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Venus is floored when Grigor flashes some skinVenus Williams has seen it all in her storied career.

Still, seeing Grigor Dimitrov flash his six-pack floored the former world No. 1.

Venus, who has been conducting virtual fitness classes on Instagram, goaded Grigor into showing his ab-tastic form. When the Bulgarian complied, Venus loses equilibrium.

Did Grigor just flash his six-pack at Venus I- pic.twitter.com/KRJxtBLeIh

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) April 7, 2020

The four-time Olympic gold-medal champion once named Nick Kyrgios as her dream mixed doubles partner, but maybe we can dream about a Venus-Grigor Grand Slam doubles pairing someday.

This is how Daria Kasatkina developed her magic touch.Where did Daria Kasatkina develop her magic touch?

In the kitchen.

Watch “chef” Kasatkina cook up some serious skillet skills taking ball control to tasty new levels.

One of tennis’ top touch artists shows the flair for the dropper in any room of the house.

What else to do at the kitchen🙂 #chefKasatkina #homecourt #tennisathome #DD pic.twitter.com/uKb4A75vjZ

— Daria Kasatkina (@DKasatkina) April 9, 2020

We think Chef Kasatkina, wielding a frying pan, would still beat most club-level players, including Chef Boyardee

Hosted by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Vasek Pospisil, the show debuts tonight.In this time of social distancing, tune into Tennis United.

The ATP and WTA announced launch of a joint weekly show, Tennis United, air every Friday across both Tours’ digital platforms.

Earlier this month, the ATP and WTA announced continued suspension of the pro circuit until at least July 13th.

Tennis United, hosted by doubles Grand Slam champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Vasek Pospisil, gives players and fans a platform to stay plugged into the game.

Tennis United will feature interviews with players and insiders, a recap of the week’s best social media posts and a spotlight on charitable causes supported by the tennis community.

Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and rising young stars Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner and Donna Vekic will be interviewed in tonight’s episode, which also offers a segment on players thanking health care workers waging the daily battle in the war on the coronavirus.

Tune into Tennis United on the ATP and WTA YouTube and Facebook channels.

The International Tennis Federation introduced a "job protection scheme" and other cuts to help navigate the Coronavirus pandemic
The International Federation has furloughed nearly half of its staff as part of a job protection scheme for employees, it said in a statement.

In a statement, ITF President David Haggerty laid out what he called short-term mandates, which included a personal pay cut of 30 percent.

@ITF_Tennis has postponed over 900 tournaments due to #Covid19 and now furloughing half of its staff, while execs take voluntary/temporary pay cuts of up to 30%https://t.co/14bo8jn38s @sbjsbd #sportsbiz pic.twitter.com/uDtfgPQw7q

— Bret McCormick (@Bretjust1T) April 9, 2020

“The situation we are facing represents a fundamental challenge to our organisation and our sport,” the statement said. “Our purpose is to ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of our sport in collaboration with our 210 member nations, which is why we are making difficult decisions in the short term so that we can continue to deliver tennis for future generations across the globe.”

The ITF has been forced to postpone more than 900 tournaments across all ITF circuits, including the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals 2020.

According to the statement, the remaining ITF staff will continue to work to sustain business critical services and essential platforms with a 10 percent reduction in salary. The Senior Leadership Team has taken a 20 percent reduction in salary as well.

The coach of Serena Williams makes his call for a unified body that better represents the needs of all players. Patrick Mouratoglou has echoed the familiar—and growing—call for tennis to solve its leadership issues and come together in a unified front to help the sport survive the Coronavirus pandemic. The coach of Serena Williams and owner of the Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy took to social media to voice his frustration with inequality among the ranks of tennis pros, saying “I find it revolting that the 100th-best player of one of the most popular sports in the world—followed by an estimated one billion fans—is barely able to make a living out of it.”

My letter to the tennis community to raise awareness about the current situation of players out of the Top100. pic.twitter.com/mFTIECxOFL

— Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) April 7, 2020

Mouratoglou says that the tours need to invest in ensuring that the players who don’t make enough money to survive the Coronavirus shut down are provided with the means to bridge the gap so that they may return to the sport.

He says players outside of the top 100 need, and deserve, help.

