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What now for tennis in 2020?
Professional tennis has been in cold storage since March due to the coronavirus pandemic with tournaments unlikely to resume before August.
AFP Sport looks at three talking points as the sport heads into June:
Fans in or out at US Open and Roland Garros?
In 2019, the US Open attracted a record crowd of almost 740,000 to its sprawling Billie Jean King Tennis Centre in New York.
The French Open last year at Roland Garros brought in 520,000 paying customers.
However, the 2020 editions of the two remaining Grand Slam events on the calendar will look very different with the chance of them being played behind closed doors a real possibility to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
Roger Federer, whose 20-Grand Slam title haul includes five titles at the US Open and one in Paris, is not keen on seeing rows and rows of empty seats.
“I can’t bear to see an empty stadium. I hope that won’t happen,” the Swiss star was quoted as saying by Brazilian media recently.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova said she too has no desire to play a Slam with without spectators.
“I would like to play another Grand Slam, but if it’s like this, I’d rather cancel them,” Kvitova said.
“Playing without fans who are our engine doesn’t look nice to me and the Grand Slam doesn’t deserve it.”
As far as the rescheduled Roland Garros in September and October is concerned, Jean-Francois Vilotte, the director-general of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), told AFP: “The aim is that there will be spectators.”
“But we will have the capacity to organise Roland Garros whatever the option decided, including behind closed doors.”
Money matters?
There has been no prize money to play for over the best part of three months but that hasn’t stopped it being discussed.
The ATP and WTA tours, the International Tennis Federation and the four Grand Slam tournaments — the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open backed a fund worth more than $6 million to support low-ranked players hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
World number one Novak Djokovic had already said that he, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — the sport’s biggest earners with over $100 million each banked in prize money alone — were also willing to help.
However, world number three Dominic Thiem was not keen on giving money to lower-ranked players.
“Quite honestly I have to say that no tennis player will be fighting to survive, even those who are much lower-ranked,” said the Austrian.
Marion Bartoli, the 2013 Wimbledon champion, chimed in last week by suggesting a reduction in doubles events with prize money diverted to struggling players.
“You just don’t make the same effort (in doubles) as a singles player. You don’t practise so much, your routine is different.
“I don’t know if we have to stop doubles completely, but to get less money and give that money to qualification and others, that could be the solution.”
Are we making an exhibition of ourselves?
There is some tennis going on in the world at a series of tightly-controlled exhibition events.
Germany kicked it off on May 1 with an eight-man exhibition in the tiny town of Hoehr-Grenzhausen, near Koblenz which featured Dustin Brown, who famously defeated Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2015.
Strict rules over health and safety meant there were no fans, no ball boys or girls and no line judges. There was just a chair umpire.
Handshakes were banned, players handled their own towels and brought their own water and fruit to the clay courts.
Similar events followed in the US before Petra Kvitova won an all-Czech event in Prague last week.
“The gloves, face masks, the fact nobody handed us the towels, no handshakes, that was definitely bizarre,” said Kvitova.
Other exhibitions are scheduled including a World Team Tennis tournament in West Virginia in July featuring Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens.
Andy Murray will return from his latest injury problem on June 23 in a charity tournament in London.
Nick Kyrgios joins Dominic Thiem at a grasscourt event – likely the only one this summer – at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport from July 17-19.
Reporting and photos: AFP
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort has announced the return of former England striker and Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen for a third Kids’ Football Camp, scheduled from 14 to 17 October 2026.
The four-day programme will be open to children aged five to 13 of all skill levels, with sessions combining football coaching, skills drills and games alongside beach activities and island experiences. The camp will conclude with a Grand Finale on 17 October, when participating children will receive medals and certificates.
Participation in the camp will be complimentary for guests staying at Avani+ Fares Maldives during the event period.
The October programme will mark Owen’s third football camp at the Baa Atoll resort and his second visit to the property this year, following an Easter edition held in late March and early April. The resort first introduced the programme in October 2025.
The inaugural camp ran from 20 to 23 October 2025, followed by a Grand Finale on 24 October. Owen led coaching sessions on the resort’s football pitch, with the programme designed to give young guests opportunities to learn from the former England international while focusing on football skills, teamwork and participation. The first edition was complimentary for eligible children staying at the resort.
Following the response to the first camp, Avani+ Fares brought Owen back for its Easter programme in 2026. More than 30 children and teenagers participated in the second edition, taking part in daily sessions led by Owen and assistant coaches. Training covered areas including dribbling, passing, positioning and teamwork, with sessions adapted for different ages and ability levels.
The second camp also formed part of a wider programme for families, incorporating activities for children and teenagers beyond the football pitch. Participants concluded the programme with certificates and medals, while opportunities were also provided for meet-and-greet sessions, autograph signings and photographs with Owen.
Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 and represented England during an international career that included appearances at three FIFA World Cups. At club level, he played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City. His involvement in the Avani+ Fares programme has been centred on introducing younger players to football through training and activities within a resort holiday setting.
The third edition will retain the programme’s focus on children aged five to 13, combining coaching with recreational activities during the October school holiday period. According to the resort’s announcement, the camp will include expert coaching, drills for different skill levels, beach games and island adventures before the final session and awards ceremony on 17 October.
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort is located on Fares Island in Baa Atoll, within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and close to Hanifaru Bay. The property offers 176 rooms, pavilions, beach and overwater villas and residences, together with seven dining and bar venues. Its family facilities include AvaniKids, a Teens Club and Petit Bistro, a restaurant dedicated to younger guests.
