Felix Auger-Aliassime began 2019 outside of the world’s Top 100, but the Canadian has quickly established himself among the ATP Tour’s best, currently sitting at No. 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Here are five things to know about the #NextGenATP star.

1) He’s No Stranger To The Record Books
Auger-Aliassime has put his name in the record books several times since the start of 2019. Entering last year’s Rio Open presented by Claro, the Canadian was World No. 104, and he has been on the rise since. 

In Rio de Janeiro, Auger-Aliassime advanced to his first tour-level semi-final and final, becoming the youngest player to make an ATP 500 championship match in series history (since 2009). 

One of the teen’s most memorable runs came at the Miami Open presented by Itau, where he became the youngest semi-finalist in the tournament’s history. He also became the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 sem-finalist, older than only close friend Denis Shapovalov (2017 Montreal) and Michael Chang (1990 Toronto).

As an 18-year-old, on 27 May 2019, Auger-Aliassime became the youngest player ranked in the world’s Top 25 since Lleyton Hewitt in 1999.

Auger-Aliassime, who reached a career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 19 last August, has made five ATP Tour finals (0-5). Last year, he became the youngest three-time ATP Tour finalist since Rafael Nadal accomplished the feat from the ages of 17-18.

2) He Shares A Birthday With Roger Federer
Auger-Aliassime was born on 8 August 2000, exactly 19 years after Roger Federer.

When the Canadian was born, Federer was already rising on the ATP Tour, sitting at No. 39 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. When Felix turned 19 last year, he was World No. 21.

Auger-Aliassime trained with Federer in Dubai during the 2017 off-season, and both men made the Miami semi-finals last year. Although they haven’t played one another in an official match yet, Federer had nothing but nice things to say about the teen.

“He was a joy to work with,” Federer told ESPN. “He was ranked like 200, and I knew he was on the rise, but maybe not this quickly.

Same birthday, same shots ?@felixtennis @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/EVRspuM1su

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 29, 2019

3) Felix Has Picked Up Scrabble During Quarantine
Auger-Aliassime has been with his family in Montreal during the suspension of play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian wrote a blog to update his fans and encourage them during these tough times.

Auger-Aliassime revealed that he has taken up Scrabble while staying home with his family.

“My sister beat me by one point the last time we played and that was pretty frustrating! Even though I’m not on court, I need to find a way to be competitive in some part of my life,” Auger-Aliassime wrote. “I beat my mom by a few points the other day, so the games have been pretty tight. It’s been a lot of fun.”

4) His Rapid Improvement Should Be ‘Scary For A Lot Of People’
Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick likes what he sees in Auger-Aliassime’s game.

Last year, Roddick told ATPTour.com that Felix looks like, “the next best prospect”.

“Something I look for is easy power. I think most guys on Tour, if they set up and want to hit a ball hard, they can. The really, really great ones — you think of Roger, I think of a guy like Tomas Berdych — it doesn’t look like he’s swinging out of his shoes, but the ball kind of launches off of his racquet. And maybe you can’t see the ball on TV, but you can feel it playing against him,” Roddick said. “Felix seems to have that easy power. When he’s going after a ball, it doesn’t look out of sorts. It looks like the technique is pretty much the same.”

More On Felix:
Roddick Explains Why Felix Is ‘Next Best Prospect’
Where Were Federer, Nadal, Djokovic & Murray At Nadal’s Age?
Felix Taking Flight: The Rapid Ascent Of Auger-Aliassime
Felix On Nadal Compliment: ‘It’s Just Amazing’

Roddick, a five-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, added that not only has Auger-Aliassime rapidly improved, but he has a similarity with some legends.

“He moves well already. If you look at the guys that win early, you’re looking at a Hewitt or a Roger or a Rafa, all those guys moved well from a young age,” Roddick said. “That’s certainly not a recessing asset. You get to 21, 22, 23 years old [and it only gets better].”

5) Felix Is Quickly Showing An Interest In Charity
In February, Auger-Aliassime announced that he would donate $5 for every point he wins this season to EduChange, partnering with CARE to support the protection and education of children in Togo.

