Paul Annacone has experienced nearly everything in his coaching career, during which he has worked with former World No. 1s Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. But this is the first time he has had to help guide a player through a pandemic. 

“I’ll be shocked if anyone comes out of the gates playing spectacular tennis,” Annacone, who coaches American Taylor Fritz, told ATPTour.com. “It’s going to take everybody a little while to get going. It’s a new world, it’s going to be a new playing environment, there are a lot of changes.”

Tennis is set to return at the Western & Southern Open, which is being held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualifying begins on 20 August.

“It’s about managing the changes, going out there and just trying to play tennis the way you need to play it and trusting your game,” Annacone said. “But it’s a new environment and it’s going to be bumpy for everybody.”

Despite only being 22, Fritz has shown an ability to think on the fly during matches, coaching himself through tight moments. That the American already had an open dialogue with Annacone and co-coach David Nainkin about his game has only helped them during this time off.

“He hasn’t made many changes. We’re trying to focus more on the physical, off-court stuff. We’ve been able to get a lot of good work done on his game and it’s been a continuation of the foundation that we’ve laid,” Annacone said. “There hasn’t been anything startling that’s happened. He collaborates and talks a lot about it himself as we go through it. That’s good, because he participates and adds value. He’s the one out there playing, so he’s got to talk about it.”

Annacone believes that the five months off have been very different for many of the players, who have had to adjust accordingly based on their age and experience.

“For a young player, I think it’s important because I think they can do some of this work. They can do the strength and conditioning, they can try to change a few things,” Annacone said. “For the older players it’s different because they’ve got a lot more miles on them. They can rest, recover, [get] prepared to play and let their body get back to normal. For different people it means different things, and you just have to figure out how to manage that.

“It’s an extended off-season, really. It’s probably twice as long as an off-season. Nobody’s ever gone through this and so it’s really important to go through it with an open mind, because we haven’t lived it before.”

As tough as it has been for the world to deal with COVID-19, players have had an opportunity, as local rules have allowed, to work on their game on and off the court.

“You have to get some positives out of it, so that’s really the thing,” Annacone said. “You find something positive to take out of a pretty horrible situation and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Has ‘The Big Three’ already morphed back into ‘The Big Four’ and we have not yet recognised it?

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer headline the Big Three in tennis. Andy Murray was also a part of this elite group in his prime before injuries interrupted his career. But is there is a fourth player that statistically already measures up?

Yes, Dominic Thiem.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Thiem’s body of work since the start of the 2019 season identifies the Austrian is already standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. And, in some metrics, is already leading the quartet.

Since the beginning of 2019, Thiem has more ATP Head2Head wins in this grouping of four players than any other.

2019-2020 ATP Head2Head
1. Thiem = 7 wins / 3 losses
2. Djokovic = 6 wins / 4 losses
3. Nadal = 3 wins / 5 losses
4. Federer = 2 wins / 6 losses

2019-2020 Thiem vs. Big Three
Thiem vs. Federer = 3 wins / 0 losses
Thiem vs. Nadal = 2 wins / 1 loss
Thiem vs. Djokovic = 2 wins / 2 losses
Total = 7 wins / 3 losses

With two ATP Tour Masters 1000 series events looming (Cincinnati and Rome) as well as the US Open and Roland Garros, Thiem has all the tools to take titles in any of those events. To better understand Thiem’s strengths, you need to look no further than three recent victories over Djokovic, Federer and Nadal.

2019 Nitto ATP Finals, Round Robin: Thiem d. Djokovic 67(5) 63 76(5)
Thiem throttled Djokovic with a forehand barrage from start to finish. Thiem average hitting forehands at a break-neck 83mph, which was much faster than Djokovic’s average of 73mph. In the third set, Thiem upped the ante to 85mph while Djokovic dropped down slightly to average 72mph on his forehand wing.

Thiem hit Djokovic off the court. That looks good on the resume of anyone wanting to expand the Big Three to the Big Four. Thiem said post-match that it was maybe the best match he has ever played.

