Billie Jean King has urged tennis players in lockdown to use the time to “think about what it means to be the best you can be” and explore their emotional resilience, while Andy Murray is keen to do more for lower-ranked players in the near future as he focuses on his fitness ahead of a return to court.

Speaking in a joint interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, King and Murray discussed a range of topics including life in lockdown, equality in tennis, the sport’s unique standing in the sporting landscape and its future, before returning to the challenges of the present.

Murray backed plans announced in April by the sport’s key decision-makers – the ITF, ATP, WTA, and the four Grand Slam organisers – to create a Player Relief Programme in response to the COVID-19 crisis for those “who are not making any money just now, like all of the players, but are not able to support themselves.

“I have given some money to that fund to try and help some of the tennis players,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion, who last week pledged half of his $90,000 winnings from the Madrid Open’s virtual tournament to the fund, with the other half going to the UK’s National Health Service.

“Hopefully in a few months’ time there might be some events that we can put on as well to help raise some money for those players, because they’ll be the ones feeling it the most just now.

“The players ranked in that ranking bracket will also be the future of our sport – there will be some young players coming through just now that will go on to be Grand Slam champions and top-10 players in the world. It’s important that we try and support those players now in any way we can.”

Both Murray and King ruminated on the best way to capitalise on the sport’s unanticipated hiatus and enforced time spent at home, with 32-year-old Murray admitting that spending time at home with his young family had been a bonus.

For King, the downtime presents players with the chance to reflect on their career, motivations and direction.

“Right now is a great time to meditate, if you have some niggles or injuries to let them heal, and also to think about what it means to be the best you can be,” King said.

“I’m really big on the mental, emotional and physical. The greatest players in the world, no matter what generation, have always been the strongest emotionally, and I don’t think a lot of times the players grip that enough – mental is what you think, emotional is what you feel.

“I’d take some time to talk to a psychologist about that. I think it’s really important to have that reflection time. Also, what are your new goals? You’re going to come out of this, it’s going to be different, and you’re going to have to adapt.”

King had specific advice for 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who at 38 years of age is one major title behind Margaret Court’s all-time Grand Slam record, having reached four major finals since winning her last at the 2017 Australian Open, when she was pregnant with daughter Olympia.

“You have to look at it as a positive, in that you have to figure out what you need to do,” King explained. “If you’re an older player, you have to be more fit than you ever thought possible. I played until I was 40, and I remember sometimes playing a player who was half my age, so you have to be extremely fit.

“If I was Serena, with this time off, I would enjoy my baby daughter and my husband, but I would be absolutely, from a physical point of view, driving myself and being absolutely disciplined and so fit that, when the tournaments start up again, you definitely can be ready. That’s the most important thing for Serena, because once she starts playing matches, she’s amazing.”

Similarly for Murray, conditioning has been his main focus during his downtime as he works towards a return to full fitness following his latest of surgery.

“The last match I played was in the middle of November, so I haven’t played a match in six months, and I haven’t actually hit a tennis ball for the last six weeks,” admitted the former world No.1.

“I’ve tried to use this time to get myself in the best shape possible, to try to get my hip stronger – I’ve had multiple operations on that hip, so I’m trying to give that more of a chance to heal but also get stronger as well.

“I’m physically in really good shape – I’ve been able to use the bike and I have some weights at home which has helped. I’m just trying to get myself in really good shape so when we do get the opportunity to play again, my body’s ready.”