Do you want to support hospital staff fighting COVID-19 while playing your favourite video game at home? If so, Nicolas Mahut has the answer.

Introducing the #RestezChezVousTrophy, organised by the Frenchman to offer gamers the opportunity to compete in an online FIFA 20 tournament with entry fees being donated to hospital staff. Mahut took to his Instagram account to announce details of the event and invite French players, including Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, to join the fun and help save lives by staying at home and reducing the spread of the virus.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

La situation sanitaire en France nous contraint à devoir rester chez nous et il est important que nous respections tous les règles! Avec mes fils, Thiefaine et Natanel, nous avons décidé d’organiser le #restezchezvous Trophy sur #fifa20 ⚽️ ? 4 tournois disputés un jour sur deux et un masters réunissant les 4 vainqueurs. Le vainqueur de chaque tournoi recevra au choix une raquette dédicacée de ma part ou une tenue! Le vainqueur du masters recevra 2 places pour @rolandgarros Pour les les inscriptions et les regles >> écrivez en DM sur Instagram à @thiefaine_t Les copains @iamgaelmonfils @lucaspouille @pierrehuguesherbert @tsongaofficiel @jimchardy @richardgasquet34 @edouardrogervasselin je vous attends? ? Pour le premier tournoi, les 32 premiers seront inscrits, et suivant les demandes on augmentera la taille des tableaux!! ? inscription à partir de…. MAINTENANT et premier tournoi lundi 23 Mars à 16h avec retransmission en direct de la finale sur instagram ! À très vite et n’oubliez pas # RESTEZCHEZVOUS ?

A post shared by Nicolas Mahut (@nicomahut) on Mar 22, 2020 at 6:00am PDT

Mahut has organised four events, with the second 128-player edition to take place on 26 March. The winner of each competition will receive a signed racquet or outfit from Mahut, before the four winners compete for two tickets to Roland Garros.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

C’est parti pour le tournoi… ?@thiefaine_t @psg @k.mbappe @cavaniofficial21

A post shared by Nicolas Mahut (@nicomahut) on Mar 23, 2020 at 5:59am PDT

For more information, visit @nicomahut and @gamersducoeur on Instagram.

The past 15 months have not been easy on court for two-time Grand Slam finalist and former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson, who has been limited to eight tournaments during that stretch due to injuries. But off court, it has been a special time for the South African star.

On 27 September 2019, his wife Kelsey Anderson gave birth to their first child, Keira.

“Obviously it’s been a little bit different… last year I was injured and didn’t play the rest of the year and then this season I only played a few events, and then I had surgery and then everything was shut down with the virus,” Anderson told ATPTour.com. “I haven’t really experienced full life as a dad and competing like I usually have. On the plus side, it has been nice spending time at home [in Florida] and just having more of a family life and being able to spend more time with her and my wife at home.”

Anderson has greatly enjoyed being a father, and he has taken pleasure in being able to watch Keira grow in the nearly six months since her birth.

“I think what I’m most fascinated by is just watching her, even though it’s so small, little leaps or learning curves, just watching her learn things. I think that’s been nice, where I’ve been able to spend quite a bit of time with her for basic things,” Anderson said. “There’s still so much to come, but even just listening to the baby talk and her grasping for things, being able to move around a little bit [has been great]. She hasn’t started sitting yet, but just being able to move around, recognising her smiling at you, just stuff like that. I feel like her just growing and learning has been the most amazing part of it for me.”

Anderson hasn’t had much time travelling with his daughter because of his injuries and the ATP Tour’s suspension due to coronavirus concerns. But he did compete this year at the ATP Cup, the Australian Open and the New York Open, giving him a look into what is to come.

“Obviously the time with her has been great and gives me a different perspective on life and different responsibilities and everything that comes with that,” Anderson said. “But at the same time, there’s still a lot I want to achieve on the tennis court, which I’ve pursued my whole life. So I’d say that ambition is still there.

“But definitely in Australia, when I had that first sort of [experience], I feel like there’s a bit more of a separation between what you do on the tennis court, on-site, and when you get back home.”

Anderson’s wife, Kelsey, has long been visible in his corner, cheering him on during his biggest matches. That has been the same as they have become first-time parents.

