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The three-time US Open chance is ready to participate in the 2020 US Open if the tournament is played.

Kim Clijsters was just getting her comeback started when the Coronavirus put the kibosh on the 2020 tennis season, but the depressing situation has not forced the Hall of Fame Belgian to retreat. She still intends to continue her comeback, even if tennis isn’t able to continue in 2020.

“I'm still motivated. I hope we can still play this season. But even if we don't, I intend to keep going," the Belgian tennis star, who will turn 37 next month, told Het Laatse Nieuws (HLN).

The mother of three and four-time major champion says she’ll be ready if the US Open happens this season. Clijsters is still searching for her first win of the season. She fell in Dubai to Garbine Muguruza and in Monterrey to Johanna Konta, but showed glimpses of her former greatness in each contest.

The Belgian completed a first successful comeback after two and a half years off the tour that began in 2007. She had originally retired with one major title and left the sport to give birth to her daughter Jada. Just two months into the comeback she had already claimed a US Open title; she went on to win three more majors in just over three seasons, topping out in the rankings at No.2 in the world before she retired in 2012 again.

Clijsters says she is eager to get her "third career" on track, whenever the sport is ready to begin again.

"If the US Open can happen, I want to be ready," she said in a recent interview with Blair Henley for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. "I would also be happy if I had to play on court 18. I don't have to be out on Arthur Ashe."

Clijsters has not played at the US Open since 2012.

“In a way it will almost feel like 20 years ago, or fifteen years ago, from when I was out there,” the three-time US Open champion said. “It’s like a new story. It’s exciting. I look forward to it.”

The Serb has now locked in four Top 20 players for his four-city Balkan Tour.
Novak Djokovic‘s four-city Balkan Tour (known officially as the Adria Tour) has added another big name to its roster.

During a press conference on Monday the Serb announced that current World No.7 would join the field, which already includes Dominic Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov, Viktor Troicki and Djokovic himself.

“The phenomenal news is that Zverev is coming,” Djokovic said according to the website Tennis Majors.com, adding that all the players will compete for free. “Three great world stars. I am really grateful to them and I am happy to be able to host them in my home town. Everyone comes here for free because of my relationship with them and the humanitarian character of the tournament.”

The first stop on the Adria Tour is in Djokovic’s hometown of Belgrade in mid-June. See the full schedule below.

The tournament that brings the tennis aces together!
13th June – 5th July 📅

The best tennis player in the world, @DjokerNole is gathering world class tennis players who will present themselves at the regional Adria Tour event!
⠀
Stay tuned.#AdriaTour #NovakDjokovic pic.twitter.com/1PideRiwjK

— Adria Tour Official (@AdriaTennisTour) May 22, 2020

The matches will be played on clay with short sets to four. Djokovic has still not decided about whether or not to use no-ad scoring. Zverev, Thiem and Dimitrov are all expected to play in Belgrade, but it isn’t yet known what the lineup for all events will be, or how many events each player will play.

"We are professional tennis players, we miss doing our job.” 😄@DjokerNole is happy to add @AlexZverev to the @AdriaTennisTour lineup [in addition to @ThiemDomi, @GrigorDimitrov] ⬇️ https://t.co/Bn1YWaOC4J

— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) May 25, 2020

“We don’t know who is in what form,” he said. “Zverev trained in America. Dominic has been active, working for several weeks. Clay is his favourite surface. I believe they will be motivated. We are professional tennis players, we miss doing our job.”

The World No.27 is currently out on bail and awaiting a preliminary court date for "violence against a family member committed in the presence of a minor."
Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, the current world No.27, was charged on Sunday with physically assaulting his ex-wife in front of the couple's son, prosecutors said.

Basilashvili, the top-ranked player in his nation’s history, has been charged with perpetrating "violence against a family member committed in the presence of a minor" and released on bail amounting to $30,000.

Basilashvili faces up to three years behind bars if found guilty. A preliminary court date has been set for July 16.

Basilashvili's ex-wife Neka Dorokashvili told the Mtavari TV station on Sunday that he "physically assaulted" her Friday in the presence of their five-year-old son.

Basilashvili denied the charges, his lawyer Irma Chkadua told journalists. Basilashvili won two ATP 500 titles and reached a career-high ranking of 16 in the world in 2019.

The Georgian Tennis Federation released a statement that read: “First of all, we would like to state that Georgian Tennis Federation has always condemned any form of violence. The incident involving Nikoloz Basilashvili is currently under police investigation and GFT will refrain from either announcing its position on the matter or making any comments until such investigation is completed.”

