Joint statement by ATP & WTA: After careful consideration, and due to the continuing outbreak of COVID-19, all ATP and WTA tournaments in the Spring clay-court swing will not be held as scheduled. This includes the combined ATP/WTA tournaments in Madrid and Rome, along with the WTA events in Strasbourg and Rabat and ATP events in Munich, Estoril, Geneva and Lyon.

The professional tennis season is now suspended through 7 June 2020, including the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF World Tennis Tour. At this time, tournaments taking place from 8 June 2020 onwards are still planning to go ahead as per the published schedule.

In parallel, the FedEx ATP Rankings and WTA Rankings will be frozen throughout this period and until further notice.

The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to professional tennis demand greater collaboration than ever from everyone in the tennis community in order for the sport to move forward collectively in the best interest of players, tournaments and fans.

We are assessing all options related to preserving and maximising the tennis calendar based on various return dates for the Tours, which remains an unknown at this time. We are committed to working through these matters with our player and tournament members, and the other governing bodies, in the weeks and months ahead.

Now is not a time to act unilaterally, but in unison. All decisions related to the impact of the coronavirus require appropriate consultation and review with the stakeholders in the game, a view that is shared by ATP, WTA, ITF, AELTC, Tennis Australia, and USTA.

After spending the past few months in Miami following his right knee operation, Juan Martín del Potro has travelled back to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation in light of the global outbreak of COVID-19.

The 31-year-old, who underwent a second operation on his right knee on 27 January at the University of Miami Institute of Sports Medicine, has been focused on strengthening his knee in the first steps of his recovery. The operation, which came seven months after his first procedure on the injury, is the sixth surgery of his career.

Following guidelines to lower the spread of COVID-19, Del Potro confirmed that had begun his period in quarantine after arriving home in Tandil.

“Accordingly, I am now in quarantine. I will try to continue my recovery as well as I can,” said Del Potro.

The Argentinian, who last competed at the Fever-Tree Championships on 19 June 2019, sent an important message to both his fans and the wider public on social media.

“It is very important that we all look after each other. Self-quarantine, follow the instructions of specialists, be empathetic and be responsible. It is a special, unique moment that needs everyone,” said Del Potro .“I would like to send a big hug to the doctors and health professionals during this difficult time.”

In response to the global outbreak of COVID-19, Rafael Nadal has taken measures to ensure the safety of players stranded at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.

While following orders and recommendations from authorities, the 19-time Grand Slam champion gave an insight into the arrangements that have been made for players at his facility who cannot return home due to a variety of issues, including travel restrictions.

“The circumstances at the Academy are very particular as throughout the year young players of 42 different nationalities reside here. For various family and logistical reasons, many of them have stayed here and it is our duty and responsibility to look after them and that is what I have told their parents,” said Nadal.

The academy’s management has maintained direct contact with the Superior Sports Council and the Balearic Islands’ Regional Ministry of Health in order to adopt the measures necessary in the current state of emergency in Spain.

“The outcome of these conversations has allowed some coaching and support staff, as well as cleaning personnel, who have all volunteered, to confine themselves within the facilities in order to be able to look after these players who have to stay at the academy during this time,” said Nadal.

The preventative measures have been gradually implemented in recent days. Last Saturday, the academy’s adult residencies, the gym, the museum, the shop and the restaurant were closed to the public, leaving just the players and voluntary staff who are now confined there. No outside personnel will have access to the facilities.

“Thus we are able to try and avoid any possible infection from the outside. I would like to take this opportunity to put the parents’ minds at rest and to tell you all that your children are being very well looked after by a great team that is giving their all every single minute to take care of their health. I know you want to be with your children and we hope that moment will arrive soon,” said Nadal.

The Spanish star also took time to share a message of advice and positivity with the public.

“I would also like to encourage you to stay at home,” said Nadal. “These are difficult times but together we will come through them.”

Tuesday marked one year since Dominic Thiem’s title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. It is still the biggest title of his career and it may come as a surprise that before the tournament, the Austrian had a 3-4 record for the season. A key in his change of mentality was committing to a team led by the Chilean Nicolas Massu.

“We started to prepare for that tournament in Rio de Janeiro, just after Dominic lost there in [round one],” remembers the former World No. 9. “We were on a fast court and we trained for nearly seven days there in Brazil in very intense heat. Then we travelled to Indian Wells, where we had a kind of two-week pre-season. He had had several problems in Australia and he lacked a little fitness. All those hours of work were essential.”

Thiem progressed to the quarter-finals in Indian Wells without dropping a set, before outlasting Milos Raonic and Roger Federer in back-to-back thrillers to take the title.

“There were so many positive feelings,” Massu told ATPTour.com. “Winning the last point against Roger in the final was the most exciting moment, it meant sealing a very important title, his first in an ATP Masters 1000 and after such a short time working together.”

The first goal they had set themselves in February — playing better on fast courts — had been passed with flying colours. Approaching the Austrian’s return of serve from a different perspective proved vital. In the desert, Thiem started to get used to returning inside or on the baseline. The gains were immediate.

“We did small things that made the difference,” said Massu, who also advised his pupil during that fortnight to mix up the spin and dare to play surprising shots to shorten points. “That tournament laid the foundations. There was progress on fast courts, which is why he called me in.”

Since then, Thiem has not only been more versatile with his returns, he has also started to approach the net more often and vary his own serve. In a nutshell, he has evolved.

“Massu has really made big changes to my game, great additions. Somehow, he made my game less predictable,” said Thiem after winning in Vienna last year.

The changes helped him win three of his five titles in 2019 on hard courts. He won more trophies on the surface last year than he had in the rest of his career (2). In addition, he ended 2019 as runner-up at the Nitto ATP Finals (l. to Tsitsipas) and began 2020 with a run to his first Grand Slam final on hard courts at the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic).

“I have experienced many important situations alongside Dominic that I evaluate in the same way. From winning tournaments to winning Grand Slam semi-finals. All those victories gave me very similar feelings. They gave me a lot of joy because they are the products of many hours of work,” stressed Massu.

The Chilean has now enjoyed a year of moments to celebrate alongside Thiem. He may never forget the first that came on 17 March 2019, the day when both of them became masters.