Thiem not only crushed forehands, but he did so from a vastly superior court position. Thiem hit 30 per cent of his forehands from inside the baseline, while Djokovic managed just 16 per cent. Thiem is widely renowned for playing deep in the court on clay, but he perfectly adjusted his court position to the indoor hard court at the O2 arena. Thiem only hit 22 per cent of forehands from further than two metres behind the baseline, while Djokovic was double that at 44 per cent. The following two Hawk-Eye pictures clearly illustrate Thiem’s superior court position when hitting forehands.

2019 Madrid, Quarter-final: Thiem d. Federer 36 76(11) 64
Thiem saved two match points at 7/8 and 9/10 in the second set tie-break and broke Federer twice in the third set, while also being broken once.

In the opening set, Thiem’s second serve return speed was 70 mph. That jumped to 75 mph in the second set and a scorching 82 mph in the third set. Federer, by comparison, only averaged 69 mph returning second serves in the third set. Federer didn’t lose a second serve point in the first set, but only won 30 per cent in the third set.

Thiem took a while to wind up, but ended up blowing right by Federer at the finish line by really attacking the second serve.

2020 Australian Open, Quarter-final: Thiem d. Nadal 76(3) 76(4) 46 76(6)
Thiem went toe-to-toe with Nadal from the back of the court and beat him at his own game.

Baseline Points Won
Thiem = 50% (85/170)
Nadal = 43% (73/169)

The average rally length was 4.2 shots, and there were 36 lactic-acid-inducing rallies of nine shots or longer. Thiem remarkably won double the amount of points as Nadal in this metric, winning 24 to 12.

Thiem was also far superior at net, winning 76 per cent (25/33) to Nadal’s 62 per cent (21/34).

Thiem is beating the Big Three at their own game. He is currently No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He has the power, consistency, and mental fortitude to take the final two steps when tennis finally resumes.

– Hawk-Eye graphics courtesy ATP Media

Some players take small steps over a long period to make an impact on the ATP Tour’s biggest stages. Stefanos Tsitsipas made one giant leap in 2018.

The Greek star arrived at the Rogers Cup as the No. 27 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Tsitsipas had never previously competed in Toronto, but he quickly made himself at home, going on a memorable run at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

“The support was amazing. I felt like I was playing in Athens. I felt like I was playing in my hometown. [There were] so many Greek fans,” Tsitsipas told ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot. “It was just the energy I received in every single match I played there. Everyone was with me and it gave me a lot of strength. It gave me a lot of belief. It helped me do very, very well there. It was the week of my life.”

Tsitsipas became the youngest player to beat four Top 10 opponents at a single tournament since the ATP Tour was established in 1990, reaching his first Masters 1000 final. Entering the week, he had only made one tour-level championship match.

“I’m really hungry for more,” Tsitsipas said.

In the Round of 32, Tsitsipas upset then-World No. 8 Dominic Thiem. A resurgent Novak Djokovic, then-World No. 10, was next.

“I was actually not paying attention that much to if I was facing Djokovic or whoever else. I was concentrating on my game,” Tsitsipas said. “I knew that if I would start thinking too much, then it wouldn’t be good for my game, so I said, ‘Keep playing, keep doing what you’re doing, you’re doing it well.’”

Tsitsipas emphatically closed out the Serbian with a forehand winner, triumphing 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3.

“That match point, I couldn’t believe it, what had just happened,” Tsitsipas said. “It was one of the best victories I’d had.”

Alexander Zverev led Tsitsipas 6-3, 5-3 in the quarter-finals, but the Greek used the crowd’s energy to rally and make the semi-finals. It was an example of Tsitsipas’ fighting spirit.

“I kept believing I could do it,” he said. “I came back into the match and it seemed like nothing could stop me.”

