Rafael Nadal has overcome plenty of opponents in his legendary ATP Tour career, but he faced perhaps his toughest one on Monday: technology.

The Spaniard held a star-filled Instagram Live that included Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Marc Lopez. Nadal laughed as he visibly struggled with the platform and how to bring his fellow players into the conversation, admitting that it was his first time going live.

“As you can see, I’m a disaster in everything. But I’m trying hard,” Nadal said, smiling. Murray took a playful dig at Nadal in the comments section and wrote, “This is brilliant… He can win 52 French Opens, but not work Instagram.”

A few problems for Rafa on his Instagram live, and this was Andy’s response… ? pic.twitter.com/u3QXMeyZUd

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 20, 2020

Nadal finally managed to bring Federer in and the pair caught up on what their recent weeks have looked like. The Swiss provided an update on his recovery from right knee surgery in February and said he’s happy with the progress made so far.

For all the #Fedal fans…

When @rogerfederer made it on to @RafaelNadal‘s Instagram Live! ?pic.twitter.com/e6NGrmicYb

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 20, 2020

“I had a really good first six weeks, then things got a bit slower, now it’s good again. But I have plenty of time obviously. There’s no rush,” Federer said. “I’ve been hitting a bit against the wall, doing my rehab and my fitness. The good thing is that the second surgery is easier than the first one. I don’t need to experience a third one, though!”

Federer and Nadal reminisced about their hectic schedules of juggling school and training as junior players. The Swiss said that the importance of keeping to a schedule is something he’s instilled in his children and it’s remained particularly important while in lockdown.

“We’re big on routines with school, when to eat and when to sleep. I think that’s important when you have kids, especially multiple children,” Federer said. “The hard part now is that we can’t interact or see anyone, including my parents. The kids would love to play with other ones. But having four kids here, they can always be with each other.”

The natural rapport between both men was on display, with Federer jokingly cheering when Nadal admitted that he hadn’t hit a ball since early March. He also grilled the Spaniard about playing as a lefty when he’s naturally right-handed, acknowledging that handling the lefty spin is one of his biggest challenges when they face off.

“I cannot play righty. That’s just a legend!” Nadal said, laughing. “My basketball skills are with the right [hand], everything else is with the right, but not with football or tennis. I started playing with a two-handed backhand and forehand. The people I was working with probably didn’t know if I was righty or lefty.”

Roger with the question we’ve all been needing answered ?@rogerfederer | @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/w9SOqEKYjC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 20, 2020

After Federer left, Nadal brought Murray in for a conversation. Murray shared the exciting news that the recovery from his right hip injury is going well and joked that his biggest challenge is home schooling their two young children.

“I’ve been training a lot and still able to do lots of things, but haven’t hit any balls for five weeks. I feel pretty good, so let’s see when we’re able to start [competing] again.” Murray said.
“I’m just trying to find stuff to do with the kids every day. It’s been tough, but it’s been nice to spend so much time with the kids and family. We’re not used to that.

“It’s difficult trying to teach your kids as parents. You appreciate the work that the teachers are doing a lot more because the kids don’t always want to listen to what parents have to say.”

“Next time I am going to be more ready.” ?@andy_murray enjoying @RafaelNadal’s instagram struggles ? pic.twitter.com/zaL0uo3Obm

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 20, 2020

Both men will participate next week in the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro, swapping their racquets for a Playstation 4 to compete against other ATP and WTA players using the Tennis World Tour video game. Nadal joked that “they don’t want me to do well in Madrid this year” and only recently played the game for the first time. When Murray said he selected Nadal as his character to compete on clay against Federer, the Spaniard asked if he “hit against [Roger’s] backhand all the time” for the match.

“After a set, you were unbelievably tired,” Murray said, laughing. “The energy bar on the side of the screen was almost empty. I’ve never seen you get tired after one set!” Nadal admitted that he needed to sharpen his gaming skills and said that he would text the Brit to play a match.

