Christopher Virk-Brown takes a look at the three versions of the new Head bags designed for Novak Djokovic

We saw Novak Djokovic dominate during the 2020 Australian Open and capture his 17th grand slam title earlier in the year. To coordinate with the new Speed racquets, Head has released their new lineup of Djokovic Tennis Bags which we saw the World No.1 use down under.

Tennis Express’ Christopher Virk-Brown gives us the skinny on the three versions that tennis players can find on the market.

12R Monstercombi

For the serious players out there, The 12R Monstercombi is the largest of the group carrying up to 12 tennis racquets, and features 2 main racquet compartments, one with Climate Control Plus Technology to help protect your racquets from the elements. In the middle are 2 separate compartments: one ventilated for shoes or wet apparel, while the other fits extra gear and accessories. There’s an additional interior accessory mesh pocket and on the outside are 2 small zippered pockets. On bottom are padded backpack straps and on top are grab handles for easy carrying.

Djokovic 6R Combi

The Djokovic 6R Combi Tennis Bag is essentially the same as the 12 pack, but with a little less space in the middle. There are two main racquet compartments to fit up to 6 racquets. One of the main racquet compartments is lined with CCT+ for extra protection. There’s no separate shoe compartment, but there is enough room in one of the large compartments to toss in your shoes or extra clothes. On the outsides are 2 zippered accessory pockets, and on the bottom are padded straps.

Proud of our two world number 1 players. 🌏1️⃣🔝 What else does the year have in store for @DjokerNole and @ashbarty? #TeamHEAD pic.twitter.com/iDd2fYDs5D

— HEAD Tennis (@head_tennis) February 20, 2020

Djokovic Tennis Backpack

The streamlined “DjokoPack” is perfect for players on-the-go, or coaches. It has a slightly distinguished shape with round edges and an elegant black design. The main back compartment is padded and fits up to 2 racquets securely with very cool locking zippers. There’s another large compartment that has enough room for extra clothing, towels and even an ipad, tablet or large gadget of choice. On front is a smaller zippered pocket perfect for personal items like your cell phone, wallet or an extra set of string. On the sides are 2 smaller zip pockets for loose accessories, and on bottom is a separate ventilated shoe pocket. On the back are padded backpack straps along with mesh padding to protect your bag from getting sweaty after play.

World No. 2 offers one powerful reason why he competes.
Records and rivalries aren't the fuel that power Rafael Nadal.

The world No. 2 says there's one simple reason why he still competes: passion.

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In an Instagram Live video, the king of clay says his love of the game is his primary power source.

“My motivation is very easy to understand: I love what I am doing," Nadal says at about 22:20 of the video below. "I feel super-lucky person for all the experiences that I am able to enjoy because of tennis.

"So honestly I want to keep doing the things that I like."

The two-time Olympic gold-medal champion says the joy of competing is what drives him most.

“So it doesn’t matter if I achieved a lot or not that much," Nadal said. "I like to be out there. I like to play in the best stadiums. I like to play tennis. I like the competition.

"So I am just trying to stay healthy and to do my job and do my routines every day to be ready when I have the chance to come back. That’s all that I can do today. I am just trying to do my best to be ready for what’s coming later.”

Conceding he has heard criticism over the years that his body could not withstand the physically-punishing style he played, Nadal said the motivation for capturing his fourth US Open crown last September was not about silencing the skeptics—it was about achieving his own ambition.

"I have never played to silence anyone's mouths," Nadal said. "My motivation has never been what others can think of me or to show something to those who thought I couldn't do it. It is a context from which I try to run away also in my personal life. Ambition and motivation must be personal. You have to have it for personal reasons, not external.

"It is a spirit of revenge that conceptually I do not like to have and I escape from it. You can't compete or get things from resentment. My motivations are positive, and not external and negative."

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Chaired by Hall of Famers Mary Pierce and Mark Woodforde, the panel is designed to give lower-ranked players a voice.
During this coronavirus-induced pause in the season, the ITF announced plans to give players a greater voice in the game.

The new ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel will provide a forum for players to provide their input and have their say on how the tour is run and will be a further opportunity for the ITF to engage with the player community.

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Chaired by Hall of Famers Mary Pierce and Mark Woodforde, the panel is designed to give lower-ranked players more representation in the sport. Woodforde and Pierce also serve as athlete representatives on the ITF Board of Directors.

The panel will advise and make recommendations to the ITF World Tennis Tour Committee, which in turn reports to the ITF Board of Directors.

The men’s and women’s tennis player communities will each elect a panel of seven current player members to represents its interests, together with an ITF-appointed Chair and an ITF-appointed coach.

Player members will vote, where voting is required, on each tour’s panel to make recommendations to the ITF World Tennis Tour Committee. The Chair and the Coach are non-voting members.

Panel members will be nominated and elected by players who compete on the men’s and women’s ITF World Tennis Tour. Men’s tennis players with an ATP singles or doubles ranking no higher than No. 351 and women’s tennis players with a WTA singles or doubles ranking no higher than No. 151 are eligible to nominate a fellow player or stand in the election. Further criteria have also been devised to ensure that players from all regions and at all ranking-levels are suitably represented.

“There would be no tennis without the players, so it is vital that their voice is heard and that their views are considered when making decisions about how to run the Tour," Pierce said in a statement. "As chair of the women’s tennis panel, I will ensure that the players’ views are relayed to both the ITF Board and ITF World Tennis Tour Committee, so that the players’ opinions are heard at every level."

The nomination period for the 2020-21 panel will open in May, with the outcome of the elections expected to be announced in the week of 15 June. The elected members will serve a term until the end of the 2021 season, and thereafter will serve two-year terms.

Once elected, the panel will meet at least two times per year via video conference.

"The ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel will be a great place for players to come together and discuss the issues that matter most to them," Woodforde said. "It is essential that athletes have a significant voice in the running of the sport, and the formation of this panel gives the ITF the more opportunities to engage collaboratively with the player community.”

Photo credit: WTA Tennis Facebook