Tennis News

How Isner Is Serving Aces & Touchdown Passes In Miami

For 2018 champion John Isner, the best part of the Miami Open presented by Itau experience has levelled up as the ATP Masters 1000 event returned to its home at Hard Rock Stadium.

A diehard fan of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, the American will be hitting the court at the home of the Miami Dolphins – where the players have the entire football field to themselves during the 2021 edition.

“It’s pretty cool to go out there and throw the football around and run some routes and just pretend like you’re playing in the NFL,” Isner laughed in his pre-tournament press conference. “I’m usually the quarterback, because I’m slow. [I play with] Sam Querrey, Stevie Johnson, mostly the American guys.” 

Isner was the last champion to be crowned in Key Biscayne, marking an end to the tournament’s 32-year run at Crandon Park. He reached the final again a year later at the Hard Rock Stadium, where he fell to Roger Federer in a centre court built within the cavernous venue. 

This year, due to limited fan attendance as a result of health and safety protocols, the Grandstand will be the main court while the football field and areas inside Hard Rock Stadium have been set aside for the players to make full use.

“To be on the field to warm up was incredible,” Isner said. “And it’s even more so this year, because as we all know the big centre court is not built into the stadium right now. So the whole football field is ours. 

“We have lots of room and lots of fun things to do. The players are all happy to be here, and it’s just good to be back in Miami, one of the mainstays of the ATP and WTA Tours. We all missed it last year.”

No. 16 seed Isner will kick off his Miami campaign against either Vasek Pospisil or qualifier Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. He will be searching for positive momentum at his third tournament of the year.

The American won his opening matches at the Delray Beach Open by Vitacost.com – one hour’s drive north of Miami – and at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco. But Isner bowed out in both of his next matches, earning a 2-2 record on the year. Isner arrived in Miami looking to win back-to-back matches for the first time since August 2020 at Western & Southern Open in New York.

“I actually feel alright. I was able to play Acapulco last week and play a couple matches. One was good and one not so good,” Isner said of his preparation. “To be able to get a couple matches before this tournament under my belt was pretty crucial, because I haven’t played that much in the past year.

“Hopefully I can get this tournament started and try to create some momentum for myself and see what I can do. Physically I’m healthy, mentally I feel pretty fresh. I’ll just need to try to get off to a good start and see what I can do from there.”

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Former Junior No. 1 Mochizuki Draws On Federer Advice To Qualify In Miami

One pertinent piece of advice from Roger Federer sticks with #NextGenATP teenager Shintaro Mochizuki whenever he takes the court at this week’s Miami Open presented by Itau. On Tuesday, the Japanese 17-year-old defied a 486-place gap in the FedEx ATP Rankings to book his appearance in his maiden ATP Masters 1000 main draw.

The World No. 654 took down Ecuadorian Emilo Gomez 6-1, 6-2 in the final round of qualifying to set a first-round showdown with fellow qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis. It was a career-best win for the former junior World No. 1, made all the more impressive given he required a wild card just to enter qualifying.

His idol, Federer, was so impressed by Mochizuki’s run to the 2019 junior Wimbledon title that he asked the young Japanese player to be his hitting partner at the Nitto ATP Finals later that year. That is where his belief that he belonged was solidified.

“He’s my hero. At the Nitto ATP Finals, I was there as a hitting partner and I got to hit with him,” Mochizuki said. “It was a dream. In tennis he hits so easy, just relaxed when he’s playing. 

“Many people are just playing with the power and emotions, but he’s just hitting balls so easy. He taught me that if you have any chances to play bigger events, just go for it. 

“Even this tournament, I had a wild card. I’m still like No. 600, I’m not even close to getting into qualies and I had a chance to play, so I just came to play.” 

The teenager, who hails from Kawasaki, Japan, made his ATP Tour debut only last month at the Singapore Tennis Open, where he made a swift exit at the first hurdle against Turkey’s Altug Celikbilek. While not the debut he had hoped for, it went a long way to helping his qualifying campaign in Miami.

“Actually, [it helped] a lot because that was my first ATP tournament of my life and I was so nervous and I couldn’t even play my tennis, especially in the first set,” he said. “But this is my second tournament, and I’m getting used to it. I’m enjoying playing on the tour.”