Auger-Aliassime’s father, Sam Aliassime, is originally from Togo.

Extremely proud to announce that each point I win during the season will contribute to the education of children in Togo, thanks to the #FAAPointsForChange project with @BNPParibas and @CARE. Details in this video! pic.twitter.com/DJRFggyphZ

— Félix AugerAliassime (@felixtennis) February 7, 2020

“I feel very lucky to have had a hugely satisfying career so far, but I think it’s time to bring more meaning to it beyond tennis,” Auger-Aliassime said. “This year, all my winning points count.”

BNP Paribas will donate $15 for every point Auger-Aliassime wins. It is still unclear when the ATP Tour will resume due to the ongoing pandemic, but Auger-Aliassime will have plenty of motivation when the action begins again, as he tries to raise money for children.

After 13 years on the ATP Tour, Andrej Martin reached a career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 93 in February and was playing the best tennis of his career. But the 30-year-old Slovak’s late success was motivated by more than his desire to compete in the world’s biggest events.

Two years ago, Martin pondered his motivations for playing tennis and discovered that he wanted to play for something bigger than himself. He began to research different charity organisations, reached out to several with an offer to help and began collaborating with a few of them. When a clothing company made him aware of World Down Syndrome Day (21 March) and how people wore brightly coloured, mismatched socks to support the cause, he latched onto the concept.

“I fell in love with this great cause and was thinking of ways to promote it. It’s a small effort from me to start wearing two different socks, but could potentially create a huge positive impact and bring well-deserved attention to Down Syndrome,” Martin said to ATPTour.com. “I realised that because tennis provides publicity and therefore possibly impacts society, I can be very useful to others and provide help where I believe it’s needed.”

When media outlets and fellow players picked up on his new footwear and asked him about it, Martin realised he had hit on an important conversation starter. He decided to continue wearing two different socks in most of his matches in order to continue bringing attention to Down Syndrome.

“I generally don’t like to celebrate specific days symbolising things because I don’t believe that certain things only deserve our attention one day of the year. People with Down Syndrome deserve our attention every day of the year.” Martin said. “I keep getting questions about my socks from people in tennis, so that proves it’s being noticed and makes sense to keep wearing them to promote this great cause. If I can keep reminding people about it, I’ll happily do it.”

 

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Je krásne byť odlišný. 21.3. je deň Downovho syndrómu a symbol na podporu tejto veci je nosiť 2 rozdielne ponožky. Práve toto je dôvod prečo som začal nosiť 2 rozdielne ponožky aj na mojich tenisových zápasoch. Lebo krásni ľudia s downovým syndrómom nie su s nami iba v tento deň a je dobré si to pamätať! #ponozkovavyzva Being different is beautiful. 21.3. is an international day of Down syndrome and a symbol to support it is to wear 2 different socks. This is the reason why I started to usually wear 2 different socks also during my tennis matches. Because these beautiful people with Down syndrome are not with us only on this day and is important not to forget!

A post shared by Andrej Martin (@andrejmartinslovakia) on Mar 21, 2020 at 12:46pm PDT

Martin’s unique method of activism is another example of how he has remained a true individual on Tour. The Slovakian chooses not to travel with a coach and credited the decision with leading to his recent success.

“I’ve been collecting experiences from people around me throughout my life and was following advice from my tennis coaches. Now I’m 30, so I felt like it’s time to find ways to be responsible for myself,” Martin said. “I really enjoy relying only on me and focussing on fully discovering my limits, strengths and weaknesses. I like to experiment, even if it goes against conventional ways, and lead by example with my actions and behaviour.”

Martin is currently back in Slovakia and eager to resume competing, but has made the most of his time at home. Not only he has indulged his passion for adventure, but he’s also revised his training methods in a way that he believes will serve him well when action resumes on Tour.

“This time is very interesting because it gives me opportunity to change my old tennis routines. I focus on technical and tactical preparation during my training and there’s usually very little time for that during the tennis season,” Martin said. “But I also have time to spend doing other activities besides tennis. I’ve always dreamed of spending time in the mountains and doing adrenaline sports, so now I’m lucky enough to have a place to stay most of the time in the High Tatras and fulfill my dream.”

