The ATP Tour remains suspended until 13 July, but fans are following their favorite players closely.

Chris, a 12-year-old who lives in San Diego, California, misses the Tour so much that he wrote a song about it.

This is Chris. Chris was born with a rare genetic disorder called Alström Syndrome that causes blindness & multi-organ failure.

Chris sent us his #COVID19 song about the ATP Tour ? pic.twitter.com/LXEnoWppMC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 11, 2020

One of the players mentioned in the song is former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, who took to social media to show his appreciation.

❤️❤️❤️❤️??????????????? https://t.co/D4RS6U112R

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) May 12, 2020

Chris was born with a rare genetic disorder called Alström Syndrome, which causes blindness and multi-organ failure. He checks the scores and stats of all the ATP Tour matches when he wakes up, and his favourite players are John Isner, Matteo Berrettini, Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He got to meet Isner at last year’s BNP Paribas Open and the US Open. Chris also met Berrettini at Indian Wells this year before the event was cancelled due to coronavirus concerns.

Read the lyrics of his song below:

We miss the ATP Tour

We hope scientists find a cure

We miss Fed, Nadal and Berrettini

Djoker, Nick and of course Fognini

Now Nadal is cooking eggs

Fed is playing in the snow with a hat

Djoker is getting a haircut

And Thiem prefers dogs to cats

You’ve got to love Stefanos posting Nick’s number to fans

And Isner describing how to make a heart with his hands

The break has taught the fans a lot of new things

One of them is Stan the Man, he’s a social media king

Murray is unbeatable in the virtual tennis game

Medvedev can howl and his dog can do the same

We are ready for the players to get back on court

The world can’t wait to watch this wonderful sport

We miss the ATP Tour

We can’t wait for the scientists to find a cure

Hey Young Writers,

Thanks for the fantastic stories you submitted for the first installment of our Fan Essay Contest. Not only did you impress our judges, but one essay so moved one of the subjects, John Millman, that the Aussie reached out personally to thank the author, 16-year-old Connor Joyce of Melbourne.

Now it’s time for the second contest. You have until Friday 22 May at 12 noon ET to submit your essay of no more than 500 words to [email protected]

The best three entries will be featured on ATPTour.com.

Check out more great activities in the Emirates ATP Kids Zone.

Our New Fan Essay Topic: If you could work any job at an ATP Tour event, what would it be and why? Describe some of your duties and how you would execute them. In your job, would you have any direct interactions with players, and if so, how would you handle those?

If you know someone who works at an ATP tournament, you can also write about what they’ve told you about their job and what you’ve learned from them. Perhaps you’ve already worked at a tournament, maybe as a ballkid or in some other role. Feel free to write about that.

Below is a list of jobs for your consideration. However, you don’t have to choose from the list. Perhaps you can make up a tennis job that doesn’t yet exist!

• Ballkid
• Chair umpire
• Linesman
• Courtesy car driver
• Reporter or photographer
• Post-match on-court interviewer
• Stringer
• Locker room attendant

Fans must be 18 and under to enter. Winning entries will be determined by the ATPTour.com editorial team.

Entrants are limited to one entry per essay topic, but may submit entries for each new question in the competition. There will be a new topic every two weeks. Essays must be written in English and submitted to [email protected]. Please do not send essays as attachments. Paste the text into the body of an email.

Click here for full terms and conditions.

Your favourite players are all at home, but they’re finding plenty of ways to pass the time. From Stefanos Tsitsipas showing off his fashionista side, to Andy Murray’s backboard hitting session, find out how the world’s best players are keeping busy.

Tsitsipas broke out his old school tracksuit.

 

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Combine good weather with retro attire, just for a change. #RetroAesthetic #Fashionista #OldSchool

A post shared by Stefanos Tsitsipas (@stefanostsitsipas98) on May 5, 2020 at 12:06pm PDT

Murray left his neighbours an unexpected present with his errant backhand.

#TennisAtHome @andy_murray style ? pic.twitter.com/9I83i5t5BL

— LTA (@the_LTA) May 10, 2020

Mike Bryan honoured his wife, Nadia, as she celebrated her first Mother’s Day.

 

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This is one amazingly strong and awesome woman! I’m proud and honored to be your husband. Baby Jake definitely hit the jackpot in the Momma department ! #supermom #happymothersday

A post shared by Mike Bryan (@mikecbryan) on May 10, 2020 at 2:45pm PDT

Frances Tiafoe paid tribute to his mother, Alphina.

 

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Happy Mother’s Day @k.alphina thank you for everything u do for me and @k1ng_2._0. Forever grateful for you. #fromthegutter #famfirst #godspeed????