That attitude remained in the semi-finals against Kevin Anderson. The South African veteran held match point in their final-set tie-break, but Tsitsipas never gave up. Instead, he became even more courageous, crushing a backhand winner to stay in the match before ousting the World No. 6 to make the championship match. Standing across the net was top seed Rafael Nadal.

“I lost to Rafa in Barcelona. It is not easy to come back and play another final against Rafa,” Tsitsipas said. “I was a bit nervous, thinking too much, something I wasn’t doing before that.”

Nadal served for the title at 6-2, 5-4, but Tsitsipas broke back and held a set point to force a decider. The Spaniard saved that opportunity with a drop shot that trickled over the net cord, closing out his victory 6-2, 7-6(4).

Although Tsitsipas fell short of lifting the trophy, it was a confidence-building moment for the 19-year-old Greek. From there, he won the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals, the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals and has climbed as high as World No. 5. 

Normally at this time of season, the ATP Tour heads to Canada for the sixth ATP Masters 1000 event of the year. This year the tournament was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, but fans could still celebrate the Rogers Cup.

Established in 1881, the tournament is the only tour-level event that splits its hosting duties between two cities. Last year, it was held in Montreal. This season, it was to be held in Toronto.

ATPTour.com looks back on memorable moments from Canada. 

The Lendl Years
Between 1980 and 1989, Ivan Lendl captured a record six titles at this tournament. After a semi-final loss to Bjorn Borg on his tournament debut in 1979, the four-time year-end World No. 1 won 22 of his next 23 matches at the event to lift three trophies from four consecutive finals. 

Four years after his victory against Anders Jarryd in the 1983 final, Lendl returned to the winners’ circle in Montreal to collect his first of three straight crowns. The 6’2” right-hander won 15 consecutive matches at the tournament from 1987 to 1989, including wins against Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe to become a six-time champion in Canada. 

Lendl reached his ninth and final championship match at the event in 1992, falling in three sets to Agassi. The former World No. 1 ended his career with a 57-9 tournament record. 

Chang Becomes Youngest Champion
One year on from his famous run to the 1989 Roland Garros trophy, Michael Chang entered the record books in Toronto as the youngest winner in tournament history. Aged 18 years and five months, the American raced through his opening two matches to book a quarter-final clash against Agassi. 

Chang recovered from a set down to beat Agassi and Pete Sampras in consecutive matches — winning both battles 7-5 in the third set — and reach the championship match against Jay Berger. The first-time Masters 1000 finalist also trailed Berger by a set, before recovering to claim the title in a final-set tie-break. 

The Agassi-Sampras Final
In perhaps the most memorable year of their ATP Head2Head rivalry, Agassi and Sampras contested five finals in 1995, including the Montreal championship match. Agassi entered the contest as the defending champion, seeking his third win of the year against his great rival. The Las Vegas native had a much smoother road to the final, only losing two games against Mats Wilander in the semi-finals, while Sampras needed a final-set tie-break against Thomas Enqvist.

In a meeting between the top two players in the FedEx ATP Rankings, World No. 1 Agassi recovered from a set down and saved six of seven break points to overcome Sampras in three sets and complete his third title run in Canada. The champion stood out behind his second serve, winning 65 per cent of those points compared to 50 per cent for his opponent. Sampras quickly gained his revenge, beating Agassi in the US Open final en route to finishing the year as World No. 1 for the third straight season. 

Nadal Makes It Five
In just his second tournament appearance, Nadal claimed his maiden Canada trophy in 2005 with a hard-fought victory against Agassi in the 2005 final. Since then, the Spaniard has enjoyed regular success in both Montreal and Toronto.

The 19-time Grand Slam champion, who also claimed further trophies in 2008 and 2013, ended a five-year title drought in Canada in 2018. Nadal overcame Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic, before notching straight-sets wins against Karen Khachanov and Stefanos Tsitsipas to become only the third player, alongside Lendl and Novak Djokovic, to win the event on four occasions in the Open Era.