 

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Tennis season stopped ??,ski touring season started ??️✔️? #lovenature #mountainsarecalling #staysafe #beresponsible #liveyourlife

A post shared by Andrej Martin (@andrejmartinslovakia) on Apr 8, 2020 at 8:05am PDT

One year ago this week, Jannik Sinner stepped into the spotlight.

Sinner was the No. 314 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings when he competed in the 2019 Hungarian Open. The teen lost in the final round of qualifying, which normally would have ended his tournament. But Budapest would serve as the launching pad of what was a rapid ascent for the Italian in 2019.

Sinner got into the main draw as a lucky loser, and he earned his first ATP Tour victory against Mate Valkusz, defeating the Hungarian 6-2, 0-6, 6-4. The 17-year-old crushed three consecutive forehands on match point to clinch his maiden moment, calmly walking to net, celebrating his triumph with a simple fist pump.

Sinner let slip a 3-0 lead in the decider, potentially showing nerves as he sought his first tour-level win. But the lucky loser showed calm and poise, which have proven key attributes since that moment.

The Monaco resident lost in the second round of the main draw in Budapest, as 2019 Rio de Janeiro champion Laslo Djere eliminated the phenom 6-3, 6-1. But Sinner announced himself in Hungary, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Sinner had already become the youngest Italian to win an ATP Challenger Tour title (Bergamo), and he maintained the momentum from his strong performance in Hungary. The Italian made the final of the Challenger event in Ostrava, and then won his first ATP Masters 1000 match by defeating veteran Steve Johnson at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. He lost in the second round against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I think it was very good to [learn] how the Top 10 players are mentally,” Sinner said. “I think they’re pretty strong, especially with the serve. They’re serving very good. But I think I have now a good idea how I have to play in three years.”

Sinner showed plenty of progress just months later. Last October in Antwerp, Sinner defeated then-World No. 13 Gael Monfils en route to the semi-finals, making him the youngest ATP Tour semi-finalist since 17-year-old Borna Coric at 2014 Basel.

Continuing to improve, Sinner stormed to the Next Gen ATP Finals title, including a straight-sets victory against Alex de Minaur in the championship match.

“I think I’m surprised, because it’s been an unbelievable week. All the players are unbelievable players. If not, they [would] not [be] here,” Sinner said after beating De Minaur. “I was the No. 8 seed. I tried to have my chances, and of course today I’m very happy about my game.”

One year before his Budapest breakthrough, Sinner was World No. 1,479. As recently as 5 February 2018, he didn’t own a FedEx ATP Ranking.

But the Italian finished 2019 as the youngest player in the Top 300, aged 18, ranked a career-high World No. 78. That made him the youngest player in the year-end Top 80 since 17-year-old Rafael Nadal finished 2003 at World No. 47.

“I just try to play week after week better. That’s my goal. And then obviously if I play better, the [FedEx ATP] Ranking will be better, for sure,” Sinner said after winning his first Grand Slam main draw match at this year’s Australian Open. “I’m not thinking so much about the Ranking. We are just trying to make match after match good, trying to play better, and then we will see. I don’t want to rush this.”

On Friday, 8 May, the inaugural Stay at Home Gala – Houston will be held to support the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund, with Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey and Brad Gilbert among the stars set to participate.

The Stay at Home Gala – Houston is being organised by the tournament staff of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, an ATP Tour tennis tournament that is normally held in April at River Oaks Country Club.

The gala evening, while being socially distant, promises to deliver a big night out while staying in. Participants are encouraged to put on formal tops while wearing comfortable bottoms, and serve up a meal on their finest dinnerware while enjoying a fun and entertaining program via video conference.

The entertainment portion of the evening will include sports stars as well as a variety of musical acts. The two-hour event is scheduled to begin at 6 pm.

Tickets for the gala begin at $25 and can be purchased here. Less a small processing fee, proceeds will benefit the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund.

When purchasing the ticket, participants can choose to select an “add on” package to also purchase a to-go order dinner from one of the event’s restaurant partners: The Annie Cafe & Bar, Collina’s Italian Cafe, Frank’s Americana Revival Restaurant & Bar, and Goode Co.