“It is time to think about those players and to help them, first in the immediate future, then in the long term,” wrote Mouratoglou. “For this reason I would love to see the ATP, the WTA, the ITF and the Grand Slams sit together to try and find a sustainable solution. We all rely on those governing bodies who have the power to protect the professional tennis economy and hold social responsibility.”

Over the years the governing bodies of tennis have developed a reputation for fragmented responses and self-serving agendas. The players themselves have yet to find a voice and calls for unionizing have not materialized. Certainly there are too many ladles stirring the soup, but not enough of a consensus for change. In these difficult times, there have been consistently forceful cries for the formation of a unified front to move the sport forward. The calls grew even stronger when the French Tennis Federation made the bold, unilateral move to reschedule Roland Garros without the consent of the other affected parties.

As of now the talk continues, with each voice raising the volume closer to an as yet to be indentified tipping point.

“We can’t leave lower-ranked players behind anymore,” Mouratoglou said. “This isn’t right. Tennis needs change. Let’s use this free time to start a discussion.”

If you were intrigued by the Pure Aero, but wanted more precision and comfort, the Pure Aero VS should be on your demo list.

Each week at Tennis Now we’re going to take a look at a new piece of gear that has recently hit the market. Today, with some help from our friends at Tennis Express, we’re looking at Babolat’s Pure Aero VS racquet.

Watch a full video review of the racquet above…

More about this racquet, from Tennis Express
Demo this raquet

About the Pure Aero VS:

Babolat’s three racquet families are the Pure Aero, Pure Drive, and Pure Strike. The frames are incredibly popular, and each is created for a different game style. The Strikes are all about control and precision, the Drives offer explosive power, and the Aeros are focused on spin. The updated Pure Aero VS takes a step in a new direction giving players incredible spin, a little more precision, and increased flexibility.

Are you team #PureAeroVS or #PureDriveVS 🤔
Follow the thread below to learn about each frame! pic.twitter.com/aFw7EJiFt8

— Babolat (@babolat) March 25, 2020

The Finer Points:

Babolat ups the control factor with the new Pure Aero VS Tennis Racquet. The Aero series represents Babolat's most spin friendly racquet family. As is the case with the regular Pure Aero, the Aero VS features the AEROMODULAR3 frame design which incorporates the head guard and grommets into the frame design for minimal drag. The CARBON PLY STABILIZER features a new generation of carbon fibers for unmatched stability and control, and CORTEX PURE FEEL dampens vibration without a loss of feel for the ball.

The Aero VS maintains the tapered beam of the Pure Aero, but in a slimmer 21-23-22 cross section. The VS also features a medium-dense, 16×20 string pattern on a 98 square inch head to give the racquet more precision than the Pure Aero. Babolat utilized FSI Spin technology and the Woofer grommet system which features enlarged, oblong grommets at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions for more spin and string interaction. They provide a more flexible and control oriented frame than the regular Pure Aero. If you found the regular Pure Aero a little too powerful, the Aero VS was designed for you.

Defining Features of the Pure Aero VS:

-Thinner beam

-Smaller head

-16×20 string pattern

-slightly higher 10.8 oz unstrung weight

-More feel than previous models

Both players are ready to lift your spirits… Feeling lonely? Why not try texting Sloane Stephens? Or Maria Sharapova.

Ah, let’s dream big and text ‘em both.

Now you can tennis fans.

Today on Twitter both released their digits and asked you to get in touch. Now is a golden opportunity to reach out to a pair of Grand Slam champions.

Here’s how: (let us know how it goes at media@tennisnow.com)

I know that social distancing can feel isolating so i wanted to find a way to help us all feel a little more connected. I created my own community phone number so we can talk about whatever you want and we can be there for each other. pic.twitter.com/z4tTwTYQ7h

— sloanestephens (@SloaneStephens) April 3, 2020

Not only did I just get a 310 number( hello cool cats🌴)but I’m sharing it with you—Text me! 310-564-7981. For real. Tell me how you’re doing, ask me questions, or just say hello 👋🏼 Any great recipes welcome too 😉#community pic.twitter.com/JNCuGzJXRS

— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) April 3, 2020

The Austrian is "hitting" with his former coach as tennis takes a Coronavirus timeout. Dominic Thiem and former coach Gunter Bresnik are having a “hit” at one another during the tennis hiatus.