“My wife’s been amazing through this whole process, [being] understanding just at home and with me still training and recovering from two surgeries while she was first pregnant, and then giving birth and then having her here, allowing me to do some of the things that I need to do,” Anderson said. “For the most part I think we’ve been really lucky, Keira’s been a very easygoing baby and well-natured for the most part. She’s had a couple things that have made things a little tougher, but all in all, so far we’ve really enjoyed this.”

Fans may notice that the first name of each member of the Anderson family — Kevin, Kelsey and Keira — begins with a ‘K’, but not for the reason you might expect.

“[Keira] is just a name that we have always liked. It was on the short list, one that I think we were leaning towards. Funnily enough when we told my mother about it, from a young age, she always knew that if she had a boy she would name the boy Kevin and the girl Keira, which we thought was interesting,” Anderson said. “It was like a sign, so that’s when we decided that was the name we were going to give her.”

When some ATP Tour players welcome a child into their family, they become more motivated to one day showcase their on-court skills when their child is old enough to understand what they do for a living.

“It’d be great if I’m still playing in four, five years’ time when hopefully Keira will be old enough to remember that time on court. Some of that is out of my control. It would be nice, but that’s something that’s many years down the road, so it’s not something I’m thinking about too much at this point,” Anderson said. “I’d say I’m probably more focussed on enjoying her each step as it comes.”

Has Keira started following in her father’s footsteps yet?

“She’s got a toy tennis racquet, but not a real racquet just yet,” Anderson said, cracking a laugh.

Normally at this is the time of season, the Tour heads to the sun and sand of Miami, Florida. But due to the global COVID-19 pandemic this year, ATPTour.com reflects on some of the magic at one of the ATP Tour’s lynch-pin events, the Miami Open presented by Itau, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

Butch Buchholz, a former executive director of the ATP, and his brother, Cliff, originally wanted to make the Miami Open presented by Itau the first major tournament of the year, dubbed ‘Winter Wimbledon’ (at a time when the Australian Open was played in December). The first event held in February 1985 at Laver’s International Tennis Resort in Delray Beach was won by Tim Mayotte, before the tournament moved for a year to Boca Raton and then to it’s long-term location of the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne off Miami from 1987 to 2018. Expanding to a 96-player field in 1999, the multi-week tournament relocated to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, last year.

ATPTour.com looks back on 10 memorable moments from Miami since 1990.

1991: Courier Completes First ‘Sunshine Double’
Jim Courier, the possessor of a fine forehand allied to superior physical conditioning, became the first of seven players (to date) to complete the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open presented by Itau title double in the same season, on his inextricable rise to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings 10 months later. Having started March 1991 at No. 23 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Courier’s physical and high-intensity power play helped him to beat Guy Forget 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 in Indian Wells for just his second tour-level title, and then a win over then World No. 1 Stefan Edberg in Miami en route to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over David Wheaton in the final. It helped him return to the Top 10. Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios (1998), Andre Agassi (2001), Roger Federer (2005-06, 2017) and Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016) have since completed the ‘Sunshine Double’.

1994: Sampras Makes Lazarus-like Recovery, Wins Delayed Final
In his first final under the guidance of coach Brad Gilbert, Agassi walked into the locker room prior to the 1994 final at the Crandon Park Tennis Center to find Sampras on the floor. Agassi, who at No. 31 in the FedEx ATP Rankings was at his lowest position since November 1987, had beaten the likes of Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg during the tournament, and agreed to delay the final by one hour in order to give Sampras more time to recover. Defending champion Sampras, who had been given an IV by a doctor, jumped out to a 5-1 lead, and while Agassi recovered, there was no let up. Sampras won 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 15 minutes and went on to lift a personal-best 10 tour-level trophies that season.

1997: Muster’s Redemption
Less than two hours after beating Yannick Noah for a place in the 1989 Miami final, Muster was getting a bag out of his courtesy car outside Bayside Marketplace, when a drunk driver — on the wrong side of the road — struck head-on, pushing the parked car into Muster’s left leg. Muster, unable to play the final the next day against Ivan Lendl, flew back to Vienna and underwent surgery on two ligaments that were severed. With the aid of a specially designed chair, which allowed him to hit balls while recovering from the surgery, Muster returned to tennis six months later. He would eventually capture the Miami title in 1997, beating Sergi Bruguera 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-1. “This is great justice for me,” says Muster, after lifting the biggest hard-court trophy of his career. He’d beaten Grant Stafford, a young Tommy Haas, Alex Corretja, Jonas Bjorkman and Jim Courier en route to the final.