“Giving back to the community while also having a fantastic time are two hallmarks for us when we host world class tennis in Houston,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “We really missed having the opportunity to hold our tournament as usual, but these are certainly unusual times, and that means there are many in our community who are hurting in extraordinary ways. We are thrilled to be able to put on this event to benefit those who are in need locally.”

The gala event will benefit the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund, a collaborative effort of United Way of Greater Houston and Greater Houston Community Foundation. The Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund will help the most vulnerable of our neighbours meet their basic needs and will help impactful nonprofits in our area serve our community through the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic aftermath.

Learn More About The Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund

Learn More About The Event

The draw for the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro has been made, and although the action will be played in a video game, there is a round-robin blockbuster that jumps off the page.

Five-time Madrid champion Rafael Nadal is joined by another former World No. 1, Andy Murray, in Group 1. They will square off in the virtual version of the tournament, with Gael Monfils — who is an avid gamer — and Denis Shapovalov also in the same group.

Nadal joked in a recent Instagram live with Murray that “they don’t want me to do well in Madrid this year” and that he only recently played the game for the first time. When Murray said he selected Nadal as his character to compete on clay against Roger 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!”

Group 2 is led by close friends Dominic Thiem, a Madrid finalist in 2017 and 2018, and Diego Schwartzman. John Isner and David Ferrer will add their own spice to this intriguing group.

Stefanos Tsitsipas reached last year’s Madrid final on the court, and he’ll look to go one step further virtually. The Greek leads Group 3, battling for a spot in the quarter-finals with Fabio Fognini, Frances Tiafoe and Kei Nishikori.

Group 4 includes 2018 Madrid champion Alexander Zverev David Goffin, Karen Khachanov and Lucas Pouille. They will all be bidding to progress in a Manolo Santana Stadium that has been recreated in exquisite detail in the video game Tennis World Tour (Nacon Gaming), and hoping to win the spoils with their PS4 controllers. 

Lars Graff, the ATP Vice President, Officiating, conducted the draw from his home.

This tournament will be played from 27-30 April, with the round-robin qualifying groups taking place on 27 and 28 April. The top two players in each group will advance to a knockout quarter-final draw.

“We’ve had a great response from all the players. From the first moment when the initiative was conceived, they were prepared to help. It’s the first virtual tournament. It’ll be a fantastic tournament, the bar is high, the players are ready and it’s certainly going to be spectacular,” said Feliciano López, the tournament director of the Mutua Madrid Open.

This pioneering charity initiative will donate a total of €50,000 to the Madrid Food Bank to help reduce the social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the tournament will include a total purse of €300,000 in the two competitions (€150,000 ATP and €150,000 WTA), from which the winners will be able to decide how much they donate to their peers on Tour who are currently suffering economically. 

“There are some really high-quality matches, as we normally see during the real tournament”, stated Gerard Tsobanian, CEO and president of the Mutua Madrid Open. “There is a very competitive group in the men’s draw… I can’t wait to see who is going to progress from Group 1 and I’m looking forward to the tournament starting on Monday.”

Group 1: Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, Denis Shapovalov, Andy Murray

Group 2: Dominic Thiem, Diego Schwartzman, John Isner, David Ferrer

Group 3: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Fabio Fognini, Kei Nishikori, Frances Tiafoe

Group 4: Alexander Zverev, David Goffin, Karen Khachanov, Lucas Pouille

Don’t miss out on the third episode of Tennis United, hosted by Grand Slam champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Vasek Pospisil, which will stream live on the ATP Tour’s Facebook page at 7pm BST on Friday.

Joining the hosts for this episode are Feliciano Lopez, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Victoria Azarenka and Johanna Konta. Former World No. 12 Lopez, who is also the Mutua Madrid Open Tournament Director, and Azarenka are quizzed on their careers, while reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Tsitsipas and Konta answer fan questions.

Hubert Hurkacz, a 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor, and Daria Gavrilova also make appearances.

Roger & Rafa are in ?