Besides Federer, Mochizuki has understandably idolised his countryman, Kei Nishikori. Much like the most decorated Japanese male player before him, his tennis journey shares a couple of parallels.

“I came from Japan when I was 12, 13 years old. I came to the IMG Academy and started training,” Mochizuki said. “It was fun playing with people from other countries. It’s different to just playing in Japan.”

Mochizuki added that from time he has spent practising with the former top five star, he has learned how much of a “chilled person” Nishikori is.

“He of course works hard, but he talks to me a lot during breaks,” Mochizuki said. “In a real match watching him on TV, he’s so serious, focused and everything. On and off he’s so good at it.” 

One of Nishikori’s coaches is former doubles World No. 1 Max Mirnyi, who is also a product of the IMG Academy. The Belarusian finds the young Japanese player’s game intriguing, and it reminds him of retired French star Fabrice Santoro.

“Fabrice is a player who really utilised the power of the oncoming ball to him and also was very crafty with his hands,” Mirnyi said. “Just like Fabrice was fun to watch, Shintaro is one of them.

“He sees the court extremely in a different dimension. He uses the angles well, cuts them off well and likes to come into the net. He takes the ball early and he’s got good feel with his hands.”

Off the court, Mirnyi had plenty of nice things to say about Mochizuki.

“He’s a very friendly, outgoing guy off the court and doesn’t take anything for granted,” Mirnyi said. “I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

Mochizuki said he spoke no English when he first moved to train in the US and while he attended school at the academy, other Japanese players on site helped him adjust. Outside the grind of school and training, however, another great passion has helped him throughout.

“On weekends I play baseball with my friends at the academy,” he said. “I still love playing it and watching it. I’m not trying to be a professional baseball player, though, just for fun.”

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My Masters 1000: Karen Khachanov

Seven years ago, Karen Khachanov made his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the Miami Open presented by Itau when he was No. 453 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The Russian returns this year to make his fifth appearance at the Florida event, where he will aim to improve on his 8-4 start to the 2021 ATP Tour season.

Ahead of the tournament, the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters champion spoke to ATPTour.com about his favourite Masters 1000 events and experiences.

Which ATP Masters 1000 host city is your favourite and why?
I would say there are two of them. Paris is a place where I won my Masters 1000 and I have said many times I love to play in France. The atmosphere and energy I get there is amazing and tough to express with words. You feel really pumped there. I would say the other one that I like so much is Madrid. The tournament and the city is really nice.

What is your favourite off-court memory or activity at a Masters 1000?
It depends on the place and the city where I am. In Madrid, Monte Carlo and Rome, you can have a nice walk, you can visit some places, museums and theatres. In general, just to have a walk with your wife or with the team [and] to have a relaxed afternoon is great.

What is the toughest match you’ve played at a Masters 1000?
It was in Paris against John Isner [in 2018]. It was in the third round to play [for a place in the] quarter-finals. I won 6-4, 6-7, 7-6. Both of us saved match points… Emotionally, it was one of the toughest matches of my breakthrough in that tournament.

What is the toughest aspect of playing at a Masters 1000?
The higher [the category of] tournament you are playing, maybe you want to do better. Expectations are higher [and] there is more pressure. I would say my approach is that every match counts. It doesn’t matter if you are playing an ATP 250, ATP 500, Grand Slam or Masters 1000. For me, it is one of the biggest events and obviously I try to do my best in every match.

What is your dream Masters 1000 match?
I would have liked to have played Marat [Safin] in Paris. He won there three times. It was his favourite place and mine too. It would have been a good scenario to have played against him.

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Miami Open: Cameron Norrie through to second round

British number two Cameron Norrie beats Yoshihito Nishioka 6-1 3-6 7-5 to reach the second round of the Miami Open.

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Wednesday Preview: Tiafoe Leads Seven Americans In Miami; Alcaraz Makes Debut

Seven Americans feature on Wednesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, with Frances Tiafoe, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson playing their first-round matches on Grandstand. #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, 17, will be making his ATP Masters 1000 tournament debut, while 39-year-old compatriot Feliciano Lopez is set to make his 18th main draw appearance.

