The three-time major champ, speaking from the Battle of the Brits, give his take on what went down on the Adria Tour. Speaking after his first victory at the “Battle of the Brits,” Andy Murray has given his views on the Adria Tour fiasco that has left World No.1 Novak Djokovic and three other top players, as well as key support staff and family members, positive for Covid-19.

Murray says it isn’t surprising that the positive test results have occurred, given the lack of social distancing and testing that occurred over the last few weekends in Belgrade, Serbia and Zadar, Croatia.

“In hindsight, it’s not something that should have gone ahead,” Murray said, according to the UK Guardian. “It’s not surprising how many people have tested positive after seeing some of the images of the players’ party and the kids’ day. There was no social distancing in place.”

Murray says that, contrary to what many believe, the shockwaves of this isolated event might not have repercussions when it comes to holding the US Open in August.

“Some people have said maybe this has put the US Open in doubt—which it may well do. But the measures and the protocols they have in place at the USTA are different to Serbia and Croatia,” Murray said. “No fans for a start. Coronavirus doesn’t care about who we are or what we do. We need to respect it and respect the rules.”

"We need to respect it and respect the rules."

Watch @andy_murray give his take on the Adria Tour fiasco 🎥 👇 https://t.co/m0bZuIsFtm

— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) June 24, 2020

While Murray adds that the Adria Tour has been a massive net negative for the image of tennis, the positive is that we now know what a worst-case scenario looks like, both for top players, and the viewing public.

“I don’t think it has been a great look for tennis. The only positive is that, until it is safe to do so, we have no fans at the event to reduce the risk as much as possible.”

Pro tennis returns in Australia next week, but the world No. 1 will practice instead.
Pro tennis resumes Down Under next week with a notable absence.

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will take a pass when the UTR Pro Tennis Series makes stops in five Australian cities.

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The reigning Roland Garros champion will hit the practice court while the UTR Pro Series is contested amid what organizers say are "strict biosecurity protocols."

"At this stage I won't be taking part in the UTR Pro Series as my team and I continue to focus on my training," Barty said in a statement. "It's great there is an opportunity for Aussies to get back out there and I wish all the competing players the best for the event."

The UTR Pro Tennis Series will feature stops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, starting in Sydney on Saturday, June 27th, with Brisbane and Melbourne competitions getting underway on Monday, June 29th.

“With so much of the tennis season still uncertain, our aim through the UTR Pro Tennis Series is to give as many of our athletes the chance to compete and, importantly, also earn prize money, after months of not being able to make their living playing the sport they have devoted their lives to,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.

“Our team has put an enormous amount of time and effort into the planning of these events, and have worked closely with the authorities and tennis staff around the country on the ground to ensure they are run according to strict local biosecurity protocols.”

Organizers say the first phase of the UTR Pro Tennis Series will run until August, with the possibility of extending further depending on the resumption of the global ATP and WTA Tours.

Among the security protocol in place:

• Players will bring their own towels to court
• On-court personnel will be limited with no ball kids, a chair umpire and minimal lines crew
• Physical distancing rules are in place according to governmental guidelines.

Players will enter using their Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), giving them an opportunity to compete locally and have their results count globally via the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) system.

Participating players and updates on the full calendar, including wheelchair exhibition events, will be announced in the coming days.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Wilson adds French Open flavor to Blade and Clash.
No need to travel to Paris to experience French Open flavor this year.

Wilson has launched a two new Roland Garros-inspired high-performance tennis racquets.

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The exclusive Roland Garros (RG) Edition racquets include the Clash 100 RG and the Blade 98 (16×19 string pattern) v7.0 RG, which feature designs inspired by the venerable clay-court Grand Slam.

Both racquets present a modern aesthetic that reflects the red clay of Roland Garros.

Accents of the famed French Open terre battue color at the tip of each frame are complemented by timeless slate gray and white at the three and nine o’clock positions for the Blade, and maritime navy and slate gray for the Clash.

The sticks also feature a matching red clay hued grip to complete the design.

Special features of these limited edition racquets include:

• Clash 100 RG Edition: newly patented 3D-bending techno for confidence and control (MRP $249).
• Blade 98 (16×19) v7.0 RG Edition: cutting-edge FeelFlex™ technology provides next-level performance and a more connected-to-the-ball feel (MRP $219).

Photo credit: Wilson