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.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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.”

During the coronavirus lockdown, a little road trip sounds appealing. But driving coast to coast from Southern California to Miami with your wife and three kids under eight? That’s a 3,000 mile journey that would give any family pause.

There could come a time, however, when Bob Bryan may not have a choice. Bob, wife Michelle and children Micaela (8), Bobby Jr. (6) and Richie (4) have been stranded in Bob’s childhood hometown of Camarillo since heading west in early March for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

“I’ve pushed our flight home back four times now; fortunately, there are no change fees,” Bob tells ATPTour.com. “It’s a little bit too risky to fly right now, especially with the kids who don’t know anything about the germs. I can imagine Richie going through security touching everything and then licking his hands.

“We have talked about getting an RV and driving it home. That would be quite the adventure.”

Having rented a comfortable AirBnB surrounded by plenty of green space close to twin brother Mike and his parents, Bob and family are about as comfortable as they can be while under home confinement.

Michelle also had the foresight to bring 10 pieces of luggage, including a keyboard and guitar. So there’s no rush to get back to their condo in Sunny Isles, just north of Miami, especially when Mike and his wife Nadia are expecting their first child any day now.

“If we go home it’s going to be the same. We are going to be quarantined,” says Bob, who turns 42 next Wednesday. “During this time you want to see your family, but it’s not possible. My parents are just down the road but they are both in their 70s so we are staying away from them.

“They have come by a couple of times and we just talk to them from 15 to 20 feet away. The kids run to hug them but we hold them back. Mike is right here too but we have not had any contact with him. Nadia is pregnant so we don’t want to mess around. It’s just a very unusual time. We may never see another time like this in our lifetime.”

Bob, who grew up in a TV-free household, said that he and Michelle have eased screen-time restrictions for their kids during the lockdown.

“We definitely limit time on the iPad and watching TV, but we are giving them a little bit of a break during these weeks. And for us it can be tough having three kids on you all the time, so we are letting them watch Disney, Disney+ for a couple of hours when we need a break.

“Michelle is kind of the piston of the operation. She drives the learning and a lot of the plans and she always comes up with great ideas for the day. We had always planned to homeschool the kids this year so Michelle has all of the workbooks and arts and crafts.”

A typical day begins with bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast, followed by a couple of hours of homeschooling, time in the backyard pool and then playing in the yard and looking for ladybugs. There are Legos and puzzles to play with and deserted dirt roads for bike rides. The family builds a fire at night and Michelle entertains the kids with ghost stories.

“It’s kind of like a staycation,” Bob says. “We’re enjoying the time with the family and staying positive. It’s kind of a blessing for us because our life has always been ‘go, go, go’ and this time we get to slow it down a little bit. It’s a cute stage for us with the kids with the age they are at.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has played havoc with Bob and Mike’s planned farewell season on the ATP Tour. The first tournaments cancelled, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open presented by Itau, were two of the brothers’ favourites.

“It definitely hurt to miss the Indian Wells/Miami stretch. We have played well there and it’s where my friends and family can come watch us play. Being from Southern Cal, Indian Wells was always our hometown tournament.”

Additionally, Bob’s father, Wayne, was bringing 300 kids to Indian Wells from across the country for a series of clinics, a talent show and of course to watch the Bryans in action. “That was going to be a huge experience for our Foundation,” Bob says. “And our band was going to play on the Thursday night and that is always one of our best gigs. It’s our Super Bowl of gigs.

“We also loved Houston and am sorry to miss that as it’s always such a great, relaxed atmosphere at River Oaks and we look forward to getting on stage there as well. Obviously, we also have great memories of slams, so we hate to see those slip, but it’s important right now that everyone stays in their own space and we beat this thing.”

The Bryans’ initial plan was to sign off after the US Open. Although the US hard court season is still scheduled to proceed, nothing in this world is certain at the moment. If the Bryans don’t get to play tournaments over the summer, then Bob says they may re-assess their schedule.

“Our retirement plan is not going as planned for sure,” he says. “We had a lot of hopes and dreams to say goodbye to our favorite tournaments for the last time and really get our fill before we shut it down. We don’t know what the schedule holds for the summer. If we could play a full summer and finish at the Open like we talked about, that might be enough.

“We haven’t made a decision if we are going to play in 2021, but Mike and I will sure to be talking about that in the months to come.”

Last month the Bryan Brothers Foundation made a $150,000 donation to the Inspiring Children Foundation in Las Vegas as part of Jewel’s ‘Live From San Quarantine’ concert.

“It has been a cause we’ve been supporting for a long time. A lot of the kids wear the Team Bryan shirts,” Bob says. “Ryan Wolfington and Trent Alenik do a great job of taking kids from challenging situations, mentoring them and turning them into leaders. Ninety-five per cent of them go on to get a college scholarship, and to many of the top colleges like Stanford, Harvard, Yale. We’ve never seen a programme like it and we’re passionate about supporting it.

“Jewel came on to support and we felt it was our obligation to make sure they were able to continue their mission.”

A winner of 119 team titles and more than 1100 matches with Mike, Bob is hoping that COVID-19 won’t be the reason they are denied a shot at a 120th title and the opportunity to say goodbye to American fans this summer.

“Our bodies feel good but we’re not getting any younger. I know it will get more challenging as we play past 42. But with this downtime, the inflammation should go out of the body and we should be able to get strong and hopefully play some of these tournaments again.”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ATP Tour’s Premier Partner, Emirates, is stepping up precautionary measures at airports and on board to ensure the health and safety of its employees and customers. 

All cabin crew, boarding agents and ground staff in direct contact with passengers will now wear personal protective equipment (PPE) which includes a protective disposable gown over their uniforms, and a safety visor, in addition to masks and gloves.

On board Emirates’ flights, seats are pre-allocated with vacant seats placed between individual passengers or family groups in observance of physical distancing protocols. The ATP Tour’s Premier Partner has also modified its inflight services. Food and beverages continue to be offered in the form of bento-styled boxes to reduce contact between the crew and customers during meal service. The personal boxes provide customers with sandwiches, beverages, snacks and desserts.

Similarly, to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 by touch, magazines and other print reading material are temporarily unavailable. Cabin baggage is currently not accepted on flights. Carry-on items allowed in the cabin are limited to laptops, handbags, briefcases and baby items. All other items have to be checked in and Emirates will add the cabin baggage allowance to customers’ check-in baggage allowance. Customers have to wear masks and gloves throughout their journey from check-in until they disembark.

From personal protective equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and airport teams to modified inflight services, we have stepped up safety measures for customers and employees at the airport and on board.#FlyEmiratesFlyBetter https://t.co/BNMUXp2vKO pic.twitter.com/UX4mFgQTOW

— Emirates Airline (@emirates) April 21, 2020

Safety Measures At Dubai International Airport
1) Gloves and masks are mandatory for all customers and employees.
2) Thermal scanners monitor the temperatures of all passengers and employees.
3) Physical distancing indicators have been placed on the ground and at waiting areas.
4) Protective barriers have been installed at each check-in desk to provide additional safety reassurance.

After each journey, all Emirates aircraft will go through enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes in Dubai.