Twelve months later, Nadal moved clear of Djokovic by winning consecutive titles in Canada for the first time. The World No. 2 was forced to recover from a set down against Fabio Fognini in the quarter-finals, before producing a dominant final performance to defeat Daniil Medvedev. The victory extended Nadal’s lead at the top of the Masters 1000 titles leaderboard. Nadal owns a record 35 trophies at the level, one clear of Djokovic’s mark of 34 crowns.

“Every single place has a different atmosphere, different feeling. Every place is special by itself. But honestly here, I think they are very passionate about the sport. They are very passionate about tennis,” said Nadal. “I always felt when I have been playing here, [there is] always an unbelievable atmosphere out here, full crowd. That’s so important for our sport and for me personally.”

Federer’s Toronto Run
Roger Federer’s two tournament victories in Canada came in back-to-back Toronto appearances in 2004 and 2006. In 2004, the Swiss dropped just one set en route to his maiden final in Canada to book a meeting with defending champion Andy Roddick. The pair had met the previous year in the Montreal semi-finals, with Roddick beating Federer in a final-set tie-break. But Federer, who had recently beaten Roddick to win his second Wimbledon crown, gained revenge with a straight-sets victory against the American. 

Two years later, Federer once again took the title in Toronto. The World No. 1 was forced to a deciding set in his final four matches, but overcame Dmitry Tursunov, Xavier Malisse, Fernando Gonzalez and Richard Gasquet to capture his second Toronto crown. “The victories more came through fighting, through trying to make every shot, trying not to play fancy anymore, because I was obviously in a struggle,” said Federer. 

The 20-time Grand Slam champion has since reached four additional finals at the Masters 1000 tournament, but has finished as runner-up on each occasion. 

Djokovic Delivers
Djokovic entered the 2007 Coupe Rogers seeking his second Masters 1000 trophy, following his title run in Miami earlier in the year. After wins against Nicolas Kiefer and David Nalbandian, Djokovic successfully navigated the toughest possible route to the trophy. 

The Serbian beat World No. 3 Roddick and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal to reach the final, where he outlasted World No. 1 Federer in a final-set tie-break to claim the title. Roddick, Nadal and Federer had combined to win each of the past four editions of the event. 

“I won a [Masters 1000] in Miami, but here I beat the No. 3 in the quarter-finals, the No. 2 in the semi-finals and, in the final, I beat the No. 1. I couldn’t ask for more,” said Djokovic. “I played some impressive tennis all week. This is a dream come true.” 

Novak Djokovic lifted his maiden Coupe Rogers title in 2007.” />

Tsonga Ends Big Four Run
After almost 18 months without an ATP Tour title, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stunned the field in 2014 to capture the Toronto title. The energetic Frenchman, who suffered a left knee injury in 2013, beat four consecutive Top 10 players to claim the trophy. 

Tsonga advanced to the championship match with wins against three-time titlist Djokovic, two-time winner Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov. In the final, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up did not face a break point, beating Federer in straight sets. 

Tsonga’s title run ended a decade of Big Four dominance at the event. Between 2004 and 2013, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray combined to win each of the 10 editions of the event. 

“I played well all week. I beat many good guys,” said Tsonga. “It’s a big achievement because I worked really hard to come back from my knee injury last year.” 

Murray Ends Djokovic Streaks
Five years on from his most recent title run in Canada, Andy Murray added a third tournament victory to his collection in 2015. The Brit advanced to his third final in Canada without dropping a set and faced an in-form Djokovic for the trophy. 

Djokovic entered the contest on a 30-match win streak at the Masters 1000-level and he had beaten Murray in the pair’s eight most recent encounters. But Murray ended both streaks in dramatic fashion, battling past Djokovic in exactly three hours to equal Sampras’ haul of 11 Masters 1000 crowns. 

Zverev’s Remarkable Recovery
Alexander Zverev’s run at the 2017 Coupe Rogers was almost stopped at the first hurdle by Richard Gasquet. Zverev survived three match points against the Frenchman, including one in a 49-shot rally, to extend his stay in Montreal. The German raised his level from there to claim eight consecutive sets and the trophy. 