Former World No. 11 Querrey, who has played in Miami every year since his debut in 2006, starts men’s action on the main show court, where he will look to extend his perfect 3-0 ATP Head2Head record against Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei. While Johnson tackles Yannick Hanfmann of Germany for the first time, Tiafoe, the 2019 Miami quarter-finalist, will aim to repeat last month’s Australian Open win over Italian Stefano Travaglia in the fifth match on Grandstand.

Lopez, the oldest player in the Miami draw, meets Singapore Tennis Open titlist Alexei Popyrin of Australia on Court 1, but there will be plenty of focus on the night match at 7pm. World No. 132 Alcaraz, who made his Grand Slam debut last month, plays 21-year-old Finn Emil Ruusuvuori, who broke into the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings earlier this season.

South Africa’s Lloyd Harris, who lost to Aslan Karatsev in last week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final, will look to extend his run of good form against American qualifier Emilio Nava in the second match on Court 2. Dominik Koepfer, who is competing at a career-high No. 54 after reaching last week’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC semi-finals (l. to Zverev), also challenges French wild Hugo Gaston on Court 2.

Mischa Zverev, who is helping as part of his brother Alexander Zverev’s coaching team, qualified for the Masters 1000 event and plays Australia’s James Duckworth third on Court 1, while Open 13 Provence runner-up Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who will partner Nicolas Mahut this week in the doubles draw, faces Pedro Sousa of Portugal first on Court 4.

Watch Live | View TV Schedule

SCHEDULE – WEDNESDAY, 24 MARCH 2020

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
WTA MATCH
S. Querrey (USA) vs [PR] Y. Lu (TPE)
S. Johnson (USA) vs Y. Hanfmann (GER)

Not Before 7:00 pm
WTA MATCH

Not Before 8:30 pm
F. Tiafoe (USA) vs S. Travaglia (ITA)

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
F. Lopez (ESP) vs A. Popyrin (AUS)
M. Giron (USA) vs T. Paul (USA)
J. Duckworth (AUS) vs [Q] M. Zverev (GER)
V. Pospisil (CAN) vs [Q] M. McDonald (USA)

Not Before 7:00 pm
[WC] C. Alcaraz (ESP) vs E. Ruusuvuori (FIN)

COURT 2 start 11:00 am
C. Norrie (GBR) vs Y. Nishioka (JPN)
[WC] H. Gaston (FRA) vs D. Koepfer (GER)
[LL] F. Gaio (ITA) vs R. Berankis (LTU)
L. Harris (RSA) vs [Q] E. Nava (USA)
J. Vesely (CZE) vs L. Djere (SRB)

COURT 4 start 11:00 am
P. Herbert (FRA) vs P. Sousa (POR)
[Q] A. Tabilo (CHI) vs M. Ymer (SWE)
[Q] E. Escobedo (USA) vs [Q] P. Lorenzi (ITA)

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Carlos Alcaraz: Top 50 & Next Gen ATP Finals Spot The Goal

Carlos Alcaraz is getting used to his newfound status. Media requests are increasing as are his career ambitions. The 17-year-old Spaniard is becoming hot property and on Wednesday he makes his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

“I’m getting used to the interviews and I feel more relaxed,” Alcaraz told ATPTour.com. What he is finding harder to grow accustomed to though is rubbing shoulders with ATP Tour stars, who, until recently, he had been watching lift the biggest trophies on television.

 

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This week, he practised with Marin Cilic in the build-up to Miami and last month he was able to train with Rafael Nadal before the Australian Open. “It was incredible to be able to train with my idol,” said Alcaraz. “To get to prepare for the tournament with him was a unique experience, one that I’ll never forget in my life.”

When he passes members of the sport’s elite in the hallways, locker rooms, restaurants and gyms of tournaments, Alcaraz remains a little starstruck. “I try to treat it as naturally as possible, but whenever I see someone who I watched on television when I was younger, I always tell Juan Carlos [Ferrero] or someone in my team; ‘Look, there’s Rafa!’ Or ‘There’s Cilic!’ I’m still amazed to be in the same place as them.”

