As the governing bodies of tennis continue to ponder when professional tennis will be able to resume again, it has emerged that plans are already in place for a series of unofficial events to fill the void.
The ATP, WTA and ITF Tours have all been suspended until at least July 13th due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although some fear that the suspension could be expanded further in the coming weeks. As a consequence, players have been left housebound due to lockdowns being in place to help contain the virus. Although some European countries are starting to relax their restrictions. Paving the way for some of the sports most prestigious academies to capitalize on the opportunity.
In the French city of Nice an ‘ultimate tennis showdown‘ is set to take place. It will be held at the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy, which was founded by the coach of Serena Williams. Set to start on May 16th, Mouratoglou is hoping to stage 50 matches over five weeks. There will be 10 matches each weekend, but no spectators. There isn’t a complete list of who will be playing, but Alexei Popyrin vs. David Goffin has been named as the first match.
“We will test everyone, then they will have to undergo a 15-days quarantine, and then we will test them again just before we start,” Mouratoglou said of the anti-COVID-19 procedures that will be in place. “Of course, they will be absolutely no crowd watching. And of course, for safety reasons, we won’t be able to have coaches and families on the court, but we will find different ways to make them interact, as with headphones.’
“Players, instead of turning on the same side of the court at the changeover, are going to turn on the opposite side and sit on the opposite side. All the ball boys will wear gloves. The ball will be different for the two players, and they will be marked.”
For Williams’ mentor, he hopes the event will not be a one off as he drops hints about the possibility of prize money being rewarded. It is understood that the event will be targeted towards the younger demographic. Matches will also be live streamed.
‘The UTS is simply meant to be an alternative to what already exists,’ Mouratoglou explained.
‘It is a platform created to showcase the incredible talent, athleticism and personalities of the wide range of tennis players.
‘It offers a new and innovative approach, targeting a younger tennis audience and proposes a different way to distribute the money among the players.’
The move comes just weeks after Mouratoglou called for greater financial support to be given to lower-ranked players during the COVID-19 crises.
Rafael Nadal’s plans
Across the French border, Spain also has their own plans. The Rafael Nadal academy has said they would like to turn their venue into a ‘campus for elite players.’ The idea being that players from both the ATP and WTA Tours can train and practice at the facility during the Tour shutdown. They will also engage in matches that will be broadcasted worldwide.
“Right now tennis takes a back seat and the most important thing is everyone’s health, but if in the coming months the Academy can be used to help other professional players, I’d be delighted if they could come to train and also to compete,” world No.2 Rafael Nadal said in a statement.
“Although we have no upcoming tournaments, I think that competing among ourselves would help us maintain our game for when the tour restarts.”
Unlike Nice, Nadal’s plans aren’t for an annual tournament to be hosted. Located in Manacor, the venue held an ATP Challenger tournament in 2018 and 2019. There has been no details released about who may decide to take Nadal up on his offer.
“In recent weeks we have made our facilities available to Chairman of the ATP Andrea Gaudenzi with the goal of possibly making the Academy a centre for the coming together of players so that they can train in an environment that is ideal for first-class competition. While the priority is obviously for a resumption of play for the regular Tour, the ATP is evaluating all options, keeping in mind health & safety as the top priority”, said Carlos Costa, the Head of Business Development at the Rafa Nadal Academy.
The Rafa Nadal Sport Center holds 26 tennis courts on different surfaces.
Germany’s four-day extravaganza
Finally, Germany is set to hold their own exhibition event that features a total of 32 matches being played within a week. The Telegraph has reported that Dustin Brown will headline the event in Rhineland-Palatinate, which is one of the German states where rules surrounding the COVID-19 lockdown will be relaxed from Monday.
Whilst there are limited details about the event, it will be broadcasted by The Tennis Channel. Furthermore, it will be streamed for betting purposes after receiving authorisation from the Tennis Integrity Unit.
Due to current restrictions, only local players will be allowed to attend. Joining Brown is also former ATP finalist Yannick Hanfmann. The tournament will take place at the Base Tennis Academy. Only three people (the two players and a chairman) will be allowed on the court at one time. The PlaySight video-capture system, used to supply images for the Tennis Channel’s broadcast, does not need a camera operator.
The exhibition will start on May 1st.