Zverev defeated Nick Kyrgios, Kevin Anderson and surprise semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov to extend his winning streak to nine matches and book a final clash with two-time titlist Federer. Zverev held his nerve in the championship match, saving each of the three break points he faced to hand Federer his only loss in eight finals that year. 

“Winning two Masters 1000 titles in the same year is something amazing,” said Zverev. “I played well winning Washington and here. It’s something amazing, back-to-back weeks. I feel great. I feel like I’m playing some of the best tennis of my life.” 

Alexander Zverev beats Roger Federer in straight sets to win his maiden Coupe Rogers title.” />

Editor’s Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players and tournaments during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 2 August 2018.

It took 539 tour-level main draw matches for brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev to finally meet on the ATP Tour. So when the brothers posed for a picture after the coin flip at the 2018 Citi Open, the emotions of the moment truly set in.

“We walked back, and the crowd was cheering, I almost had tears in my eyes,” Mischa told Tennis Channel. “I was like, ‘This feels so special. I wonder what my parents are thinking right now?’ I needed a few seconds to actually bite my tongue and focus. To me, that was incredibly special.”

Once the match got going, it was ‘Sascha Zverev’, as chair umpire Mohamed Fitouhi referred to him during the match, who beat his older brother 6-3, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington, D.C. in the first tour-level meeting between brothers since the 2016 Generali Open, where Gerald Melzer beat Jurgen Melzer.

The Zverev brothers had met on two previous occasions at the professional level — in qualifying of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas six years ago and in qualifying of the 2014 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. But it was the 21-year-old Zverev who clinched their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting after one hour, 51 minutes.

“[It was] very special. As Mischa said, who can say you played your brother in one of the biggest tournaments in the world?” Sascha said. “It was unbelievably special. I hope this is not the last time. I hope we play a final one day or something like that. So hopefully [this was] the first of many.”

And while the stats show that Sascha saved two of three break points he faced while breaking his older brother three times, the memory they will retain came after Mischa sprinted forward and hit a drop shot into the net on match point. The brothers made a lengthy embrace on Sascha’s side of the court.

Sascha, the top seed, is the reigning champion in Washington, D.C. He is also the defending titlist at the Rogers Cup, which means he is defending a massive 1,500 ATP Rankings points between this week and next. Zverev is at a career-high World No. 3, and he has done well to back up his breakthrough five-title 2017. The 21-year-old clinched his third ATP Masters 1000 triumph at the Mutua Madrid Open, and also reached the final at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Zverev will next face seventh seed Kei Nishikori, who defeated ninth seed Denis Shapovalov 7-6(1), 6-3. The Canadian had won their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting earlier this year on the hard courts of Acapulco, but the Japanese star evened their series with more consistent play from the baseline throughout the match. 

Nishikori is into his fifth tour-level quarter-final of the season, as he continues his comeback from a right wrist injury. The 2015 Washington, D.C. champion’s clash against Zverev will be a rematch of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters semi-finals, which Nishikori won in three sets to become the first Japanese player to reach the final of the event. The pair also played in the Citi Open semi-finals one year ago, with the German coming out on top. 

“I’ve got to do something better,” Nishikori said. “I’ll try to do my best, and see what happens.”

Did You Know?
The Zverev brothers were opponents for just a moment. Later the same evening, they completed their rain-delayed first-round doubles match, ousting top seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic.

In honour of Roger Federer’s 39th birthday, the ATP Tour is celebrating by reliving 39 facts, moments or memories that have made his tennis career spectacular thus far.