Through hard work and dedication, Alcaraz has risen from No. 492 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the start of 2020 to his current position of No. 132. Last year, he’d been invited to play in Miami, following his first ATP Tour victory over Alberto Ramos-Vinolas at the Rio Open presented by Claro, but the global COVID-19 pandemic struck. Alcaraz won ATP Challenger Tour titles in Trieste, Barcelona and Alicante in the few months he was able to compete last year and so far in 2021, he’s beaten a Top 15 player in David Goffin at the Great Ocean Road Open and won a match on his Grand Slam championship debut at the Australian Open.

“Honestly, with the pandemic in the way, I wouldn’t have believed I could be here in Miami to play in the main draw of a Masters 1000,” said Alcaraz. “If it weren’t for the pandemic, in a normal year, then maybe I would have believed it a little more.”

Alcaraz is currently in the Top 10 of the ATP Race To Milan for a spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals and the prospect of competing at the Allianz Cloud with the likes of current leaders Felix Auger-Aliassime (aged 20), Jannik Sinner (19) and Lorenzo Musetti (19) is a real 2021 goal for the Spaniard. “It’s true that last year it wasn’t on because of the pandemic, but I think that [playing in the Next Gen ATP Finals] would be a good goal.

“They all play really well, I wouldn’t say one in particular. Felix is Top 20 [in the FedEx ATP Rankings], Sinner is Top 35, I couldn’t choose one. It’s true that I’ve come up with Musetti, I played with him as a junior, and we’ve come across one another at some ATP Challenger Tour events. He’s the one I have the best relationship with. The one I’ve spent most time with, and the one I speak to most outside of the group of Spanish players.”

American Sebastian Korda, Argentinean Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the recent Cordoba Open champion, Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Argentinean Sebastian Baez currently feature in the other automatic qualification spots.

“My goal is to end the year among the 50 best players in the world,” said Alcaraz. “If I achieve that goal I’ve set myself for this season and reach the Top 50, that would mean I will be playing in Milan in November. It would be a good goal.”

Former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero and his team are doing a good job of keeping Alcaraz’s feet on the ground. “I try not to pay too much attention to all the expectation being generated of me. I try not to place much importance on things being said about me like ‘the new Rafa’ or ‘the future No. 1’. I’m focused on following my own path, continuing to grow and gain experience.”

What is true though is that nobody can stop him from dreaming. When asked what he sees when he closes his eyes and thinks about his future success, Alcaraz smiles and says, confidently, “Winning a Grand Slam and being the World No. 1.” Then, after a brief pause, he says, “Or both”, before finally settling on “Both!” Only time will tell.

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Mischa Zverev Juggles Many Roles In Miami

Mischa Zverev has no qualms donning multiple caps at any one time. Even after qualifying for his first ATP Masters 1000 main draw in two years at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Tuesday, the German saw no reason to reprioritise his own tennis career higher up the order.

A former World No. 25 who holds a 133-198 tour-level win-loss record, Zverev’s standout runs came with his sole ATP Tour title at Eastbourne in 2018 and with an upset of top seed Andy Murray en route to the 2017 Australian Open quarter-finals. Now ranked No. 280 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 33-year-old is spotted more frequently courtside as part of brother Alexander Zverev’s coaching team.

That will require some extra juggling this week, following his final-round qualifying win over Italian Matteo Viola on Tuesday. He has his own main draw match against James Duckworth to prepare for now.

“I had to drop [Alexander’s] racquets off in the morning, get a massage table, I had to talk to the German tennis magazine this morning on the way here, then I had another phone call, kind of a business phone call, during breakfast,” Zverev said. “This is the fun part of being busy all day long.”

Zverev clearly relishes his coaching role alongside his father and co-coach, Alexander Sr., as well as that of hitting partner and brother, while juggling those of husband and father. There was no doubt, however, which roles came first.

“First of all my family. I’m a father, I’m a husband, and then of course, it’s Sasha’s career and then it’s also my career,” he said. “I don’t want to say third [in line], but you have to be rational about it, you have to be smart. 