A post shared by Frances Tiafoe (@bigfoe1998) on May 10, 2020 at 2:09pm PDT

Dominic Thiem hit the track with his brother, Moritz.

 

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weekends on the track

A post shared by Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) on May 10, 2020 at 10:00am PDT

Fabio Fognini started his week by taking care of business.

Smart working ?☕️?#monday #athome pic.twitter.com/LKD7IojyeI

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) May 11, 2020

Diego Schwartzman enjoyed some quality time with his dog.

 

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Ziggy ❤️ ph: @eugedemartino

A post shared by Diego Schwartzman (@dieschwartzman) on May 8, 2020 at 5:35pm PDT

Leander Paes took time to answer fan questions.

https://t.co/HO5m6vpcUF

— Leander Paes (@Leander) May 10, 2020

Edouard Roger-Vasselin proved that you don’t always need an opponent to play a grueling point.

Quel bonheur de retaper dans la balle ??? #comeon ? pic.twitter.com/wTO36ypyez

— EdouardRogerVasselin (@ERogerVasselin) May 11, 2020

Rafael Nadal’s first appearance at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, in 2005, was certainly a memorable one. But what most fans will remember is the final.

Nadal, then only 18, showed his trademark fighting spirit to rally from down 0-3 in the fifth set to defeat 2004 Roland Garros finalist Guillermo Coria 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6) in a gut-wrenching five hours and 14 minutes.

“I am very happy,” Nadal said. “I played today one of the toughest matches in my life.”

Even though he was a teenager, the Spaniard had already proven he was capable of competing at the ATP Masters 1000 level, becoming the second-youngest champion in series history just weeks earlier at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. In Monaco, Nadal also defeated Coria in the final, 6-3, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5. That match that lasted three hours and nine minutes.

But in Rome, the lefty was pushed to the brink. Coria, who had won a clay-court Masters 1000 title in each of the previous two years, appeared poised to finish Nadal when he broke in the deciding set and consolidated that advantage.

“I think the public was very important for me because when I [was down] 0-3 in the fifth, my energy was finished,” Nadal said. “But the public all the time supported me. For that, I [was able to] win the match.”

Nadal pounded away with his forehand at 5/3 in the final-set tie-break, manoeuvring the Argentine around the court. But Coria hit a tremendous backhand passing shot down the line to retrieve the mini-break. Nadal, however, would not be denied.

At 7/6, the teen scraped back a high lob off a crushed Coria forehand, later in the point forcing the Argentine to make a volley error. When that volley sailed long, Nadal collapsed to the court in celebration.

“I’m a little bit not satisfied because I ran for five hours just to lose with two points. So I am very disappointed,” Coria said. “It’s normal, but I lost with a top player who played a great match.”

There were 18 service breaks in the match — nine per player — and Nadal won two more points than Coria, 190-188.

“I think I was pretty close to beating him today, but he’s very confident,” Coria said. “He has won a lot of matches and he’s making some incredible shots and he’s very confident in his game.”

It’s safe to say that Nadal, who remains the youngest champion in Rome history, showed from early on that he was not a typical teen. Nadal went on that year to win his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros, and he has triumphed at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia eight times since that day.

“I was really surprised by how he was running and his shots,” Coria said. “I think there are very [few] players who can hit so hard.”

When Novak Djokovic believes he’s playing well, that’s typically a bad omen for any opponent. But in the semi-finals of the 2018 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, that still wasn’t enough.

Rafael Nadal battled past Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in a tight one hour and 56 minutes, moving to 10-0 in Rome semi-finals. The match was full of thrilling points as the legends clawed for control of the rallies. It was so exciting that at one point, commentator Robbie Koenig uttered an iconic line.

“It’s tennis nearer the gods!”

Nadal emerged victorious on Court Centrale to earn his 356th ATP Masters 1000 win, breaking a tie with Roger Federer (355) for the most victories at the elite level in history. The Spaniard is in top spot today with 384 Masters 1000 victories, and Federer is right behind at 381.

“It was a tough battle, I think a good level of tennis,” Nadal said. “[It was a] combination of tactics, a combination of great shots for both of us. [It’s a] very important victory for me. I’m very happy.”

Both Nadal and Djokovic entered the match having never lost in the semi-finals at the Foro Italico, and it was the Serbian who suffered his first defeat at that stage in Rome. However, it was not all bad news for Djokovic, who earned renewed confidence after reaching his first semi-final of the season and digging deep to challenge the Spaniard.

Earlier in the year, Djokovic had undergone a right elbow procedure, which contributed to him losing six of nine matches leading into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Yet suddenly, then World No. 18, he was going ball-for-ball with an in-form Nadal.