1998: Rios Rise To No. 1
In the space of 20 extraordinary days, the pony-tailed Rios harnessed not only his natural talent, but also a so-far untapped mental resolve to play some of the best tennis of his career and capture the Indian Wells-Miami title double. A feat achieved, at that point, by only a trio of Americans: Courier (1991), Chang (1992) and Sampras (1994). Rios, who had started March 939 points behind World No. 1 Sampras, beat Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-7(15), 7-6(4), 6-4 in the BNP Paribas Open final. In a sun-kissed 29 March final, the third seed competed nerve-free against three-time former champion Agassi, who had risen from No. 141 to No. 22 in just eight events and led the Tour with a 24-3 start on the season. Rios’ path to glory, including his 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Agassi that knocked off Sampras at No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after 102 consecutive weeks, triggered rapturous celebrations on the streets of Chile, a nation that had witnessed every match live on television. 

2003: Agassi Wins Third Straight Miami Crown, Sixth Overall
Agassi always enjoyed appearing in Miami ever since his first match — a first-round loss to Muster — as a 17-year-old in 1987. The American would go on to compile a 61-13 record at the tournament, highlighted by appearing in his first ATP Masters 1000 final in 1990; recording the 700th victory of his illustrious career over a young Federer in the 2002 final and, the following year, bettering the five Key Biscayne titles of his wife, Steffi Graff, with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Carlos Moya. One-month shy of his 33rd birthday, having missed Indian Wells due to a right shoulder injury, he’d beaten Younes El Aynaoui (quarter-finals), Albert Costa (semi-finals) and Moya in as many days. Agassi also won a tournament record 19 straight matches in Miami from a first-round win over Taylor Dent in 2001 until he lost to Agustin Calleri in the 2004 fourth round. Agassi’s six Miami titles (also 1990, 1995-96, 2001 and 2002) have since been equalled by Djokovic, the 2007, 2011-12, 2014-16 champion.

2005: Federer & Nadal Meet For First Time In A Final
As a 17-year-old, Rafael Nadal had beaten Federer in the 2004 third round, and he had everything in control in his first Masters 1000 final at 6-2, 7-6(4), 4-1 one year later. Federer, who was two points from losing in the 10th game of the third set and also at 3/5 in the tie-break, recovered for his 18th consecutive victory in tour-level finals — and his 22nd victory in a row. “It was a very equal match,” said Nadal, after their second career meeting. “In the end it didn’t happen for me.” The 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1 win, over three hours and 42 minutes, was only the second time that Federer had recovered from 0-2 sets down. “I really didn’t expect to turn it around really,” said Federer. “I haven’t dug out many matches in my career and to dig it out against Nadal, I’m extremely happy – and exhausted.” It was their second of a legendary 40-match series (Nadal currently leads 24-16).

2007: Djokovic Wins First Masters 1000 Title
Fresh-faced and with spiky hair, 19-year-old Djokovic blitzed through the Miami field without dropping a set, beating qualifier Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 for his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy. “Every time you win something, or you are the youngest player, or you make any record, I mean, it certainly feels great,” said Djokovic, the youngest champion in the 23-year history of the tournament. “It means that your name is in the history of the sport. I am very proud of that. I know that I worked hard throughout all my career to reach this point, and I hope that this is just the beginning of a long career.” Djokovic, who moved from No. 10 to No. 7 in the FedEx ATP Rankings as a result of winning the fourth title of his career, also beat Nadal for the first time, 6-3, 6-4, in the Miami quarter-finals.

2011: Djokovic Remains Perfect After Classic Final
Djokovic came into the 2011 final having not lost his serve all tournament, but that didn’t last long against then-World No. 1 Nadal, who mastered the windy conditions in the early stages and looked to avenge his Indian Wells loss two weeks earlier. In one of the most electrifying finals in Miami tournament history, Djokovic tightened up his defence and counter-punching game to upend Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) over three hours and 21 minutes. “It was very close, and it really could have gone either way,” said Djokovic, who completed the first of his four Indian Wells-Miami title doubles. “It was one of the best finals I ever played in in my life.” It improved Djokovic’s perfect winning streak to 24 matches on the season. “What Novak is doing at the start of this season is something difficult to repeat, so well done to him and his team,” said Nadal. “Today I had some good chances, but Novak was too good for me this afternoon.” Djokovic compiled a 41-match winning streak that year.