“If Sasha’s getting ready for a Grand Slam then, yeah, I can put my Challengers and Futures on hold so I can help him. Whenever I get a chance I try to play, practise, we practise a lot together. That helps me and hopefully him a little bit as well. 

“That keeps me in shape as we saw today. We played for three sets and my opponent got tired in the third set and I was able to kind of outlast him.” 

It is an arrangement, which has paid dividends in Miami already this week. Even amid juggling roles, the German still found time to scout his final-round qualifying opponent. 

“I watched a little YouTube last night before going to bed about midnight so I knew what to expect,” he said. “So far it’s been a crazy, wild trip to Miami. We got here Sunday night, now it’s Tuesday afternoon and I’m in the main draw all of a sudden. It couldn’t be better so far.”

Zverev had only one match win from five previous qualifying attempts in Miami before 2021. He has triumphed in only one main draw match in six prior Miami appearances, but regardless of when his latest run draws to a close, there will be work to do supporting his brother before the chance to step back to his top priorities.

“Sometimes it’s not easy because I’m trying to play and trying to be a good hitting partner and trying to watch what [Alexander’s] doing,” Zverev said. “I try to be there if he needs me as a brother, mainly.  

“If you look at a clock or a watch, it’s a complicated mechanism, but it functions and doesn’t break down normally. So I’d like to consider we could become a mechanism like that, kind of complicated, but still functions well because everybody understands each other’s roles.”

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Opelka Donating $100 For Every Miami Ace To Spinal Cord Research

Reilly Opelka has hit nearly 1,900 aces in his young career. At the Miami Open presented by Itau, his aces will be more important than ever.

Opelka will donate $100 for every ace he strikes to Wings for Life, a not-for-profit research foundation, which is on a mission to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

“I can’t say enough about the amazing work Wings For Life does to support individuals with spinal cord injuries through crucial research,” Opelka said. “The Wings for Life campaign is an important way to not only raise money that will be 100 per cent dedicated to researching a cure, but also to promote awareness of spinal cord injuries that affects millions of people around the world.”

I will be donating $100 for every ace I hit during the Miami Open to @WFLWorldRun a great foundation where 100% of proceeds go to Spinal Chord Injury research. Follow along and donate here!! https://t.co/WyMnTYZSWW

— Reilly Opelka (@ReillyOpelka) March 22, 2021

Fans can join Opelka’s ‘Aces Give Flight’ by making a donation, 100 per cent of which will go directly to spinal cord research in the United States. Everyone who donates will be entered to win the 23-year-old’s kit. The Wings for Life World Run, also supporting the foundation, will take place on 9 May.

Opelka will open his Miami tournament against Feliciano Lopez or Alexei Popyrin. The first seeded opponent he could play is top seed Daniil Medvedev in the third round.

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Kokkinakis Fires Up For Miami, Where He Once Shook The Tennis World

The highs of pushing Stefanos Tsitsipas to five sets before a home crowd on Rod Laver Arena last month are a far cry from the sparse qualifying courts Thanasi Kokkinakis has competed on since. But it is a journey the 24-year-old accepts on another long road back following a year sidelined.

On Tuesday, the 24-year-old scored a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Spaniard Mario Vilella Martinez in the final round of qualifying at the Miami Open presented by Itau. It booked his second main draw appearance of the season, following his run to the second round of this year’s Australian Open. 

“Yeah it’s a little bit different [to facing Tsitsipas at the Australian Open], but for me the goal is still the same,” Kokkinakis said. “I haven’t played in so long, so any match is a good chance to get out there for me to show and prove that I belong to get my ranking back and rebuild some confidence.”

That ranking and confidence have taken a battering in recent years. The Australian admitted he competed in $6 Kmart t-shirts at his home Grand Slam last month. It was the anecdote from his run there, which best captured his personality and his rotten run of luck.

Since surging to No. 69 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in June 2015, a litany of injuries derailed the Australian in every season since. It meant he no longer had a clothing sponsor and the road ahead became even bleaker, following the impact of the pandemic on the tour.

“It’s definitely tough, especially when you haven’t had the last two years earning money,” Kokkinakis said. “It’s even more so tricky maybe for myself and then my first year back on tour when everything is cut dramatically and it’s a bit more of a grind. 