“Rafa was just better in important moments. He just managed to play [the] right shots and he deserved to win. He was the better player,” Djokovic said. “I don’t think that there was too much of a difference, which is great for me, great news for me. Because Rafa is, of course, the best player ever to play tennis on clay courts. And he’s in great, great form. It’s very difficult to play him on clay anywhere. But as I said, I thought the level of my tennis was very high.”

Nadal never doubted that Djokovic would return to form. Although he beat the Serbian in straight sets, he knew it’d take his best to do so.

“I played against one of the best players of the history of this sport, you know. It’s always a challenge to play against him. He has all the shots,” Nadal said. “He’s always a match that when he’s playing well, you’re going to have to play your best if you want to have chances.”

Nadal would go on to beat defending champion Alexander Zverev for his eighth Rome title. In 2019, he retained his crown for a record ninth victory at the Foro Italico.

Juan Sebastian Cabal’s life is about to get busier at home. The No. 2 player in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings revealed on Saturday that he and wife Juliana had welcomed the arrival of their second baby boy named, Juan Martin.

“I can only thank God for giving me one more blessing in my life. I have no words to express the happiness that is so pure,” Cabal wrote in an Instagram post. “Welcome to the world JM. Your family loves you madly.”

 

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?? Solo puedo darle gracias a Dios por regalarme una bendición más en mi vida ?? No tengo palabras para expresar la felicidad tan pura que se siente!!!! Bienvenido al mundo JM ? tu familia te ama locamente ? . . . @jvasquezb @jacobocabal #familia

A post shared by Juan Sebastián Cabal (@jscabal) on May 8, 2020 at 12:58pm PDT

The couple also has a three-year-old son named Jacobo, who has already inherited his dad’s racquet skills.

 

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Cuidado @robertfarah que te van a quitar el puesto! Porque aquí seguimos entrenando a full ? . . #tennisathome #quedateencasa

A post shared by Juan Sebastián Cabal (@jscabal) on Mar 25, 2020 at 6:03pm PDT

Cabal and fellow Colombian Robert Farah clinched the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking for the first time last year after winning Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, in addition to prevailing at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome and tour-level events in Barcelona and Eastbourne. They also finished runner-up this February in Acapulco.

Cabal’s newest addition adds to the recent trend of players welcoming children into their families. Mike Bryan, Sam Querrey, Andreas Seppi, Hugo Dellien, and Marin Cilic all became first-time parents this year.

Bryan and his wife, Nadia, welcomed a boy in April named Jake. Dellien and his wife, Camila, had a baby girl named Mila on 25 April. Seppi and his wife, Michela, shared the news of baby Liv on 20 February. Querrey and his wife, Abby, also became new parents in February to a boy named Ford. Cilic and his wife, Kristina, welcomed a son in January.

Dmitrii Baskov enjoyed one of the best experiences of his tennis career in January. However, it’s been a wild ride since.

The 26-year-old, whose career-high FedEx ATP Ranking is No. 1,366, was part of Team Moldova in the inaugural ATP Cup. Not only did he represent his country, but Baskov got to be around some of the best players in the world.

Afterwards, Baskov was excited to visit India for the first time on the way home to train at Ace Tennis Academy in Ahmedabad.

“January in Moldova, it’s cold, there is not much space to practise, nobody to really practise with,” Baskov told ATPTour.com. “India was just a good place to make a stop.”

The Moldovan booked a ticket to fly home on 31 March. However, those plans were derailed by the spread of the coronavirus.

“When the lockdown hit here in India, it was already pretty big in Europe. I’d heard about Italy, I’d heard about Germany, I’d heard about even Russia. When things were happening, I didn’t know if I should leave or I should stay. I decided staying in India might be safest,” Baskov said. “It’s just a good place, honestly. A lot of fresh air, a lot of sun, a lot of space to do fitness or whatever by myself. I can’t do that in my apartment in Moldova.”

Baskov had never been in Asia before, but he is certainly making an impact. The Moldovan is staying with the academy’s director, Pramesh Modi, and his wife, Ami Modi. One day they were talking about the situation, and Baskov recalls Ami worrying about the people who weren’t getting food.

“We were like, ‘Okay, let’s try to cook some food and distribute it on the street. That was the first day. We did maybe 200 portions. We drove around, we gave the food, everyone was happy and then the next day the same thing happened. After a couple days we cooked for 500 people,” Baskov said. “I don’t know how it happened, but now we’re packing every day about 2,000 to 3,000 portions. The government cars come to pick it up because the quarantine is very strict. You can’t really drive, police stations are everywhere, so we can’t distribute it.

“We just order the food from someone who cooks it in huge amounts, he brings us huge jars, and we pack it in proper packages and give it to the people.”

Ami is the founder of the Shree Sava Foundation, which Baskov says has received support from the local community to help with this initiative. They spend an hour and a half in the morning to package lunches, and another hour and a half later in the day to package dinner.

