At the US Open, the coronavirus has disrupted a crucial relationship: Player and towel

A number of things have changed at the U.S. Open because of the novel coronavirus.

Players wear masks walking to and from courts; gone are the post-match handshakes and hugs at the net; players have only minimal time in the locker rooms, training facilities and on-site gym; and, of course, there are no fans at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
But one of the biggest changes for players has to do with sweat — as in, how to mop it up.

At this year’s U.S. Open, players, rather than ball boys and girls, must tend to their own towels between points.

There are new, temporary rules governing how towels are used on court, and they have disrupted a routine that is sacred for many players.
“For me, it has huge importance, the towel,” fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas said. “I use it very often. It gives me time to think, gives me time to refresh myself and think about my tactics.”

Source: Washington Post