2017: The Match Of The Year In Miami
Federer and Nick Kyrgios may have opposite temperaments and playing styles, but they came together in the 2017 semi-finals to put on one of the finest matches of the year. Federer saved set points and Kyrgios saved match points in front of a standing-room only crowd, but it was the fourth seed who ultimately came out on top over Kyrgios in their semi-final clash 7-6(9), 6-7(9), 7-6(5). “It did feel very good, because you don’t very often play three breakers in a match. It’s nice to win those and winning breakers is always such a thrill,” said Federer, after the encounter that lasted three hours and 10 minutes. “It’s great winning this way, especially because I remember the loss against him a couple of years ago. It was rough [in Madrid on 6 May 2015]. It was the birthday of my boys [Leo and Lenny]. I wasn’t with them and had that match, so it was nice to get this one tonight.” Their previous meeting at the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open had produced a similar scoreline, with Kyrgios saving two match points in a 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(12) victory.

2019: Welcome To The Hard Rock Stadium…
After 32 editions, it was farewell to Crandon Park in March 2018. The following year, James Blake, the former World No. 4 turned-Miami Tournament Director, welcomed the tennis world to the home of the Miami Dolphins, where 11 of the 29 permanent tennis courts had been built on the Hard Rock Stadium’s southern parking lots. A new face, qualifier and World No. 53 Felix Auger-Aliassime became the tournament’s youngest-ever semi-finalist on his Miami debut and he was also the first teenager to reach the semi-finals since Djokovic beat Andy Murray (both 19) in 2007. But the title match pitted a familiar face in three-time former winner Federer against 33-year-old defending champion John Isner, who was riding an 11-match winning streak in Miami. Federer won 6-1, 6-4 in his 50th ATP Masters 1000 final, becoming the event’s oldest champion at 37 years and 235 days, to start a new chapter for the prestigious tournament.

Other Memorable Moments
* 1999: 17-year-old Federer earns a wild card after winning 1998 Orange Bowl title at Crandon Park with bleach-blonde hair.

* 2001: 18-year-old wild card Andy Roddick defeats defending champion and World No. 4 Sampras.

* 2002: Federer ends World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt’s 15-match win streak to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

* 2004: In first of their 40 meetings, 17-year-old Nadal stuns top-ranked Federer 6-3, 6-3 in the third round.

* 2004: Playing with kidney stones, Guillermo Coria wins first set of final against Roddick and plays two more sets before retiring.

* 2006: Federer wins three straight tie-breaks against his future coach Ivan Ljubicic to repeat as Miami champion.

* 2007: En route to final, Argentine qualifier Canas defeats defending champion Federer for the second time in 17 days.

* 2008: Using one racquet throughout the tournament, Nikolay Davydenko becomes the first Russian to win the Miami title.

* 2009: Juan Martin del Potro edges Nadal for the first of his 10 wins over World No. 1s (most among players never ranked No. 1).

* 2012: Fernando Gonzalez loses a third-set tie-break to Nicolas Mahut in the final match of his career.

* 2012: In last of their 24 meetings, Roddick defeats Federer for the second time in Miami and the third time overall.

* 2013: Murray saves championship point against David Ferrer, who nearly ends the Spanish curse in Miami. To date, Spaniards are 0-8 in Miami finals.

* 2016: Djokovic caps 30-1 run in Miami from 2011-16, with fifth title in six years and a record-tying sixth title overall.

* 2018: In Miami final year at Crandon Park, 32-year-old Isner becomes the oldest first-time ATP Masters 1000 champion.

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka announced on Wednesday that they have donated one million Swiss Francs (USD $1.02 million) to vulnerable families in Switzerland in the global fight against COVID-19.

“These are challenging times for everyone, and nobody should be left behind,” wrote Federer on his Instagram feed. “Mirka and I have personally decided to donate one million Swiss Francs for the most vulnerable families in Switzerland.

“Our contribution is just the start. We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy!”