Nadal opened his Instagram Live by answering several fan questions in English and Spanish. He said that while tending to business with his foundation and academy has kept him occupied, he looked forward to competing and seeing his fellow players in person aagain.

“I played with Andy, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils as kids. It’s been a lifetime of experiences,” Nadal said. “We were traveling and practising a lot as kids in order to become professional tennis players. It’s great to stay together now on Tour because we made our dreams come true.

“My motivation is very easy to understand. I love what I’m doing. I feel super lucky for all the experiences that I’m able to enjoy because of tennis. I like to be out there playing in the best stadiums, enjoying the competition. I’m doing my best to stay healthy and keep the same routines so I can be ready for when I have the chance to come back.”

Rafael Nadal arrived at the 2014 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell quarter-finals on a 41-match winning streak at the event, and he was also the World No. 1. The lefty had won all 10 of his previous ATP Head2Head matches against his opponent, Nicolas Almagro. In those clashes, Almagro claimed only two sets.

However, Nadal had lost in the quarter-finals of the recent Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters against David Ferrer, and he was upset in the Round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open by Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Almagro carried no apprehension into their battle, and it paid dividends. Despite losing the first set, Almagro rallied for a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory to end the top seed’s Barcelona winning streak.

“It was tough because the court was a little bit windy and it’s really difficult to play with those kind of conditions,” Almagro told Tennis TV. “But I think I played really good tennis with a lot of power and I was very focussed. Finally I beat Rafa. The last game was really tough. Many things were in my head. I’m very happy.”

Almagro had previously lost against Nadal in Barcelona twice — in the 2006 semi-finals and the 2013 final.

“You try to think in another part of your tennis. It is better not to think about that kind of statistic,” Almagro said. “I think the last times I played really tough matches and I had many chances. I tried to play my tennis and finally I could beat him.”

Nadal seemed in control after taking the first set. Even with Almagro winning the match, Nadal won eight more points than his countryman (110-102). But Almagro hung on under pressure, saving 13 of the 18 break points he faced before ultimately triumphing in two hours and 47 minutes.

“It’s the sport, that’s it, nothing else. Obviously it’s not the happiest day for me, but obviously I never felt that I was going to win here so many matches in a row,” Nadal said. “That’s part of this sport. Today was not my day. I felt that I did a lot of things well to win the match. But at the end remained a little bit [short], and that’s it. [I] just [have to] accept the situation and keep fighting.”

Almagro lost in the semi-finals against Colombian Santiago Giraldo, but he left Barcelona with a victory to remember. Almagro retired in April 2019, and he’d never win another match against Nadal, who dominated their rivalry 15-1.

“I’m very happy with my tennis today,” Almagro said. “I think I played a really good match against the best player on that surface and that victory could be a really important victory in my career.”

The Gazprom Hungarian Open, a 2018 ATP ACES For Charity grant recipient, held a successful kids’ day Wednesday in Budapest, benefitting more than 400 children. The tournament also donated three junior-sized sports wheelchairs, which kids used to play tennis with the help of wheelchair tennis instructors and ATP World Tour pros.

Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, No. 2 seed Damir Dzumhur, Colombian Santiago Gonzalez, Briton Dominic Inglot, Germans Yannick Maden and Maximilian Marterer, Japan’s Ben McLachlan, Aussie John Millman, Hungarian Zsombor Piros, top seed Lucas Pouille, #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov, Croatian Franko Skugor, Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, and Swede Elias Ymer joined the festivities to help create a memorable experience for all of the kids. The event was held in tandem with the Hand in Hand Foundation, which helps disabled people and their families through various aspects of life, such as education, health and family care, employment and recreation.

There was a wheelchair tennis clinic for both disabled and able-bodied children, as well as a mini-tennis clinic involving ATP World Tour players and top Hungarian wheelchair tennis players. It was a fun day for everyone in attendance, with various entertainment off the court, including opportunities to try out the tennis wheelchairs, play volleyball, soccer and much more. 

Hand in Hand Foundation

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Two girls in Italy have taken #TennisAtHome to a whole new level.