“I’m trying to look at it in a way where everything I do now is trying to set myself up for next year, get those matches. Hopefully next year things are back to normal, prize money is back and it’s a good chance to earn a living. I’ve been fortunate to have this opportunity to start playing again so I’m just trying to compete and stay healthy again.”

Currently ranked No. 243 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Kokkinakis did not play at all throughout 2020 and contested only four tour-level main draws in 2019. His frustrations were only compounded having claimed the biggest win of his career in Miami in 2018.

The Australian had stunned top seed Roger Federer in three sets at Key Biscayne in the second round. It was validation that his ability and hard work had aligned and his body had held up. And it’s still a match for which he is remembered.

“There was one old guy here who works at the tournament and he has a strong European accent and he keeps yelling ‘Kokkinakis’,” he said. “He was trying to tell me a lot of the fans [when I played Federer] hated him because he was one of the few cheering for me. 

“I appreciate him. It’s always good memories coming back to Miami. It’s a little bit of a different venue, obviously. It’s a bit different without the atmosphere and the crowd, but you’ve just got to make the most of it.”

Fellow qualifier, Japan’s #NextGenATP 17-year-old Shintaro Mochizuki, is Kokkinakis’ opening-round opponent.  The 29th seed, Marton Fucsovics, awaits the winner.

Should Kokkinakis find a way past both to match his third-round run from three years ago, World No. 4 Andrey Rublev looms. The Russian, only 18 months the Australian’s junior, could empathise with Kokkinakis’ sentiments on the frustrations of a career being put on hold due to injuries as his peers forged on ahead.

“Mentally the toll it has where you see guys you feel like you should be up there with, where they’ve had the chances to play and compete, the last few years I haven’t [had those chances],” Kokkinakis said. “Every injury is a massive setback. It’s just trying to build yourself up again and keep going and that sort of stuff takes a toll and a lot of people don’t realise that unless they’ve been in that sort of position, so I’m fortunate to be playing again and try not to take it for granted.

“I’m kind of a veteran because I get how the tour works and I’ve been around for a while, but at the same time I haven’t had anywhere near the tennis that people my age have had so I kind of feel like a bit of a youngster in that regard. It is a blessing and a curse.”

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Djokovic, Noah & Tsonga Take Notice Of Eager Kids Playing Tennis In Cameroon

Tennis legend Yannick Noah grew up in Cameroon, and on Tuesday he showed the world how eager children from the country are to play tennis. The 1983 Roland Garros champion shared on social media a video of dozens of kids bouncing up and down and chanting in excitement as they slowly moved up a line to get a chance to hit a couple of balls on a makeshift court.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has a foundation that supports preschool kids in Serbia, took notice of the Cameroonian children and reposted the video on his own channels.

“This is pure love and passion for tennis. I love this video and send my gratitude to the coaches who made this happen. So creative, well done !” Djokovic tweeted. “P.S. I love how they sing and hop while waiting for their turn to hit ball.”

This is pure love ❤️ and passion for tennis. I love this video and send my gratitude to the coaches who made this happen. So creative well done ! ?????? p.s. I love how they sing and hop while waiting for their turn to hit ball ?

Repost @ yannicknoah pic.twitter.com/LPqxPX8ds6

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 23, 2021

Former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, whose father is Congolese, was among many who commented about the amazing kids’ energy.

“Too proud to see that!” Tsonga wrote. “@yannicknoah this is inspiring.”

The video is of children participating in the Oyebog Tennis Academy, a non-profit organisation founded by Cameroonian Joseph Oyebog, who climbed as high as No. 1187 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings. The OTA, which serves underprivileged children, has introduced more than 12,000 kids to tennis according to the organisation’s website.

“The programme is a safe haven for children; a place to go where they feel great about themselves,” Oyebog wrote. “When I see a kid on the court smiling, with something else to think about besides illness and when their next meal will come; when they have some light in their lives, I know it is all worth it.” 

Did You Know?
The OTA is fundraising for a COVID-19 relief fund and for programme needs. Visit the OTA website to learn how you can support the children.

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