There are more than 8,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Switzerland, claiming 66 lives. The ATP and WTA Tours have been suspended until 7 June.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

These are challenging times for everyone and nobody should be left behind. Mirka and I have personally decided to donate one million Swiss Francs for the most vulnerable families in Switzerland. Our contribution is just a start. We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy! Dies sind herausfordernde Zeiten für uns alle und niemand sollte zurückgelassen werden. Mirka und ich haben beschlossen, persönlich eine Million Schweizer Franken für die am stärksten gefährdeten Familien in der Schweiz zu spenden. Unser Beitrag ist nur ein Anfang. Wir hoffen, dass sich andere anschließen, um noch mehr bedürftige Familien zu unterstützen. Gemeinsam können wir diese Krise überwinden! Bleibt gesund! Nous vivons une période difficile pour nous tous et personne ne doit être laissé pour compte. Mirka et moi avons décidé de personnellement faire don d’un million de francs suisses aux familles les plus défavorisées en Suisse. Notre contribution n’est qu’un début. Nous espérons que d’autres se joindront à nous pour aider encore plus de familles dans le besoin. Ensemble, nous pouvons surmonter cette crise! Restez en bonne santé!

A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) on Mar 25, 2020 at 4:33am PDT

Editor’s Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing features to bring fans closer to their favourite players during the current suspension in tournament play. This story was originally published on 25 August 2019.

ATPTour.com went behind the scenes with #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime before he begins his run at the US Open. Below is a timeline of his day.

At 2:34 p.m. on Saturday afternoon in Manhattan, #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime began a promotional shoot for the Next Gen ATP Finals. He’d already had one practise session earlier on, just three days away from his first-round match at the US Open against close friend and countryman Denis Shapovalov. And later in the evening, he’d travel to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for his second hit of the day, this time on Grandstand, where he hit with countryman Vasek Pospisil in front of just a few photographers.

A year ago, then a qualifier, Felix departed the court in tears after retiring in the third set against Shapovalov due to a reoccurring heart condition. Now Auger-Aliassime returns to New York as the favourite after cracking the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time this week, making him one of the quickest-rising stars on the ATP Tour.

But Auger-Aliassime is humble to say the least. Just weeks ago at the Coupe Rogers, throngs of fans sprinted after the teen wherever he went — to practise, to a match, probably to dinner, too. Felix was the celebrity and phone-wielding fans were paparazzi en masse. Yet after arriving at the photoshoot, the first thing he did was introduce himself to all the staff around, extending his hand for a handshake to each person in every room, whether he’d previously met them or not.

Auger-Aliassime is not all forehands and backhands, nor is he all serves and returns. Yes, he’s a tennis sensation, but he’s also a well-mannered 19-year-old, a teen who presents himself as someone who’s been there and done that. The thing is, this is only the beginning.

At 2:38, Felix arrived at the photo room on the second floor, where a handful of lighting apparatuses brought a dark-coloured background to life. The Canadian sat down to have make-up applied.

As incredible as it may seem because of his stellar 2019 season — which has included his first three ATP Tour finals and a maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final — Auger-Aliassime is trying to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time, currently sitting in second place in the ATP Race To Milan, from which the Top 7 21-and-under players in the world automatically qualify.

“Everyone said it’s great,” Auger-Aliassime said of the third-year event.

The No. 18 seed stood up at 2:41 and began digging through his bag. Did he need to wear white socks or black socks? Auger-Aliassime was prepared for anything, even down to his socks.

Arms folded. Turn your body to the left. Back to the right. Keep your body to the side and turn your head towards the camera. Take a step back.

The photographer was like a coach, but instead of being on the court feeding forehands and backhands, Felix was in a small hotel room in Manhattan, showered by the consistent pings of the flashes going off around him.

“Like this or like this?” Auger-Aliassime asked about a pose. It’s clear that doing things properly is of the utmost importance to Felix. When he’s asked to do something, he wants to do it the right way.

During a momentary break in the shooting, Auger-Aliassime looked down at and played with the strings of his racquet. Those strings will likely be cut out after his next practice. But countless winners will fly off of the Canadian’s racquet in the years to come.

At 2:47, Felix was asked to put his sweater on for the next set of photos. The make-up artist warned him to be careful, saying she could fix his hair, but that the make-up could be more problematic on his clothes.

“Did I get it right?” Felix said, eager to please.

The photographer and his assistants got to a point where they wanted Auger-Aliassime to scream for an image full of intensity. All of the #NextGenATP stars coming through that day would do so. The first shot wasn’t intense enough for the photographer.

“I’m not angry right now. Maybe after practice tonight,” Auger-Aliassime joked. “You’re getting precise now. Shouting, screaming. I don’t know.

“Okay, perfect!” At 2:53, Auger-Aliassime thanked everyone in the room, walked through the hallway past several conference rooms and down a set of winding stairs, leaving him in the lobby. Ten seconds later he walked into a larger room where a green screen awaited him to film promotional material for Milan, should the Canadian qualify.