In the city of Liguria, two junior players found a creative way to play tennis at home while maintaining social distancing, hitting the ball to and from one another’s rooftops. That video has gone viral since it was posted Saturday, earning nearly seven million views on Twitter, 1.3 million views on Facebook and almost 450,000 views on Instagram. It yielded one of the most-viewed tweets in the ATP Tour account’s history.

Just incredible to see ?

? Liguria, Italy ?? | #tennisathome pic.twitter.com/dh8bqlvFhj

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 18, 2020

Several international news outlets have shared the video, as have various celebrities, including reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas.

It’s really nice to see ? https://t.co/FWmhzNYRiO

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@StefTsitsipas) April 18, 2020

Rex Chapman, a former NBA basketball player who has become known for his social media presence, wrote on Twitter Saturday that it was the, “most incredible thing you’ll see today”.

Most incredible thing you’ll see today.

These two women are playing tennis from rooftop to rooftop in the Italian city of Liguria to pass time during the pandemic.

Sports.?❤️????? pic.twitter.com/Nse4Pu6xCa

— Rex Chapman?? (@RexChapman) April 18, 2020 

Piers Morgan shared the video with his 7.3 million Twitter followers.

Amazing… ! https://t.co/6GEMb5ErET

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 19, 2020

The viral video showcases the success of the #TennisAtHome campaign. As of 13 April, nearly 18,000 posts have referenced the hashtag, with those posts earning almost 400 million impressions and eight million interactions. The ATP Tour channels alone earned more than 14 million video views as of last Monday.

I hope everyone out there is doing well and continuing to play their part in flattening the curve.

My wife, Abby, and I welcomed our first child in February, a baby boy named Ford. Having an eight-week-old baby takes up plenty of time, so I’ve just been doing the full-time dad thing now. Ford is a family name on my wife’s side, her grandmother’s maiden name, and it popped up to us a few months before he was born.

He sleeps for about 15 hours a day, but when he’s up, he’s in our laps and we’re playing games, reading books, going on neighbourhood walks or listening to music. It’s been really fun to be part of his life every day for these first two months. That’s the silver lining in this because I probably would have missed a lot of those early days due to tournaments.

The most rewarding part of being a dad is getting to the point now where I can put him in my lap and he’ll laugh or smile. He could be a total pain in the butt for 48 hours and all is forgotten if he gives you that one reaction. I just wasn’t expecting the amount of diapers he goes through! It feels like you put one on him and then he goes to the bathroom a minute later.

We also have a one-year-old chocolate lab named Ruby and she’s got so much energy, so that adds an interesting element to the mix. We’re taking her on four walks a day and making sure she runs around, but she’s struggled a bit with not getting the same amount of attention. She’ll try to lick Ford’s face and we’re constantly having to shoo her away from the baby, but hopefully Ruby will get more comfortable around her and they can learn to be friends.

We had a lot of family help in the beginning with Ford. My parents live a mile away, so they were over constantly along with my sister and her husband, but it’s basically just the three of us now that we’re on lockdown. My parents have come over a couple of times and we might go for a walk along the street, but we’ll space ourselves out to adhere to social distancing guidelines and my wife and I are not letting anyone else hold the baby.

The time at home would be great if it were a normal situation. I do enjoy the off-season and having the routine for those two months of seeing family and friends or going out to dinner, but it’s more of a mental struggle now because of the circumstances. You can get into a routine, but it’s a boring routine!

If I didn’t have a newborn at the house, I’d probably be losing my mind. I’m struggling a little bit and I think that everyone probably is. The unknown is the toughest part. If it were a case of, “Okay, on 8 July, everything will go back to normal,” it would be a little easier to grasp. There’s so much uncertainty now and that makes it tough to get your schedule down. I’m riding the peloton and doing home workouts when I can, but it can sometimes be a battle to get motivated when you know your next tournament won’t be for awhile.

