Zverev & Schwartzman Join Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro Field

With one week to go until the group draw for the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro, the Mutua Madrid Open announced Friday that Alexander Zverev and Diego Schwartzman will also participate in the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro competition, to take place from 27 to 30 April.

The event will see players swap their rackets for a PlayStation 4 to clash in a Manolo Santana Stadium that has been recreated in exquisite detail in the Tennis World Tour video game (Nacon Gaming). Zverev and Schwartzman join Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Gael Monfils, David Goffin, Fabio Fognini, Karen Khachanov, John Isner and Lucas Pouille, with the rest of the field still to be announced.

Zverev, the World No.7 and 2018 Madrid champion, has claimed 11 ATP Tour titles and will now be bidding for virtual victory without leaving the comfort of his own living room.

“It’s great to be a part of this innovative initiative with the Mutua Madrid Open,” said Zverev. “I think this is a great opportunity to bring the tennis world together during this time. Hopefully it provides some great entertainment for tennis fans at home. Fingers crossed I get a good draw!”

World No. 13 Schwartzman reached the Cordoba final and Buenos Aires semi-finals before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the ATP Tour calendar.

“I can’t wait to play in the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro,” said Schwartzman. “I often play video games, and I hope to be ready to do it well in the tournament, with which we hope to help all those affected by the current situation.”

They will both have the chance to help the tennis players most in need at this time, to help those without income get and those affected by the virus get through these months of inactivity in the pioneering online charity competition.

The tournament will include a purse of €150,000 in both draws (ATP and WTA), from which the winners will be able to decide on how much they donate to the tennis players currently suffering economically, and €50,000 that will all go towards reducing the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The format for the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro will be as follows: 16 singles players in each of the two draws (ATP and WTA) initially divided into four groups. The champion of each group will progress to the quarter-finals, which will also include the runner-up of each group. From there, the tournament will be played as a knock-out. In addition, in parallel with the official competition, there will be a series of benefit matches that will see some of the biggest content creators in the gaming world take on the professional tennis players to raise funds to help those affected by COVID-19.

All fans will be able to follow the tournament online, on television and on the Mutua Madrid Open’s social media, with a spectacular production that will include commentary on all the matches, analysis and highlights programmes and interviews with the winners after each match.

The WTA draw will include Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens, Angelique Kerber, Madison Keys, Kristina Mladenovic, Carla Suárez, Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta, Fiona Ferro and Eugenie Bouchard. The organisers of the Mutua Madrid Open will soon reveal the remaining participants, as well as other news on the competition.