Unified power: ATP, WTA, ITF & four Slams launch Player Relief Program

Last Friday, a letter circulated showing the biggest players on the ATP tour, led by ATP Council President Novak Djokovic, had come together to propose a Player Relief Fund.

On Tuesday, the biggest players off the court confirmed they would unify in creating a Player Relief Program to ensure those most-adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic would be looked after. The ATP and WTA will oversee the initiative and will be joined in contributing financial assistance by the ITF and controllers of the four Grand Slam events. Further details are expected to be announced in the near future, according to the press release.

The tours have been suspended since March 9 and will not resume until July 13 at the earliest. The Mutua Madrid Open is making final preparations for its Virtual Pro tournament, where 16 men and 16 women will exchange racquets for PlayStation 4 controllers. The event will begin April 27 with a round-robin format, and has lined up the likes of Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem, Bianca Andreescu, Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber. Each draw boasts a €150,000 purse and one third of that will go toward COVID-19 relief. The two champions will determine how much of the remaining €100,000 is donated toward players facing financial hardship.