I’m just trying to be an optimist and really looking forward to getting back out there soon. I don’t care what tournament or level it is. I just want to play! Even though the clay-court swing is normally not my favourite part of the season or where I’ve had my best results, I’d give anything to be competing in any of the European clay-court tournaments now or even face Nadal in them!

I had perhaps taken for granted how nice the past 13 years have been in terms of being able to pick whatever tournament you want and then go play it. But since that’s been taken away now, I would happily go play my least favorite tournament starting tomorrow if I had the opportunity.

Your favourite players are all back at home, but they’re finding plenty of ways to occupy their time. From Stefanos Tsitsipas’ unique physical challenge, to Roger Federer’s epic throwback, find out how the biggest names in tennis are keeping busy.

Roger Federer reminded everyone that nothing lasts forever.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Reminding everyone there are better days ahead?? #weekend #vibes #premirka #teen #wearingmyfirsttie

A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) on Apr 17, 2020 at 11:00am PDT

Stefanos Tsitsipas made sure not to skip leg day with his new challenge.

Bring it on boys!

I nominate @alexeipopyrin99, @jimchardy & @mikaelymer.#SquadChallenge pic.twitter.com/uuFLKLb7X8

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@StefTsitsipas) April 18, 2020

Jonny O’Mara demonstrated that he’s a two-sport athlete.

Golf at home ?⛳️ pic.twitter.com/020Y78Mu3e

— Jonny O’Mara (@Jonny_OMara) April 17, 2020

Dominic Thiem made sure to enjoy some outdoor time with his dog.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Enjoying the first summer days ☀️

A post shared by Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) on Apr 18, 2020 at 9:11am PDT

Karen Khachanov had an adorable surprise guest for his training session.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Now all my trainings look like that ???? ⠀ #StayAtHome #PlayInside Вот так вот и тренируемся????

A post shared by Karen Khachanov |Карен Хачанов (@karenkhachanov) on Apr 17, 2020 at 3:16am PDT

Denis Shapovalov managed to find the humour in his current situation.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Coming back to tennis is gonna be like… ??

A post shared by Denis Shapovalov (@denis.shapovalov) on Apr 18, 2020 at 8:09am PDT

Fabio Fognini ramped up his skills in the kitchen over the past few weeks.

Stay healthy, stay safe…stay home! ✌️? #stayhome #tennisathome #stayhealthy pic.twitter.com/vDdxaUx90k

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) April 18, 2020

Jamie Murray served up another simple and effective workout for his followers.

Friday Workout

400 x Skips
8 each leg x overhead reverse lunge
8 each leg x side lunge
20 x V Sit Up
40 x Russian Twists
Rest 30-60secs
Repeat 5 times

All exercises can be done using bodyweight only. Just need skipping rope.#StayHome #StayAtHome #stayactive #TennisAtHome pic.twitter.com/L4Rkwxks3Z

— Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) April 17, 2020

Todd Woodbridge appeared to be angling for a spot on the next season of “Dancing With The Stars”.

Here we go?As promised the 1st routine! Moses Supposes from Singing in the Rain .. I’d like to thank my patient coach @beau.woody #tap #dancing in #isolation #singingintherain #genekelly @centrestage_school pic.twitter.com/udaPkNDPUh

— Todd Woodbridge (@toddwoodbridge) April 18, 2020

Nick Kyrgios has earned victories against each member of the Big Three, lifted six ATP Tour titles and entertained crowds across the world with his entertaining brand of tennis.

ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 24-year-old.

1) He Is A Big Match Player
It’s simple: Kyrgios raises his level against the elite on the ATP Tour.

The Aussie owns a combined 5-5 record against the Top 2 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings: Novak Djokovic (2-0) and Rafael Nadal (3-5). Kyrgios claimed straight-sets victories in each of his 2017 encounters against Djokovic, and he has beaten Nadal at 2014 Wimbledon, 2017 Cincinnati and 2019 Acapulco.

“I love going out and playing the big matches,” said Kyrgios after saving three match points to beat Nadal at 2019 Acapulco. “It’s one of the best atmospheres that I’ve ever played in. You could tell the crowd was loving every minute of that match. That’s what we play for… It’s a match I will never forget.”