The tournament is still scheduled to start on September 20, despite rumors that it is considering moving back a week to accomodate the US Open.Roland Garros tournament director Guy Forget says that the French Open is taking a wait and see approach about altering its start date to put more room between itself the US Open, and that a lot depends on what the US Open decides to do.

There have been rumors in recent weeks about Roland Garros moving its start date from September 20 to 27, but nothing official has materialized.

“The official announcement has not been made yet. [Roland Garros] will probably be between the end of September and the beginning of October. We’ve been working closely with the ATP, the WTA and the ITF to make a global announcement on what the circuit will be like until the end of the year,” Forget told French radio Europe 1 on Saturday.

With New York still working its way out of the crisis, it is wise for Roland Garros to wait for the US Open to declare its intentions. The situation is much better in France than it is in the United States, and even though New York is improving, it has been the hardest hit region of the country.

“There are so many question marks,” Forget said. “The city of New York is more affected by the coronavirus than France. They also have a lot of organization problems, they will make an announcement mid-June to say how it’s going to be like for the U.S. Open.”

It wasn't supposed to be like this – but it's still a pretty amazing roof!

On Saturday May 23rd, the new roof above Court Philippe Chatrier was supposed to be feted for all the world to see. It would have been the day before main draw action started at the 2020 French Open. Coronavirus had other ideas, unfortunately, but today the Roland Garros website share photos of the fabled court with the roof closed, and it looked quite magical.

🏟️ What does Centre Court at Roland-Garros look like with its retractable roof? We take a look 👉 https://t.co/c9L1TPnt9K#RolandGarros

📸 C. Guibbaud / FFT pic.twitter.com/oCqjlh8eQd

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 22, 2020

The roof’s 11 trusses can be opened in about 15 minutes. Each truss weights 330 metric tons, and the whole project took about eight months from start to finish.

The roof is one of the final upgrades to grounds that have undergone significant renovations over the last half decade. Last year we saw the introduction of Court Simonne Mathieu, a gorgeous, medium-sized show court nestled in the Jardin des serres d’auteuil greenhouse in a far east corner of the grounds.

This year the fabled Bullring, officially called Court 1, was to give way to a garden full of statues to make more space for pedestrians to gather and enjoy the matches on a video screen.

The tournament is still scheduled to take place from September 20 to October 4, but many top players and officials are skeptical about actually making it happen as the Coronavirus figures worldwide hit 5 million this week and continue to grow.

The two sporting legends joined Vasek Pospisil to share their love for tennis on Tennis United.

A couple of global sporting legends joined Vasek Pospisil on Episode No.7 of Tennis United, as NHL superhero Wayne Gretzky and eight-time NBA all-star Steve Nash joined the program to talk about their love for tennis and their feelings on Canada’s rising stars.

Nash, an exceptionally observant tennis fan, and Gretzky, a proud tennis parent and fixture at big events these days, both had keen insights on various topics, such as tennis rivalries and the Big Three.

And both were quick to praise 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu for her remarkable talents and ability to deliver Canada its first Grand Slam singles champion.

“I got to see her in her very first match at Indian Wells,” said Gretzky. “I remember watching the match thinking ‘My gosh, that’s one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever seen in my life.’”

Gretzky says he was blown away by Andreescu's ability to defeat Serena Williams in New York for the title in 2019, where she became the first player to ever win the singles tournament on her main draw debut and the youngest champion in New York since 2004.

“To play in front of all those fans and everyone cheering for their American girl and one of the great athletes of all time, it was pretty special,” Gretzky added. “My hat goes off to her, how she handled herself and how she handled the pressure.”

“She also has that intangible, that you’re playing Serena Williams, the greatest of all-time, in the US Open final,” said Nash. “She wins the first set, she’s on fire, and to be able to feel that momentum swing so far the other way—where you were totally on top, now not only are you looking eye to eye with Serena, but you’ve lost all momentum, to the greatest of all-time. And for her to take a deep breath, go for winners, and not stop playing and still have that personality—that’s special.”

The World No.1 has signed players such as Grigor Dimitrov and Dominic Thiem to join the four-city series, which will be played behind close doors. World No.1 Novak Djokovic will make his return to the courts in Europe in June and July.

According to reports, Djokovic is organizing a tour that will touch four cities – Belgrade, Serbia, Zadar, Croatia, Montenegro and Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina – and be played behind closed doors.