Our brand new episode of #TennisUnited will be LIVE on our Facebook page at 7pm BST! @WTA pic.twitter.com/U6IcAoucZ7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 24, 2020

Your favourite players are all at home, but they’re finding plenty of ways to pass the time. From Fabio Fognini’s heartwarming ode to his mother, to Dominic Thiem’s day with his brother, find out how the biggest names in tennis are keeping busy.

Fognini paid tribute to his mother in an Instagram post that went viral.

 

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A te che mi hai preso in braccio per pochi anni… ma il mio CUORE e’ PER SEMPRE tra le tue mani. Auguri Mammina ❤️? @siaudi

A post shared by Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) on Apr 22, 2020 at 11:09am PDT

Thiem enjoyed a beautiful day outside with his brother, Moritz.

 

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A day in the mountains with @moritzthiem ?

A post shared by Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) on Apr 23, 2020 at 9:41am PDT

Mikhail Kukushkin’s attempt at Roger Federer’s volley challenge proved that expectation doesn’t always meet reality.

 

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All tennis players in 2021????Все теннисисты после карантина?? #tennisathome @atptour @rogerfederer #expectationvsreality

A post shared by Mikhail Kukushkin (@kukushkin_mikhail) on Apr 22, 2020 at 12:45pm PDT

Alexander Zverev continued to find new ways to work his fitness.

Mr. Zverev looking strong ?

Cheeky celebration too ?

?: @AlexZverev | #tennisathome pic.twitter.com/MrhI3ehM8e

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 23, 2020

Jamie Murray offered his followers a fun workout to do from the comfort of home.

How many skips in 60secs have you got?! #1minskipchallenge #tennisathome #StayHome #StayActive pic.twitter.com/08pDgjOUQL

— Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) April 22, 2020

Denis Shapovalov shared a flashback to playing a game of “Butts Up” in his junior days.

 

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Throwback to the junior days when @sorianojs used to kick my a$$ ? #SlowestServeOnThePlanet

A post shared by Denis Shapovalov (@denis.shapovalov) on Apr 21, 2020 at 8:03am PDT

Neal Skupski offered his own throwback moment and reminisced on winning the doubles title last year in Budapest with his brother, Ken Skupski.

 

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A successful week in Budapest ?? this time last year #tbt #tour #throwback #atp #tennis

A post shared by Neal Skupski (@nealskupski) on Apr 23, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

Tennys Sandgren released a cover song with fellow player Mikael Torpegaard.

 

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My bro @torpegramm and I covered ghost ritual. Quarantine got us throwing ourselves into things outside the game for a little bit @thebandghost

A post shared by Tennys Sandgren (@tsandgren7) on Apr 8, 2020 at 7:57pm PDT

Noah Rubin successfully pulled off the #overthehouse challenge.

 

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Fast and inefficient ??? #noahonthestreet

A post shared by Noah Rubin (@noahrubin33) on Apr 21, 2020 at 10:09am PDT

For Stan Wawrinka, the debate on who the greatest player of all time is doesn’t need much of a discussion.

The Swiss dropped in for a lengthy conversation on Wednesday with Chris Evert via Instagram Live. Evert grilled Wawrinka on what it’s like to face the Big Three and he candidly admitted that his greatest difficulties have come in facing 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

“He’s the best player ever so far. He’s been winning everything, beating everybody. He’s better than the other players and better than me,” Wawrinka said. “His game is a completely different style. He puts you under pressure all the time, he’s so aggressive, changes [pace] a lot. For my style of play, that’s tougher than someone who keeps [hitting] the same ball.”

What’s it like to play against each of the Big 3?@stanwawrinka had a chat today on Instagram Live with @ChrissieEvert and filled us in ? pic.twitter.com/EFXuROFCP9

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 22, 2020

Wawrinka also had plenty of praise for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He said that Nadal’s serve is one of the more underrated shots in the game and the heavy spin on it is further amplified on a clay court. The Swiss is 1-8 against Nadal on clay in their ATP Head2Head series, with all of those defeats coming in straight sets.

“I have difficulties to return the ball well because of the spin he hits and the lefty serve. He doesn’t have the best serve, but he makes it difficult for me and always puts me directly under pressure,” Wawrinka said. “On clay, it’s impossible. Forget it.”