39 – Combined wins against Novak Djokovic (23) and Rafael Nadal (16)
38 – Winner of a record 38 ATP Tour Awards: ATP Tour No. 1 (2004-07, 2009), Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of Year (2006, 2013), Comeback Player of the Year (2017), Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship (2004-09, 2011-17) and Fans’ Favourite (2003-19)
37 – Age when Federer won his 100th tour-level title at the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The only player who has also reached that milestone is Jimmy Connors, who captured 109 trophies
36 – Federer’s age the last time he was No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on 18 June 2018, making him the oldest World No. 1 in history
35 – Consecutive service points won against Lukas Lacko at 2018 Wimbledon and Feliciano Lopez at the 2007 US Open, both Open Era records at each event
34 – Combined wins against former Top 10 players David Ferrer (17-0) and Mikhail Youzhny (17-0) without losing a match
33 – Wins needed to pass Jimmy Connors’ 1,274 victories for the most in the Open Era
32 – Five-set wins in his career
31 – Different tournaments won in 19 different countries
30 – Consecutive Grand Slams as the first or second seed between the 2003 US Open and the 2011 Australian Open
29 – Days to win three titles on three different surfaces in 2004 (Wimbledon, Gstaad, Toronto)
28 – ATP Masters 1000 titles
27 – Longest Grand Slam win streak of his career (twice), snapped by Rafael Nadal in 2006 and 2007 Roland Garros finals
26 – Indoor titles, leading all active players. Andy Murray is second among active players with 15 indoor trophies
25 – Years old when he won his 500th tour-level match, defeating David Ferrer in the quarter-finals of the 2007 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
24 – Straight finals won from 2003 Vienna through 2005 Bangkok
23 – Consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearances (2004 Wimbledon through 2010 Australian Open)
22 – Years since winning his first ATP Tour match at 1998 Toulouse against Guillaume Raoux
21 – Age when he won his first Grand Slam title at 2003 Wimbledon
20 – Grand Slam titles
19 – Grass-court titles, nine more than second on the Open Era list, Pete Sampras
18 – Age when Federer reached his first ATP Tour final at 2000 Marseille (l. to Rosset)
17 – Seed at the 2017 Australian Open when he came back from knee surgery to win the title
16 – Number of times Federer has won at least 50 tour-level matches in a season. This is a record
15 – Losses in a three-year span (2004-2006) in 262 matches
14 – Consecutive years spent inside the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings (2002-2016)
13 – Number of match wins in his first full season on the ATP Tour in 1999
12 – Career-high titles won in 2006
11 – Grand Slam runner-up finishes
10 – Consecutive Grand Slam finals reached from 2005 Wimbledon through the 2007 US Open.
9 – Or more titles on clay, grass and hard courts – only Jimmy Connors has matched the feat
8 – Wimbledon titles/Age at which Federer began playing tennis
7 – Number of Grand Slam finals won before first loss (2006 Roland Garros to Nadal)
6 – Nitto ATP Finals trophies
5 – Year-end No. 1 finishes
4 – Number of children Federer has with his wife, Mirka Federer. They have two sets of twins: Myla & Charlene (born 23 July 2009) and Leo & Lenny (born 6 May 2014)
3 – Won three Grand Slams in a calendar year on three occasions, in 2004 and 2006-07. Federer is the only player to accomplish that feat
2 – Tournaments at which Federer has won 10 titles. He has done so at the Swiss Indoors Basel and the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle
1 – Federer has spent a record 310 weeks atop the FedEx ATP Rankings, finishing atop the year-end standings five times

– Statistical assistance provided by Joshua Rey.

It normally wouldn’t be a good idea for Alexander Zverev to challenge fellow German Dirk Nowitzki to a game of one-on-one. Nowitzki is one of the best NBA stars of his generation.

But on this week’s episode of Tennis United, Zverev skips the basketball and puts his thinking cap on to test his countryman in a different type of one-on-one: a quiz. In the segment, which debuts Friday on the ATP Tour’s Facebook channel, find out who knows more about one another’s career.

Is Zverev taller than Steve Nash and Luka Doncic, shorter than them both, or in between? What team was Nowitzki originally drafted by?

“You don’t even need to give me the options. I know straightaway,” Zverev says.

