"When you first came to England, if someone had come up to you and said that you would beat Rafael Nadal in five, what would you say?” Lukas Rosol: “Good question.”

INDIAN WELLS, CALIF.—Clichés come and, thankfully, they go. Ten or 15 years ago, we used to hear a lot about how one player “wanted it more.” That’s what coaches and friends and other assorted motivators told you before you walked on the court: “You’ve got to want it more than

For those of us who follow tennis and other sports in the U.S., March is the month when we get the most practice with our TV remote controls. We spend the better part of three weeks flicking back and forth between broadcasts of the NCAA college-basketball tournament, and the big

Chances are I’ve written this before, but it’s been quite a mid-season break, hasn’t it? I’m usually sympathetic to player complaints about the length of the schedule and the burden of the travel—I'll take a subway ride to Chinatown rather than an around-the-world flight to Shanghai any day. But this

Recently I wrote a post about the dozens of immortal names that tennis had given to the world. I came up with a quick list of them off the top of my head; right in the middle of it, like the keystone of the whole operation, was “Jack Kramer.” It’s

Tennis is known for its so-called popcorn matches: Fabio Fognini vs. Gael Monfils, for example, is a tasty treat we simply can't resist. Then there are matches so good that they're worth revisiting 10 years later, canonized in film for posterity. Only a movie—and the requisite buttery, salty snack—will do.

99604358 by Pete Bodo Howdy. Have your eyes adjusted to green yet, after so many hours spent staring at the scuffed orange surface of all those European clay courts? Frankly, I was surprised that Rafael Nadal did not pull out of the tournament at Queen's Club, given the number of

by Pete Bodo PARIS—The irony of it all will not be lost on most of you. Rafael Nadal, No. 1 in the world, defending champion here at the French Open and a clay-court warrior who's lost exactly one match in what is now his seventh year of competition on the

Maybe it’s just that tennis is such an intimate, up-close kind of game, but those who play it at a high level tend to make strong, satisfying, lasting impressions. Often, a pro’s style is reflected in his or her personality (or is the personality reflected in the style?). Perhaps I’ve

The most flattering way to describe Sabine Lisicki’s upset of top-seeded and generally omnipotent Serena Williams is also the most accurate. It was one of those tennis rarities, the “shocking upset” that can’t be taken for “shocking” by anyone with two eyes in his or her head. And it was

My wife, Caitlin, and I take Thanksgiving seriously. This has always been my favorite holiday. First of all, because it’s secular (no anti-religious meaning here; I just like that everybody can participate equally), and secondly, because it’s built around a meal (as many of you know, I make my living

Maria Sharapova's daytime dress by Nike echoes a couple of Berdych's colors and intrigues with shades of gray set against the orange.

Mornin', Tribe. I'm hoping to get out of the office a little early today to hit the trail. Cowboy Luke and I are drifting up to the farm in Andes after I pick him up at his day camp. I posted on the Wimbledon men's doubles champions yesterday, so I

NEW YORK (AP) -- After Brian Baker won his first match at the U.S. Open since 2005, he spoke to the crowd during an on-court interview, then slung a racket bag and black backpack over his shoulders and went over to sign autographs for fans shouting his name. Just like

ROME—After losing to Rafael Nadal in the Monte Carlo final two weeks ago, world No. 3 Novak Djokovic decided he needed a change. In the hopes of winning a second career major title at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, the 2008 Australian Open champion knows that improved endurance is necessary if

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Kim Clijsters wore the glow of a Grand Slam winner and the perspective of a working mother who worries about spending too much time on the road. The 27-year-old Belgian wore a white designer dress and hoisted her trophy for the cameras Sunday for a day-after photo

SPECS Price: $245 Head Size: 98 sq. in. Length: 27 in. Weight: 11.4 oz. Balance: 6 pts. HL Swingweight: 318 RA Rating: 64 Beam Width: 23.5 mm / 24.5 mm / 19.5 mm String Pattern: 16x19

Is tennis genius rational or irrational? As only he can, 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz said yes to both possible answers today when he took just 62 minutes to earn a 6-3, 6-1 win over Alexander Zverev in the finals of the Mutua Madrid Open. This was Alcaraz’s second Tennis Masters 1000

WATCH: Sabalenka set the stage for a strong US Open with a semifinal finish at the Western & Southern Open.

WATCH: Vekic has been on a roll since last fall when she finished runner-up to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in San Diego.