Evert took time to highlight Wawrinka’s three victories over Djokovic in Grand Slams from 2014-2016 during their discussion. But while the former World No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings acknowledged that the Serbian is his preferred opponent among the Big Three, he still felt there was a gap between them and cited his record (6-19) in their ATP Head2Head rivalry as proof.

Before winning the 2014 @AustralianOpen…@stanwawrinka had a 14-match losing streak against Novak Djokovic & a 12-match losing streak against Rafael Nadal.

Here’s Stan talking about that famous fortnight with @ChrissieEvert ?

?: @EvertTennis pic.twitter.com/FUNNrNgDgs

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 23, 2020

“Novak is the one in the Big Three that I like to play the most, even if I’ve lost to him many times. I play the best against him and have been lucky to peak against him in Grand Slams,” Wawrinka said. “I feel like I can keep my power with him for three, four or five hours. Those three times I beat him, I kept playing my game.

“[But] even after beating Rafa or Novak, they’re still way better than me. They’re still in a different category than me. I beat them one time here or there, but I know it’s a different league.”

Although the modest Wawrinka downplayed himself against the Big Three, Evert called out his achievements that include 16 tour-level titles and 13 consecutive seasons inside the Top 20. The Swiss said he has no regrets about his career and would have been satisfied even without a trio of Grand Slam titles to his name.

“We’ve been in a difficult generation to win more because of the Big Three and Murray… I needed more time to be at my best. Some people might wonder why I didn’t win Grand Slams before [age 28], but It’s not about why. I’ve done it. For me, that’s the positive,” Wawrinka said. “I could have never done it, been Top 20 for the rest of my career and been super happy about it because I think it’s amazing to be in the Top 20.”

During an Instagram Live session on Monday night, Rafael Nadal took a moment to pay tribute to the members of staff and children taking refuge at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 33-year-old, who opened the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in 2016, has been in regular contact with staff and children who took refuge at the Manacor-based facility in March. Due to travel restrictions, many of the children at the academy were unable to return home to their families.

“I am super proud of the work that my team is doing inside the academy. There are 70 workers and 85 kids inside the academy since the beginning of the quarantine,” said Nadal on Instagram Live.

“They are doing a great job. They are following the rules. I have been in touch with them. I have been in touch with the coaches, I have been in touch with the kids and I [used] this period of time to try to be in touch with the parents too.”

Nadal’s academy management has maintained direct contact with the Superior Sports Council and the Balearic Islands’ Regional Ministry of Health since the closure of the facility in March.

“During these times, I think parents need to make sure that their children are safe and in the best hands possible. We can’t stop working and [we are] working to make sure this is happening. It has been a great conversation with the parents. I think [it has been] very productive and [I have] just been letting them know that we are following the rules of the authorities… to make sure the kids are healthy and in the best hands possible.”

Through the Rafa Nadal Foundation, founded in 2008, Nadal has also been providing families with food, hygienic products and school materials.

“Even through these hard times, my foundation is not stopping the work,” said Nadal. “We are trying to keep helping the families. For example, in Palma, we are helping the families in terms of basic products… we are sending them food, hygienic products and just trying to be in touch and making sure we are able to cover the things that they need.

“We are sending, to the kids, school materials because they don’t have the opportunity to keep working online from their homes. We are making sure they have the things that they need. [It is] something that I think is important during this very tough period of time.”

Nadal also took a moment to reflect on the success of #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Best Victory), a campaign he is running alongside six-time NBA All-Star Pau Gasol in support of the #CruzRojaResponde (Red Cross Responds) project. In a recent charity auction, one of Nadal’s 2019 Roland Garros final match shirts raised €20,500 for the initiative.

“I am in touch with the people of the Red Cross. We started an initiative with Pau Gasol and it has been an important success,” said Nadal. “[I am] happy that we are raising a lot of important money for the cause…

”I can’t thank enough my colleagues for their support and not only the world of sport, everyone has been very positive about the project and supporting. I am super happy for that and we really hope to keep encouraging the people to keep supporting all the initiatives, to help and to try to overcome this very tough situation.”