Who’s excited for tennis? 🙋🏻‍♂️ @AdriaTennisTour @ThiemDomi @GrigorDimitrov @troicki_viktor #AdriaTour pic.twitter.com/2kh9mOepgf

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 22, 2020

Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem and Viktor Troicki are among the players that have signed on. There will also be an exhibition match between Djokovic and Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur on July 5 in Sarajevo.

Djokovic is expected to play in all four cities, with eight players competing at each venue.

The first event is scheduled for Belgrade on June 13/14. Then the Tour will then go to Zadar (June 20, 21), Montenegro, (June 27, 28) and to Banja Luka in Bosnia-Herzegovina (July 3,4).

Family and famed rivals inspired former No. 1. 
Garbiñe Muguruza cites family ties and iconic rivals as inspiring her to become a tennis player.

The two-time Grand Slam champion shared her tennis inspirations in The Huddle, a video chat she did with five-time Olympic gold-medal champion swimmer Katie Ledecky for shared sponsor adidas.

More: Becker Backs Serena as GOAT

Muguruza said she picked up a racquet because her older brothers were players and became hooked watching the Andre Agassi vs. Pete Sampras rivalry as well as Martina Hingis' famed battles against both Serena Williams and Venus Williams. 

“I started playing tennis because I have two older brothers and when I was born they were already playing tennis,” Muguruza says at about 8:25 of the video below. “I’m like copying, you know? I’m gonna play tennis too.

“So I would say I watch a lot of men’s tennis [growing up] because of them. My brothers were watching Agassi and Sampras play. Yeah of course I admire the Williams sisters, Martina Hingis and incredible players."

Hingis has called Serena Williams her toughest opponent and Venus Williams one of favorite rivals to face.

“But I remember just seeming to be these huge courts with a lot of people and I always wanted to be like I wanted to be there," Muguruza recalls. "You know, I want to be a part of that. I want to be a part of that.

"And that was always my goal. One day I want to see myself playing the final of a Grand Slam and that was my dream.”

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

The German, speaking to Lareus.com, says that as long as Serena Williams is playing, she can win. Serena Williams will turn 39 in September, but that won’t stop her from winning more major titles, if that’s what she wants, says Boris Becker.

Speaking with Lareus, the six-time major champion said that Williams is more than simply a role model, even as she approaches the later stages of her illustrious career.

“Being German, I still think of Steffi Graf as our queen, but Serena is certainly, certainly the greatest,” Becker said, adding that Williams still doesn’t have the numbers in terms of Slam titles to back up those claims. “Margaret Court is the most successful. Having said that, back in the day they played three of the four majors on grass, so it was easier if you’re comfortable on grass to win more.”

• How will the 'Big Three' be affected?
• "The greatest" Serena Williams!

💬 Enjoy our Laureus exclusive with Academy member @TheBorisBecker as he reflects on the impact of Covid-19 on the tennis world 👇#LaureusFamily

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) May 19, 2020

Becker, like many others, believes that if Williams is playing, she’s still a threat to win majors. 38, 39—whatever age.

“I’m sure Serena wants to reach 24, I think that’s the reason she’s playing,” he said. “You know, she’s a role model for all the mothers out there who are professionally involved in sport. As long as she wants to play, I think she can win. So as long as Serena is good enough to reach a final, she’s good enough to win.”

The American was a rising force in the game when injuries took her out of it. Former World No.24 Jamie Hampton has announced her retirement.

“This has been a longtime coming, guys,” the American wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “I’m sure those of you who have followed my tennis career know that I’ve undergone numerous surgeries in the past few years. Unfortunately they weren’t successful enough for me to return to tennis."

to the best fans ♥️

don’t forget my two-hander 😂 pic.twitter.com/DrcnyiQDh7

— Jamie Hampton (@Jamie_Hampton) May 19, 2020

Hampton reached a career-high of 24 in the world in 2013, a season that saw her reach the second week at Roland Garros and the finals on grass at the Eastbourne International. She also played semis at Stanford, Brussels and Auckland in 2013, and finished in the Top 25 for the first time in her career.

But Hampton would only play one more event before succumbing to injuries. After reaching the semis in Auckland in 2014, she underwent a total of six surgeries in 18 months, but never found full fitness again.

“Confronting this reality couldn’t have been more disappointing and it’s taken many years to work through,” 30-year-old Hampton wrote. “Tennis was my first love and even though it’s been years since I’ve competed, it’s still heartbreaking to say goodbye.”