“There are 24 hours of freedom, you can afford to do something good for society,” Baskov said. “It’s obvious that some people need help… I consider myself lucky being here with such great people. Not everyone is that lucky. Not everyone has the financial support, not everyone has the financial safety and I think everyone would do it if they have the opportunity. I’m sure, especially tennis players.”

Baskov’s parents are both doctors in Russia, and he says his father, who had been working in an ambulance, came down with COVID-19 about three weeks ago. He is not clear of the virus yet, but has been feeling better.

“Even if I was there, I couldn’t be in touch with him,” Baskov said. “He has to self-isolate himself when he’s sick.

“Deep down I’m really proud of them. They’re doctors. That’s how the world survives for now, because of them.”

Baskov could only come up with one word to describe the roller-coaster he’s been on since the start of the year — “crazy” — but he still keeps in touch with his ATP Cup teammates via a WhatsApp group. He says that captain Vladimir Albot is the most active in the chat.

“We talk once in a while just checking in on each other, but there’s not much to talk about with everyone staying home, or wherever they were stuck,” said Baskov, who did not play an official match in the event. “[Vladimir] the most active in the group. I love him! As soon as I message something in the group you can be sure in two minutes he’s going to reply.”

Baskov says they cannot play tennis right now due to the lockdowns, but he’s been able to hit some balls against the wall for a short time here and there, while also maintaining his fitness.

“You have no idea how much we crave now to get back on the court.”

Zhang Zhizhen is used to being away from home for months at a time as he continues his climb up the FedEx ATP Rankings. But for China’s top-ranked player, his globetrotting schedule at the start of the year was fueled in part by not being able to return home.

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold worldwide, many countries instituted temporary bans beginning in January and the following month, authorities in Zhang’s home city of Shanghai began implementing movement restrictions on residents.

But three months later, Zhang is now back in Shanghai and training with other top players from China. Although there are still some restrictions in place, many of them are beginning to be lifted and normalcy is returning to daily life.

“I went to the zoo, but you have to book ahead because they’re controlling the number of people [who enter],” Zhang told ATPTour.com. “The situation has improved a lot in the past month, but people are still wearing a mask when they go outside. When you go out to a restaurant or somewhere like this, you have to show a [digital QR] code that shows you’re healthy and then they check your temperature.

“Right now, it’s pretty safe. We can practise all day because it’s only the other players from the federation here. We can run some laps around the club as well. We don’t know when the Tour can restart, so we try to keep it interesting and vary the training, play points and not just drill at the baseline all day.”

Being healthy isn’t something that Zhang is taking for granted after a frightening on-court episode this February while competing in Dubai. A fluke accident saw him frame a service return and the ball ricocheted into his right eye. Zhang went directly to the hospital and laid low for a week afterwards, but his vision in the eye is nearly back to normal now.

“I was really scared because I couldn’t see anything after being hit. It was completely black. I thought that maybe I’d be blind,” Zhang said, laughing softly. “Now my eyes are getting better. It’s not 100 per cent, but maybe 90 per cent. There are some small things I can’t see from far away, but it’s okay.”

Players typically return to their home base when competing isn’t an option, but this initially wasn’t possible for Zhang after his Dubai mishap due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions. His parents also encouraged him not to fly back, so Zhang opted to travel to Croatia for recovery and training with his coach, Luka Kutanjac, at HATK Zagreb.

“When you get injured, you want to go back home because you feel better in your home,” Zhang said. “But I knew if that I went to Croatia, I could get treatment and still see how I can practise. It was really difficult at that moment in China. Nobody could go outside of their house. It would have been very hard to go back to China and then travel to Europe again, so I just told myself that I couldn’t go back.”

When action resumes on Tour, Zhang looks to continue his push towards becoming the first Chinese man to crack the Top 100. He’s already achieved the highest singles ranking among male Chinese players by reaching No. 136 in February, fueled by an impressive finish last season that saw him win two ATP Challenger Tour titles and pick up tour-level wins in Zhuhai and Beijing.

Zhang knows that he’s been in this position before, though. He acknowledged that his results have fluctuated drastically in recent years, so he’s focussing on continued progress instead of a big run at one event. Zhang is confident that his long-term outlook can not only lead him to the Top 100, but take him well beyond that mark.

“Nobody has reached the Top 100 among the men in China, but to me, the Top 100 is just the start in professional tennis,” Zhang said. “I don’t want to jump up the rankings too quickly because in the past five years I’ve had huge jumps, then huge drops and huge jumps again. I’m just trying to enjoy playing tennis at the moment. If I can win, then that’s perfect, but I’m not scared of losing either.”