In a conversation earlier today, a USTA spokesperson somewhat surprisingly suggested to me that the five consecutive Monday finals at the U.S. Open may have been a blessing in disguise. For all the frustration, confusion, and anguish they’ve caused, the rain delays have provided the players with something they’ve wanted

*Php7nVOMzPM by Pete Bodo You thought I was kidding about following the French players right to the bitter end, or at least Saturday (when I leave for Paris), right? No way. Venus Williams was clobbered today by Agnes Szavay. Who cares? Of course, Szavay is my Hungarian countrywoman, but I

MASON, Ohio (AP) Novak Djokovic's remarkable winning streak ended with a grimace, stopped by a sore shoulder that forced him to retire in the second set on Sunday, giving Andy Murray a 6-4, 3-0 win in the finals of the Western & Southern Open. The world's top-ranked player had won

With the need to stay socially distanced becoming more clear each day, and with tour-level tennis still a ways away, finding safe and fun ways to stay occupied remains a necessity for pro players. Daria Kasatkina had one clever, competitive idea, taking on (and ultimately defeating) Rafael Nadal in a

The year 2017 in on-court tennis style may not have been one for the history books, per se, but it harbored more than a few times when brand plus player got it right, so right. With all the further ado they deserve, and in no precise order, here are the

LONDON -- Last year's semifinalist Angelique Kerber was sent packing in the second round of Wimbledon on Friday after being just two points from victory, joining the long list of seeded players who have crashed out at the All England Club this week. The seventh-seeded Kerber was up a set

“Everything is working,” Karolina Pliskova’s coach, Conchita Martinez, said when she visited the Czech after the first set of the Rome women’s final on Sunday. If Martinez was exaggerating to make her player feel better, it was only by a tiny bit. Everything really was working for the coolly commanding

Jannik Sinner is still the king of Melbourne Park—and hard-court majors—while Alexander Zverev is left wondering if his time on the Grand Slam stage will ever come. On Sunday, Sinner successfully defended his Australian Open crown by defeating Zverev, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3, in a clash of the ATP’s top

Former Australian Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez says he has no plans to retire. The 31-year-old told the press in Chile after an exhibition with Gael Monfils that, "When I do retire, you will hear it from me—not from sources close to the player." Gonzalez, who reached a career high No.

The year 2017 in on-court tennis style may not have been one for the history books, per se, but it harbored more than a few times when brand plus player got it right, so right. With all the further ado they deserve, and in no precise order, here are the

Photo by Ian White A teacher's effectiveness is best judged by his students' achievements. That's why California's Robert Lansdorp doesn't care if you've never heard of him. His calling cards are four No.1 players by the names of Sampras, Austin, Davenport, and Sharapova. He has never been the exuberant, indefatigable

I was recently consulting with a player—we’ll call him Fred—who told me he played a match where he was up a set and 4–1, got overconfident, relaxed and lost. This wasn’t the first time it had happened to Fred, and he wanted to know what to do about it. “Fred,”

Nike is cooking up something big for world No. 1 Jannik Sinner during his homecoming to Nitto ATP Finals—and it may just hint at a major shift for the brand’s presence in tennis. The first player to qualify and the first to arrive in Turin, the 23-year-old received a rock

[Ed. Note: Santa Pete is in game-rich Andes, running errands and attending swanky parties this weekend. In his absence, we proudly present commentary from the TW Tribe.] While watching the Wimbledon Men’s Singles final on TV in July, my eight year-old daughter, Geneva, asked me in all seriousness, “Dad, do

NEW YORK—For a 17-year old tennis player with a career-high ranking of No. 380, Alexandra Kiick has been living large. She flew first-class up to New York to play in the qualifying tournament, and had a private car pick her up at the airport and deposit her at the ritzy

Courts, players, tournaments, arenas: They shift in your mind even as they appear, seemingly unchanged, on your TV screen through the years. It’s not an evolution; that would imply improvement and some kind of an endpoint. My relationship as a spectator, with, say, Mikhail Youzhny, has traveled in a sort

At 27, Marcos Giron has much to be grateful for this week after Thanksgiving. Despite the pandemic and the time away from the ATP tour from March until August, he celebrated his best year yet as a professional tennis player, moving from No. 102 in the rankings at the end

Sebastian Korda recorded the first Top 20 win of his young career on Saturday night, bouncing back from a first-set blowout to beat Fabio Fognini, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the second round in Miami. After getting broken in all four of his service games in the 30-minute first set, Korda

PARIS—It was a scene right out of a tennis player’s worst nightmare: The server—Sara Errani—standing at the center notch, ready to deliver a second serve. The receiver—Andrea Petkovic—poised almost halfway between the far baseline and the service line, eager to leap on the weak delivery. It was a match-up made

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—It was Tuesday afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Tucked into the venue’s southeast corner, on Practice Court 20, a tennis icon was contemplating a topic players don’t have time for, but one that legends relish. The subject was longevity. Over the course of a career that