The resort also provides access to snorkelling and diving on its house reef, alongside water sports, tennis, fitness and spa facilities. Avani+ Fares was named Best Beach Resort at the Travel Trade Maldives Awards 2025, following its Best Dive Resort recognition in 2024.
The return of Owen for a third camp continues Avani+ Fares Maldives’ use of sports-led programmes as part of its family offering, bringing the former England striker back to Fares Island less than seven months after his previous camp.
Following the success of her 2025 freediving retreat at Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort, eleven-time freediving world-record holder and ocean conservationist Hanli Prinsloo will return to Baa Atoll this September with an expanded programme across two Minor Hotels resorts.
Hanli will begin with a Family Freediving Retreat at Avani+ Fares Maldives from 7 to 10 September before continuing to NH Collection Maldives Reethi for Into the Blue, a four-night retreat running from 14 to 18 September. Together, the two experiences offer different ways to explore the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, from a playful introduction for families to a more immersive programme for beginners and experienced freedivers aged 16 and above.
At Avani+ Fares, Hanli will introduce parents and children to freediving through breathwork, floating, snorkelling, gentle duck dives and underwater games. The focus is not on depth or competition, but on helping families build confidence in the water, understand their breathing and experience the ocean together at a comfortable pace.
The Family Freediving Retreat will open the resort’s annual Ocean Aware Month, a September programme dedicated to marine discovery and conservation. Activities will include coral conservation and planting workshops, underwater photography and videography sessions, beach clean-ups and PADI speciality courses.
On 17 September, Avani+ Fares will celebrate World Manta Day with marine-inspired art workshops for all ages and snorkelling excursions to Hanifaru Bay, known for its seasonal gatherings of manta rays.
“Baa Atoll keeps calling us back,” said Hanli Prinsloo. “Following last year’s retreat at Avani+ Fares, I am excited to return with a full family programme and to continue the journey at NH Collection Maldives Reethi. At Avani+ Fares, we will make freediving playful and approachable for parents and children. At Reethi, guests will have more time to develop their skills through breathwork, training and exploration. Both retreats are about building confidence in the ocean and understanding why this remarkable environment deserves our care.”
In addition, Hanli will host the four-night Into the Blue retreat at NH Collection Maldives Reethi. Open to guests aged 16 and above who are comfortable swimming, the programme combines yoga, meditation and guided breathing with house reef snorkelling, rope freediving and drift dives. Beginners and experienced freedivers can train together while progressing at their own pace.
The retreat will also include an excursion to Hanifaru Bay, approximately 15 minutes from the resort. At Reethi, guests can continue exploring from the island’s house reef, which supports marine life including angelfish, clownfish, reef sharks and sea turtles.
The three-night Family Freediving Retreat at Avani+ Fares Maldives starts from USD 3,160 per person, based on single occupancy. The package includes accommodation, full board, return seaplane transfers and all retreat sessions. Ocean Aware Month activities are complimentary for resort guests, subject to availability.
The four-night Into the Blue retreat at NH Collection Maldives Reethi starts from USD 4,333 net per adult, inclusive of accommodation on full board, return seaplane transfers and the full retreat programme.
For details and reservations, visit world.nh-hotels.com/en/nh-collection-maldives-reethi, email reservations.nree@nhcollection.com or call +960 660 2626.
JOALI Maldives has announced two exclusive tennis residencies with Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Ana Ivanović, bringing world-class tennis to the island across November and the festive season.
Designed for both adults and younger players, the residencies offer guests the rare opportunity to step onto the court with two of the sport’s most accomplished athletes through intimate clinics and camps that combine technique, confidence, discipline and the joy of the game.
Set within JOALI Maldives’ philosophy of Creative Living, the programme brings a dynamic sporting dimension to island life, creating meaningful opportunities for guests to learn directly from champions while enjoying a highly personalised experience in the Maldives.
Game. Set. Inspire. with Elena Rybakina | 17–23 November 2026
Wimbledon Champion and Australian Open Champion 2026 Elena Rybakina invites guests to experience the game through the eyes of a Grand Slam champion.
Known for her powerful serve, precision and calm determination, Elena made history as Kazakhstan’s first Grand Slam singles champion when she claimed the Wimbledon title in 2022, before adding the 2026 Australian Open title to her achievements. She also reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2 in women’s singles.
Through two exclusive workshops for adults and younger players, guests will have the rare opportunity to train alongside one of the world’s leading athletes while discovering the discipline, focus and joy behind championship-level tennis.
Play Like a Champion with Ana Ivanović | 22–27 December 2026
Former World No. 1 Ana Ivanović brings her passion for tennis and Grand Slam-winning legacy to JOALI Maldives for an exclusive festive-season residency. Celebrated for her powerful forehand, competitive spirit and elegant style of play, Ana captured the 2008 French Open title before becoming World No. 1 in women’s singles and earning global acclaim as a modern tennis icon.
Guests will be invited to share the court with Ana across two exclusive workshops. The 60-minute Tennis Clinic for adults, ages 16 and above, focuses on the techniques, strategy and discipline that shaped her career. The 60-minute Tennis Camp for children ages 4 to 15 offers a lively introduction to tennis, helping young players develop skills, build confidence and find their rhythm on court.
From November through the festive season, the two residencies bring together championship-level sport and JOALI Maldives’ distinctive approach to meaningful guest experiences. With programming created for adults and families alike, guests can discover tennis in an intimate island setting while learning directly from two Grand Slam champions.
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