2) Kyrgios = Hot Shots
With tweeners, no-look shots and underarm serves in his bag of tricks, Kyrgios’ unpredictable style can often disrupt his opponent’s rhythm.

As Kyrgios’ rivals attempt to solve the puzzle he presents, fans fill the stands to witness his exciting brand of tennis. Kyrgios can also count on the support of Andy Murray, who shared his admiration of the Aussie’s game in Washington last year.

“He has an exciting game, a big personality and he’s different,” said Murray. “People enjoy watching that. I enjoy watching that. His match with Rafa at Wimbledon [in 2019] was one of the best matches of the tournament. That’s really good for tennis.”

3) His Charity Work Provides Purpose
Kyrgios is keen to use his talent to give back to the community. In 2017, the 6’4” right-hander launched the NK Foundation, which aims to offer sporting opportunities to underprivileged youths.

The foundation aims to build a centre in Melbourne that will feature four tennis courts, two basketball courts, a gym, a swimming pool and 10 self-contained dormitory facilities. The project was supported by the ATP ACES For Charity grant programme in 2018.

ATP ACES For Charity: Kyrgios

4) He Helped Inspire Bushfire Relief Fundraising Efforts
At the start of the 2020 ATP Tour season, while Australia was suffering from the effects of widespread bushfires, Kyrgios pledged to donate AUD $200 for every ace he served during his appearances at Australian summer events.

The charitable gesture inspired a number of fellow players to make similar donations, including ATP Cup teammates Alex de Minaur, John Millman and John Peers. Kyrgios also took part in Rally For Relief in the week before the Australian Open, a fundraising event at Rod Laver Arena that helped raise almost AUD $5 million for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

5) Basketball Is In His DNA
“I’m LeBron James,” said Kyrgios. “I’m the best basketball player of the tennis players, hence I’m LeBron.”

Boston Celtics fan Kyrgios is often seen wearing NBA jerseys during practice sessions at ATP Tour events and posts about the sport regularly on social media.

When asked to create a fantasy ATP Tour basketball team last year, Kyrgios (Point Guard) selected Jackson Withrow (Shooting Guard), Jack Sock (Small Forward), Gael Monfils (Power Forward) and Reilly Opelka (Centre).

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is offering a dream opportunity in a charity auction to help support Americans in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Serbian is participating in the #allinchallenge, providing a special package for two to the next US Open.

I’m all in for the #allinchallenge to help support Americans facing hunger. Come be my guest at the next @usopen. Bid on the experience at https://t.co/ARmAx0Af2s ??

Thanks @garyvee for inviting me in. I nominate @serenawilliams @KingJames and @GerardButler. pic.twitter.com/ZCxRLTQpES

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) April 18, 2020

“It’s every human’s right to have food on the table no matter what, so the #allinchallenge is raising money for America’s No Kid Hungry, World Central Kitchen, Meals on Wheels America, Feeding America, and America’s Food Fund,” Djokovic wrote on Facebook.

Djokovic is offering a three-night trip for two to the next US Open, at which the auction winner will sit in Djokovic’s box for a match, enjoy a chat with the Serbian and his team after the match, and then hit balls with the 79-time tour-level titlist the next day. The Serbian also will sign two racquets and two sets of match gear for his guests.

“I’m honoured to be part of the #allinchallenge. Unfortunately lots of families across America are struggling at the moment, and they’re in desperate need for our help and support,” Djokovic said in a video on his social media accounts. “Please, please get on board and support this noble and wonderful initiative in order to provide the most fundamental need and right for every single person in America and across the world… that is food on a plate.”

According to an Associated Press report, Djokovic also recently made a donation to support the fight against the coronavirus in Bergamo, Italy.

Djokovic and his wife, Jelena Djokovic, announced in March that they would donate €1 million through the Novak Djokovic Foundation for the purchase of ventilators and medical equipment to support hospitals and other medical institutions in Serbia.