Again, Auger-Aliassime introduced himself to everyone in the room and awaited instructions. The first thing he did was autograph a frame of glass, much like you see players do after a match. The director explained to him how one side of the marker was thinner and the other was thicker, and that he should use the latter. Again, Auger-Aliassime double-checked to make sure he did it correctly, signing the glass four times until it was perfect.

At 3:04, Felix had to go through the roaring routine again, and then at 3:10, the director asked him for a burning stare through the lens to finish off his session in front of the green screen.

Once again, Auger-Aliassime thanked everyone in the room and took an elevator up to the third floor to speak some promotional lines into the camera for the Next Gen ATP Finals, sitting in a chair in a smaller hotel room at 3:12.

Straight into camera?

Felix used plenty of hand motions, reading his lines with plenty of energy. Whenever he misspoke, he quickly apologised, even though he didn’t need to. There were no forehands or backhands being hit in that room, but Auger-Aliassime was giving it everything he could.

Want my body this way?

In isolation, this precision is nothing atypical. But it’s clear that Auger-Aliassime is particular about everything he does.

After losing in the Miami Open presented by Itau semi-finals, in which he struggled with his second serve in crucial moments, he went right to the practice court after the match to work on it. Felix double faulted 10 times in his first-round loss at the Western & Southern Open against fellow #NextGenATP star Miomir Kecmanovic.

But shadowing Auger-Aliassime for just an hour, even away from the tennis court, the teen showed he will relentlessly work to fix that. He is simply too precise not to.

“I always have high expectations. I put big goals ahead of me,” Auger-Aliassime said.

One of his goals was entering the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings by the end of the year. He accomplished that by 1 April.

“For sure I was surprised,” Felix admitted of how quickly he’s risen in 2019. But he also says that he’s put in the work for it. And he’s not counting himself qualified for Milan yet, either. Auger-Aliassime is insistent on continuing “to do the right things” now and for the rest of his career, never counting his chickens before they hatch.

“[I want] to make sure I make it,” Auger-Aliassime said of qualifying for Milan. “You’ll make it if you deserve it.”

At 3:22, Auger-Aliassime thanked the final few staff members for their help during the shoot, and walked towards the hotel’s exit, with a tantalising first-round match against his friend Shapovalov ahead of him.

There’s little one can learn about a player’s tennis at a promotional shoot. But regardless of what happens on Tuesday at the US Open, Felix will continue to put the work in.

Whether he wins or loses a match, he will handle it with class. And Felix won’t stop until he gets the most out of his game. How high is his ceiling? Only time will tell. And at 19, there is plenty of time to find out.

Dominic Thiem revealed in the ATP Tour’s #TennisAtHome campaign how he has been occupying himself at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s like everyone else. Safety first,” Thiem said. “Just try to keep fit a little bit, spend some time with my parents, spend some time with my dog. I think he’s the happiest about all of this situation, as he can see us now for a long time.”

Thiem is staying at home with his family in Austria. The World No. 3 has taken advantage of that in the kitchen.

“I only eat food which is from the region here and I really enjoy that,” Thiem said. “Maybe I improve a little bit my cooking skills when I’m home that much.”

Andrey Rublev played some of the best tennis of his career to start the 2020 season, winning his first 11 matches, including back-to-back titles in Doha and Adelaide.

“It’s amazing and it’s unbelievable,” Rublev told ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot. “At the same time, I understand that it’s something unreal.”

The Russian came out firing from the beginning of the year, harnessing his massive baseline power to plow through opponent after opponent. The two-time Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier had long shown his potential to compete with the best in the world, but he slightly surprised himself with his incredible season-starting run, which ended with a loss against 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

“It was a little bit strange because during this pre-season, I was thinking, ‘I’m not working enough, I’m not working enough, I need to work harder, I need to work better.’ Every day it was like this. It was not enough,” Rublev said. “I was thinking, ‘What is this? If I want to be on a good level, this is not the game. I need to do something better, I need to work harder, I need to have a better attitude, I need to play smarter.’ The mood was never enough, never enough, never enough. But in the end, when I started the season, everything was good.”

Rublev earned a 38-19 record in 2019, finishing as No. 23 in the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings. But the 22-year-old was hungry for more, relentless in his pursuit of improvement. It wasn’t that he craved a certain milestone; he simply wanted to get better.

