30-Love: Social Media (The Good Parts)

From individuals to organizations, weekend warriors to professional players, minute observations to big-picture ideas, tennis has been top of mind across the board over the past two years.

“I feel like this is the tennis boom part two,” says Trey Waltke, general manager of the Malibu Racquet Club in southern California. “Everyone is talking tennis. Everyone is playing. People are rediscovering how great tennis is.”

Tennis shouldn’t rest on its laurels; the first boom didn’t last forever. But this is as good of an opportunity to reflect on what the sport has gotten right, during a time when so much has gone wrong.

Over the next few weeks, we'll do just that, with a series of stories—30-Love—that highlights 30 things worth celebrating about the New American Tennis Boom. Look for past articles on the left side of each page.—Ed McGrogan

Those who love tennis care not just to observe, but to participate—both as players and commentators. Social media gives everyone a chance to get in on the action in the round-the-clock way natural for a global, year-round sport. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook brim with tennis commentary. It might be a flock of fans debating which players will topple the Big Three, or assessing a recent press conference, or an instructor offering analysis of a stroke or match.

Then there’s the way players have come to use social media to tell their stories. We’ve seen the humorous side of engaging husband-wife duo of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, serious news from Naomi Osaka, thoughtful updates from Roger Federer and Serena Williams, a wide range of missives from Nick Kyrgios—and many more communiques from both active players and long-standing legends.