Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are among 12 players confirmed to play in the virtual Madrid Open tennis tournament this month.
David Goffin, John Isner, Karen Khachanov, Eugenie Bouchard, Kristina Mladenovic and Kiki Bertens will also participate from their homes in the April 27-30 online competition that is expected to be broadcast live on TV and social media channels.
Khachanov said, “This initiative is interesting and it will bring back some competition in our sport. I’m looking forward to challenge my fellow players and show my skills to the tennis fans around the world.”
There will be €150,000 in prize money for each of the men’s and women’s events. The winners then decide how much they want to donate to tennis players who are having a hard time financially without any tournaments to play.
Another €50,000 will be donated to reduce the social impact of the pandemic.
Each draw is expected to have 16 players competing.
The Madrid Open was one of more than 30 professional tournaments canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It had been scheduled for May 1-10.
“Rafael Nadal Does Not Give a Damn About Tennis Right Now” – Toni Nadal
World No.2 Rafael Nadal made a satisfactory start to the 2020 season, reaching the ATP Cup finals, semifinals of the Australian Open and winning the title at the Mexican Open. The Spaniard was vowing to return to his best form and continue his winning momentum.
To his disappointment, the entire clay-court and grass-court season were canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Moreover, the tennis season is in turmoil as the coronavirus continues to rapidly spread around the world. However, Nadal does not care about tennis right now during the public crisis.
Nadal’s uncle and ex-coach Toni Nadal explained that the current global chaos is a huge problem and tennis is not a priority until the virus subsides. The 19-time Grand Slam champion is also not thinking about tennis at the moment.
“With the huge problem we have, all this has been forgotten. It’s secondary. Coronavirus is what counts, not tennis. Rafa and I were talking and he told me he doesn’t give a damn about tennis right now. That’s logical if you have a little sensitivity,” Tony Nadal said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.
Tony Nadal not concerned about Rafael Nadal
Toni Nadal is not worried about Nadal’s game after the tour resumes following the lengthy layoff. He recalled that when Rafa was a kid, he had a hard time hitting the ball after a layoff of even one week. However, that’s no longer the case as the Mallorcan gained experience.
“Because of injury, he could go up to three months without touching the racquet, but when he returned, he was fine in a week, or at most 10 or 15 days,” Toni added.
It is uncertain when the tennis season resumes. However, it is definite that Nadal will return to his top form. He will continue his bid for the 20th Grand Slam title, equalling Roger Federer’s all-time record.