“I tried to work hard every day. I was not expecting nothing, I was not trying to think, ‘Oh, I hope I will start the season good.’ Of course I would like to start the season good, but I was not hoping, I was not expecting nothing, I was thinking like a machine, [that] I will work hard, I will try to do my best,” Rublev said. “If I lose first round, at least I know that I did my best and that’s it. If I do my best and I do third or fourth round okay, perfect, then it’s even better.”

The current World No. 14 did not lose a set at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, defeating #NextGenATP Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the final. Rublev’s third ATP Tour title left him with a decision to make.

“I remember when I won Doha, most of the members of my team were telling me to pull out, maybe it’s a better idea. But then I said, ‘Why not [play]? I’m having a bye there in Adelaide, I’m going to arrive there and still have two days. Let’s see how I feel. If I’ll be completely dead, if I feel that physically I am weak, I feel pain in some areas of my body, we have time to pull out. But at least let’s try, we never know,’” Rublev said. “I started to play better and better and in the end I won Adelaide. It’s something unreal, but of course it was amazing to start the season in this way.”

Rublev lost a set against Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniel Evans at the Adelaide International, but he never panicked. Instead, he persevered. In the past, that might not have been the case.

“Everybody has his own problems that he needs to face and to learn how to face them strongly to grow up,” Rublev said. “I never even won two titles in one year, and now I won two titles in a row, so something is not real. I need to accept that it’s not going to be like that. That it happened is perfect, but I need to be in real life and understand that there are so many things to work on.”

The Moscow native has proven to himself and the world that he could compete — and win — on the world’s biggest stages. That is no longer in doubt.

“When I have bad days, bad weeks, how will I face them? This is now the most important thing for me,” Rublev said. “There is still a mental part. I think out of the Top 20 I am one of the weakest, so we’ll see. I am looking positively forward and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

Rublev is not setting his gaze on a particular FedEx ATP Ranking goal. Instead, he’s working on his mental and physical game, and letting the effects of that pay dividends.

“You just need to be calm and positive, which is so simple and so easy. No matter what happens, be positive, do your best. It’s so simple. But this is the tough thing,” Rublev said. “The main goal for this year is every day to be mentally strong, to be mentally always positive.”

Your favourite players are all finding ways to stay busy and remain in shape while doing their part to flatten the curve. From Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s bold vow to Karen Khachanov’s unique challenge, find out how the biggest names in tennis are keeping active.

Novak Djokovic is spending time with his family and encouraged his social media followers to stay at home.

??❤️ #stayhome #staysafe #staystrong pic.twitter.com/CjS5couRhd

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 22, 2020

Rafael Nadal thanked those on the frontlines of combatting COVID-19 and encouraged those who are suffering from it.

Quería compartir con todos vosotros un mensaje de apoyo en estos momentos tan difíciles en todo el mundo. #YoMeQuedoEnCasa #tuttoandràbene #JeResteALaMaison #StayAtHome #WeWillWinTogether #ánimo pic.twitter.com/RuqZRjwp3W

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 21, 2020

Fabio Fognini gave himself a new look.

#buzzcutchallenge
Ora tocca a voi! ✂️??‍♂️ #iorestoacasa #distantimauniti #stayathome pic.twitter.com/QEr6bKlOWe

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) March 22, 2020

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vowed to return stronger than ever when he steps back on court.

We don’t know when we will be back on court … but still focus on the way to come back stronger … ??
Ça bosse (à la maison) ! ??
Prenez soin de vous et restez chez vous ! ???#TsongaTeam #TennisAtHome #StayHome #RESTEZCHEZVOUS pic.twitter.com/DFwutFZ1M3

— Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (@tsonga7) March 19, 2020

Roberto Bautista Agut is finding ways to stay on top of his fitness from the comfort of home.

Sesión de cardio y fuerza en casa ????

Cardio + strength session at home done! ??#YoMeQuedoEnCasa #RobertoBautistaAgut #StayAtHome pic.twitter.com/GVjkHPeMdz

— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) March 23, 2020

Diego Schwartzman is ramping up his cardio and strength training sessions.

Putting in the work ?

Vamos, Diego!

?: @dieschwartzman | #tennisathome ?? pic.twitter.com/4a2HQ7loJY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 21, 2020

No gym access? John Millman found a unique substitute for dumbbells.

