TABLE tennis star Charlotte Carey has spoken of the financial predicament she finds herself in because of the coronavirus pandemic.

With sport put on hold by Covid-19, the 23-year-old, Wales' top female player, is on lockdown at her parent's house in Ebbw Vale.

Normally, the six-time national singles champion would be travelling to tournaments around Europe from her base in the Swedish city of Halmstad.

However, Carey, who has represented Wales at three Commonwealth Games, doesn't know when she will be able to resume her professional career.

South Wales Argus:

"I was in Dublin and had to come home early because they cancelled the tournament, the Confucius Cup," she said.

"It fell on St Patrick's weekend and when the tournament was cancelled, me and my flatmate, who had come with me, thought we would do the usual tourist things in Dublin.

"But everything was closed so we decided to come home.

"I should have been heading to Spain at the weekend for a match on Wednesday, and I was supposed to play in Sweden as well.

"The team I play for in Spain is top of the table and my team in Sweden is in the play-offs.

"The international federation have said that all leagues are postponed, so it's just a bit gutting."

She added: "It's annoying for us because we're on contracts.

"You get paid when you play and now everything is up in the air.

"I don't know where I stand as far as money is concerned.

"It's a weird time because all tournaments have been called off."

While the enforced break from competition is set to have an impact on Carey financially, it is at least giving her body a well-earned rest.

She said: "I was told to take a two-week break after the national championships because of my back. I'm terrible at resting, I can't do it.

"It has been a niggling pain since last September. I was in a lot of pain at the nationals and the doctor said I had a prolapsed disc which needs rest and physio.

"The rest is going to do me good as far as my back is concerned."

South Wales Argus:

On training at home, she continued: "Even though you can do some fitness, it's not the same as table time, which is invaluable.

"If you do have a table at home then you have more freedom to practice – I don't have a table.

"If I did, my grandfather (Malcolm, who introduced her to the sport) is in self-isolation, so I'd have to practice with my dad, and that would mean teaching him how to play."

Carey completed another clean sweep of national titles – women's singles (sixth), women's doubles (ninth) and mixed doubles (10th) – earlier this year.

She also represented Great Britain at the World Olympic Team Qualification event in Portugal, where Carey, Tin-Tin Ho and Maria Tsaptsinos lost their opening match to Spain.

Carey was hoping to try her luck at the world singles qualifiers, a tournament which had been called off before the announcement that Tokyo 2020 was being moved to next year.