Bresnik, now a coach to Jerzy Janowicz, made disparaging remarks about Theim earlier this week, and now the Austrian has retaliated with some verbal jousting of his own.

Bresnik, who said in an interview that Thiem’s father would be no more than a club coach and Thiem a futures player without him, had worked with Thiem since the Austrian was a child (thanks to Austrian sportswriter Jannik Schneider for the translation and tweets).

Former lifetime coach/manager Günter Bresnik with harsh words about family Thiem via austrian agency APA

"(…)You cant do that to someone that you owe everything. His dad would be a clubcoach and Dominic a futures player without me"

Full translation👇 #thiem pic.twitter.com/gnoa2IqV6r

— Jannik Schneider (@schnejan) March 31, 2020

Thiem has responded to those comments, saying “When he complains about a lack of respect, and says that I owe it all to him, and seriously suggests that I would have been a futures player without him, I have to ask whether he has developed delusions of grandeur.”

Thiems public answer to Bresnik via APA (cc @ZahrerLukas tweeted it in 🇩🇪)

„Its deporable, that he always blames my family and me in public for whatever reason after we worked succesfully for so many years."

Full translation👇👇 #thiem https://t.co/9e5NRDvXya pic.twitter.com/wqdqm3oKJX

— Jannik Schneider (@schnejan) April 1, 2020

“I did not part ways with him without a reason,” Thiem, who parted ways with Bresnik in 2019, added. “Bresnik knows the reasons and at this time I won’t make them public.”

The Russian says she made the decision to go in another direction. Anastasia Pavluchenkova has ended her six-month partnership with coach Sam Sumyk. The Russian said she ended things with the former coach of Victoria Azarenka, Garbiñe Muguruza, Eugenie Bouchard and Vera Zvonareva because things were not clicking.

“We did a great job, but the initiative to end our cooperation, as I said, came from me," she told the Russian website Kommersant. I did this right after returning from Indian Wells. I felt something was wrong there, at the Australian Open. I did not like the atmosphere in the team, I could not open up on the court or beyond.”

The latest news about tournaments cancellations has shaken everyone. It is upsetting for all players & fans, but this time it’s better to take a break. Spend quality time with family. Rethink your goals. Learn something new. And take care of each other 🤗 #IStayAtHome pic.twitter.com/j9VIcRFabE

— Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (@NastiaPav) March 20, 2020

Pavlyuchenkova, currently ranked 30 in the world, responded only after Sumyk had confirmed to French media that he was free to take on new work after finishing his stint with the Russian.

“Sam is an authoritative coach,” she said. “But I do not judge coaches by their name or merit. For me, the most important thing is the exchange of energy that occurs between people, not only in sports, but also in life. Alas, many coaches have a huge ego and they too often repeat the word 'I'. Because of this, problems often arise.”

The ATP CEO says the tour will continue to monitor the pandemic and not rush into decisions regarding further postponements. It has been a rough first year on the job for ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi. A year that started with the bushfire crisis in Australia has now been halted by a global pandemic. The ATP chief warned the public that there could be more difficult decisions ahead. In a message posted on the ATP website, Gaudenzi said that the tour still plans to go ahead with the grass-court season but he gives no guarantees, saying instead that the situation is being monitored every single day.

“We continue to assess all options related to preserving and maximizing the calendar based on various return dates for the Tour. It goes without saying that full cooperation with the other governing bodies is essential. We are in close discussion with all the grass-court events and they remain on the calendar as scheduled at this time,” Gaudenzi said in an article, posted by ATPWorldTour.com. “The reality is this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is no option other than to take this day-by-day and week-by-week.”

More: ATP Appoints Gaudenzi as Chairman

On Tuesday the 2020 Olympic Games were officially moved to 2021, which leaves a lot of uncertainty about the grass-court season and its culmination at Wimbledon. The Champions are slated to begin on June 29.

In the meantime, Gaudenzi says the tours will do what the can to keep the public informed as it joins the globe in a social distancing campaign.

“The current suspension of the Tour leaves a big void in all our lives,” Gaudenzi said. “However, we are seeking to play our part over the coming weeks through our digital and social media platforms which, among other initiatives, has included the launch of a #tennisathome content campaign to deliver some positive and fresh content to our fans.”