Teamwork makes the dreamwork.

?: @johnhmillman (IG) #tennisathome ?? pic.twitter.com/zuvIACajAn

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 19, 2020

Gael Monfils won’t skip leg day under any circumstances.

La Monf still working hard ?

?: @Gael_Monfils (IG) pic.twitter.com/7NNCNIo51l

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 19, 2020

Karen Khachanov took the 20-Touch Challenge, but isn’t quite there yet.

Never give up?#StayAtHomeChallenge #20touchChallenge #bloopers @WilsonTennis @Nike pic.twitter.com/Me9Gtv4k2p

— Karen Khachanov (@karenkhachanov) March 22, 2020

Hubert Hurkacz is still learning how to navigate smaller spaces.

Dzięki za nominację @zielaczekk 🙂 #gramywdomu i niczego nie niszczymy ?‍♂️? #zostanwdomu #StayAtHome @GrupaLOTOS @emocjedopelna #emocjedopełna pic.twitter.com/rz2f9YuLWg

— Hubert Hurkacz (@HubertHurkacz) March 21, 2020

Alex de Minaur made a new friend at home.

Day 2 of isolation…

Can someone please go check on @alexdeminaur? ?? pic.twitter.com/QKJFpbfhqz

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 17, 2020

Stan Wawrinka is finding unique ways to keep romance in his life.

Got my quarantine Saturday night date … ?????what about you ??#YesImBored #StayHome #FollowTheRules #IMightGetLucky #WishMeLuck #IThinkImLoosingIt #StaySafe ??❤️ pic.twitter.com/LhBIewAdmC

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) March 21, 2020

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi says that resuming play in time for the grass-court season remains the Tour’s goal but acknowledges that definitive planning is difficult while the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown.

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells earlier this month was the first ATP Tour event to be hit by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The current suspension of the Tour is scheduled to run through 7 June, inclusive of the entire Spring clay-court season.

“Unfortunately, the repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt across all areas of society, as well as by our players, tournaments, and the Tour,” said Gaudenzi, who began serving as ATP Chairman on 1 January. “This is bigger than any sport. The current situation raises many questions which we empathize with greatly, and we are working hard on evaluating all options.

“Our ability to address any supportive measures will be best guided once we know the duration of the crisis and when the Tour will resume, which remains unknown at this time. This remains an evolving situation that will require significant time to deal with in the coming weeks and months, and we must avoid making any rushed decisions without knowing first when the crisis will end. Understanding the full duration and scale of this crisis will be critical to addressing any measures related to its repercussions.

Despite acknowledging the current uncertainty, Gaudenzi said that the calendar is under continuous review and further clarity about the likelihood of the grass season should come next month.

“We continue to assess all options related to preserving and maximising the calendar based on various return dates for the Tour. It goes without saying that full cooperation with the other governing bodies is essential. We are in close discussion with all the grass-court events and they remain on the calendar as scheduled at this time,” he said. “The reality is this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is no option other than to take this day-by-day and week-by-week.”

On 12 March ATP announced a six-week suspension of play at Tour and Challenger level through 20 April. Last week ATP and WTA jointly announced that no ATP and WTA tournaments in the Spring clay-court swing would be held as scheduled. This includes the combined ATP/WTA tournaments in Madrid and Rome, along with the WTA events in Strasbourg and Rabat and ATP events in Munich, Estoril, Geneva and Lyon.

Additionally, both Tours have frozen their rankings.

“It is hard to fathom what has happened in the world in the past few weeks and it’s remarkable to think that, in ordinary times, last Sunday would have seen the culmination of the first ATP Masters 1000 of the year in Indian Wells,” Gaudenzi said.

“The current suspension of the Tour leaves a big void in all our lives. However, we are seeking to play our part over the coming weeks through our digital and social media platforms which, among other initiatives, has included the launch of a #tennisathome content campaign to deliver some positive and fresh content to our fans.”

A native of Italy, the country hardest hit by the COVID-19 virus, Gaudenzi has implored players, tournaments and tennis fans to spread word of key countermeasures to combat the pandemic.

“This is a time of considerable uncertainty for all and there is nothing more important than prioritising health. On a personal level, the stories I have heard from acquaintances at home in Italy are harrowing. The need to take this seriously, stay at home and practice responsible social distancing, is paramount and we urge everyone in the tennis community to spread this important message in the days and weeks ahead.”