#NextGenATP stars Brandon Nakashima and Thiago Seyboth Wild also join the show, playing a game of ‘Truth or Dare’.

One truth Nakashima answers: What are three wishes he’d request from a genie?

“Be No. 1 in the world,” Nakashima says for one of them.

Find out what other wishes the American has and what Seyboth Wild, this year’s Chile Dove Men+Care Open champion, adds to the game.

Roberto Bautista Agut last played an ATP Tour match on 25 February at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. A few weeks later, the world came to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Five months later, in this interview with ATPTour.com, Bautista Agut looks back at everything he has done during this exceptional period before returning to the Tour at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

It was difficult to imagine something like this happening looking back five months, which is practically the period for which the ATP Tour has been suspended due to the pandemic.
On a social level I’ve been very on top of everything that has been happening, helping with various local and national initiatives. It has been a difficult time, but if sport teaches you anything, it’s the ability to overcome. I am sure we will come out of this stronger.

Now, finally, the return of the Tour is on the horizon at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. How excited are you?
I can’t wait to return to competition. After so much training, I feel that the wait is getting a little long for me. In the end, what you want is to get back to the courts as soon as possible.

Perhaps this period has been like an unusual preseason, just longer than normal?
The main difference has been that this time we’ve had many more weeks of training than usual. A ‘normal’ preseason is much shorter, three or four weeks, which means they are more intense than what this return to the courts after isolation has turned out to be. We’ve had three months on top of the preseason, so we’ve had to take breaks and be patient.

Have you worked on any specific part of the game with your team?
We’ve been able to work calmly on my net game. Also, [we have put] more emphasis on the physical side of things than normal because we didn’t have any tournaments in the short term. The on-court work is the most similar to normal, working in the same way as before isolation. The main difference has been that the training time before the tournament is bigger, so there’s been time to work on all aspects on court: the serve, return and the net game.

If this break has benefitted a certain type of player in any way, would it be the veterans or the young players?
It doesn’t help us veterans, because we have less of our career left. We’ve been practically a year without playing. In the end, I think that the best players will be back at the top as always and everyone will have to fight for their position, their new [FedEx ATP] Ranking.

Has this situation had any positive sides for you?
I would say the biggest thing is that I’ve been able to better combine training with life off the court, to enjoy being at home, sleeping in my bed, things that you miss during the season.

Has it meant more time for doing other things?
Not exactly. When I train, I do long sessions both on court and in fitness training. I have very little time the rest of the day for other things beyond tennis and I’m already pretty tired from training. So all I can do is be at home and rest.

Where have you been able to train during these months?
In Castellon. I’ve also managed to train in other parts of Spain like Alicante, at Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Academy in Villena and in Valencia. Above all, it’s been on clay. This week I made the switch to fast courts.

In this time have you played with various ATP Tour players?
In Spain in general, and in the Valencian community in particular, there are a lot of very good tennis players. I’ve trained with Pablo Carreno Busta, Carlos Alcaraz, Alex de Minaur, Pablo Andujar, Jaume Munar and Carlos Taberner, among others. They’re very good players, and I’m able to complete demanding training sessions with them. 

How has this situation affected your goals?
All I want is to return to competition. From there, I think that the ATP’s points system is a very good one. It’s pretty logical and fair with everyone. We will have to see exactly how many tournaments we’ll be able to play. The more tournaments we can, the better.

Is there anyone on the Tour that you would like to meet up with that you haven’t been able to because of the pandemic?
Of course, many of my peers I’m with in my daily life in competition. You are often with them. We’re used to living this kind of life 80 or 90 percent of the year and of course you miss it. I’ve also missed the tournaments.

Did it hurt not being able to play any one specifically?
All of them. I’m a player that doesn’t have favourite weeks. I like playing everywhere, I find something to like in every surface and at every tournament. Everywhere is unique.

Is there anything you haven’t missed?
The airports [laughs]. The travel time, the stress and pressure of competition. Tennis is a very demanding sport and being able to be at home, with peace of mind, has been good for me.