing career.

India's number two ranked tennis player, Gunneswaran, laid emphasis on finding the right balance between long-term commitments and short-term benefits.

"It comes down to deciding whether you want to add certain skill-set or work on improving your game because you have the risk of losing certain number of matches or start going backwards for some time. You do not develop new skills overnight," the 30-year-old said.

"Every player has to make a decision whether he or she feels that that aspect that he or she is trying to improve or add, is it that crucial that it will help him or her make it to the next level. It's a bit like a short-term versus long-term approach. It is important to find the righ balance," Gunneswaran added.

( With inputs from ANI )