Industry Shorts: Tennis United, Lta, Formula 1

The ATP and WTA have launched Tennis United, a new weekly show airing every Friday on both Tours’ digital platforms.

Hosted by Grand Slam champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Vasek Pospisil, Tennis United includes features and discussions with ATP and WTA players, as well as other influential figures from throughout the game, a round-up of the week’s best social media posts and highlights of the charitable and philanthropic work the tennis community is doing.

The show aims to bring the tennis community together at a time when both Tours are suspended.

Meanwhile, the LTA has announced a multi-million pound package of additional funding and measures to support those involved in tennis in Britain through the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
 
The comprehensive package, which has been developed by the LTA in consultation with Tennis Scotland and Tennis Wales, will make additional support available to tennis venues, coaches, officials and players to the value of approximately £20m. 

The LTA says the goal is to ensure that tennis in Britain emerges from the lockdown period in as strong and healthy a position as possible, and that the sport is able to resume its role in keeping the nation active as soon as conditions allow. 

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the restrictions on public gatherings in the country will be extended until mid-July. 

That announcement will mean that both Formula 1’s French Grand Prix and the Tour de France are set to be postponed. 

The French Grand Prix would be the tenth F1 race called off, while the Tour de France would be the second of cycling’s grand tours to suffer the same fate, with the Giro d’Italia also called off. 

The Arsenal Foundation has joined forces with HIS Church to deliver 15 tonnes of emergency supplies to the club’s local community in Islington.

Working with Islington Council as part of the borough’s emergency response plan, the donation will provide more than 30,000 free meals, as well as essential items such as sanitary and personal hygiene products to those most vulnerable members of the community.

This initiative forms part of Arsenal’s wider community response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen Arsenal in the Community staff volunteer to transport frontline NHS workers. The Arsenal Foundation has also pledged £100k to local organisations and redirected a further £50k of partnership funding with Islington Giving towards their COVID-19 Crisis Fund.

British Cycling has donated 800 Great Britain Cycling Team drinks bottles to NHS workers in Hull and York.

The campaign, run by cycling events company Sportive HQ owner, Matt Porter, has raised over £1,000 and has attracted bottle donations from other companies and teams. Porter’s aim is to raise £5,000, and any funds raised will be used to purchase more bottles. 

British Cycling says that, during the coronavirus pandemic, many water fountains have been removed from hospitals. This has meant that staff – who are often spending hours wearing full PPE in intensive care units – are struggling to stay hydrated.