Sports News Roundup: '21 salary cap to shrivel due to COVID-19; Canada's Pospisil hits out at Kyrgios for merger opposition and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NFL: '21 salary cap to shrivel due to COVID-19

Unknown financial implications from the coronavirus pandemic might force the NFL to reduce the 2021 salary cap by as much as 50 percent, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. With uncertainty around the 2020 season, including whether fans will be able to attend games at any point, and other revenue-tied variables up in the air, the NFL enters the summer months planning for the limbo that could follow next offseason.

Tennis: Canada's Pospisil hits out at Kyrgios for merger opposition

Canada's Vasek Pospisil has hit back at Nick Kyrgios for opposing the proposal to merge the men's ATP and women's WTA tennis tours, saying the Australian did not have enough information to comment on the matter. Roger Federer called for a merger between the two governing bodies last month, with both ATP Tour Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi and his WTA counterpart Steve Simon welcoming the suggestion.

French Open ticket holders to be reimbursed: organizers

All tickets purchased for this year's French Open are going to be canceled and reimbursed instead of being transferred after the tournament was delayed by four months, organizers said on Thursday. "The current situation generates too much uncertainty for all the events that bring people together all over the world," the French Open said on its Twitter account.

Williams says safety first but F1 teams must race to survive

Williams will put safety first even though the team is one of several whose survival depends on Formula One starting racing again, deputy principal Claire Williams said. Speaking on a Sky Sports 'vodcast' with drivers George Russell and Nicholas Latifi, Williams made clear the coronavirus pandemic posed an existential threat.

MLS teams resume voluntary player workouts amid COVID-19

Major League Soccer players returned to training on Wednesday under strict rules amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the first step toward a resumption of competition for the North American league that has been shut down since mid-March. A handful of clubs, including 2018 MLS Cup champion Atlanta United and David Beckham's expansion Inter Miami side, held voluntary training after receiving clearance from the league in line with local public health policies.

NFL outlines protocols for reopening team facilities

The NFL outlined criteria on Wednesday for teams to begin reopening facilities, as professional sports leagues across North America navigate their way through the coronavirus outbreak. The NFL said the first phase would involve the gradual return of employees to facilities, starting with up to 50% of non-player staffers, while maintaining screening and proper social distancing procedures.

Motor racing: W Series launches all-female Esports League

The all-female W Series is launching an Esports League for women drivers only in the absence of any on-track action due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With its second season on hold and no start date set, organizers hope to maintain the series' profile and encourage more women to compete in the male-dominated virtual world as well as the real one.

ATP ties up with online learning platform to aid players

The men's tennis tour has partnered with online learning platform Coursera to help players gain new skills and knowledge, as well as look after their mental health during the COVID-19 shutdown, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said on Thursday. The professional tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic and will remain suspended until at least mid-July, depriving lower-level players who depend solely on tournament winnings of the chance to earn a living.

Heavily-restricted NBA practices expected to resume on Friday

NBA teams are expected to get the go-ahead to reopen practice facilities for limited use as early as Friday, less than two months after the coronavirus outbreak forced the suspension of the season. With head and assistant coaches barred and scrimmages forbidden, the workouts are unlikely to resemble business as usual for the NBA but would nonetheless be a step towards normalcy for a league whose season was upended in dramatic fashion in March.

No fans in Dutch stadiums until vaccine developed: health minister

Sporting events in the Netherlands will have to take place without fans in attendance until there is a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said. The global pandemic has infected over 41,000 people in the Netherlands and caused 5,288 deaths.