The Break: Should appearance fees be scrapped right now?

Rafael Nadal called off his Acapulco title defense as he continues to rehab a back injury, but a debate on appearance fees arose after the Acapulco tournament director spoke on the lack of funds to bring top players to Mexico. The Break is back to catch you up on this hot topic and anything else you might have missed.

1

Nadal sparks controversy

After falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas in a rollercoaster five-set quarterfinal affair at this year's Australian Open, the Spaniard had previously planned to follow-up his Australian swing at ATP 500 events in Rotterdam and Acapulco. A back issue that originally flared up in mid-January resulted in Nadal pulling the plug on both tournaments, but when Acapulco's tournament director spoke about the current climate forcing the event to make cuts on standard appearance fees, it got the tennis world buzzing on whether there was more to the Spaniard's withdrawal.

2

Novak Djokovic catches Roger Federer

Ten years ago, the Serbian captured his second major title at the 2011 Australian Open. Now, he holds 18 major titles and nine trophies from the Happy Slam, but that's not all. The 33-year-old ensured he will become the ATP's all-time leader for most weeks as world No. 1, and will pass Roger Federer on March 8 when he enjoys his 311th week atop the rankings.

3

Black-owned businesses

During Black History Month, Tennis Channel celebrated Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson and a few organizations that are continuing to make a difference. Clothing company Ascot Manor and non-profit 40-love are pushing hard to help diversify the game and provide more opportunities for people of color in tennis.