by Pete Bodo It's axiomatic in pro tennis that one person's dire misfortune represents tremendous opportunity for someone else. We know that when the top seed in any quarter of a big draw is upset early on, the primary beneficiary is the player who beat him or her. But the

*80369676 by Pete Bodo Howdy, everyone. Just got back from Vieques and Culebra late last night; it was a wonderful trip (except that part when I spilled a full cup of scalding coffee in my lap on the flight home, while seat-belted in. Want to talk about torture?). If you

If you look at rankings and recent history, Zheng Qinwen qualifies as a surprise gold medalist. The honor was supposed to go to top seed Iga Swiatek, who came to Roland Garros with a 35-2 record and three straight titles at that site. But if we look at the desire

In England, rain became as memorable a part of this year’s Championships as did the tennis itself. Why should it be different, then, in New England? Hopefully, the weather won’t prohibit all of today’s matches, but the forecast isn’t very rosy. Because today’s schedule could be subject to change with

The first week of May is about quantity. There’s clay-court tennis across Europe, and it spills over the borders into Africa and Asia as well. The quality, in the form of the top players, returns this coming weekend in Madrid. Here’s a look at the five tournaments that will tide

The last Davis Cup tie I attended was the 2007 final in Portland, between the U.S. and Russia. It was an exceptionally dreary early winter weekend, even for that part of the country. I remember five days of mist, low clouds, slick streets, and no sunshine. The song that kept

Ins and OutsIt wasn’t long ago that Nicole Vaidisova was another up-and-comer who generated buzz for her looks as well as her game, but the Czech’s career has taken a downward spiral in the last year. After reaching a career-high ranking of No. 7 in 2007, Vaidisova bid farewell

Like too many in professional sports, Fernando Verdasco is known more for his losses than his wins. If the image of the Spaniard’s Calvin Klein underwear ad isn’t burned into your brain, you’re likely to recall his five-set loss to Rafael Nadal at the 2009 Australian Open as his defining

Rafael Nadal’s season hasn't ended the way he would have hoped, with a knee injury and fatigue leading him to pull the plug after just one match at the ATP Finals. But he has plenty to take solace in as he looks ahead to 2018. Finishing the year with a

Hey there! Well, everything was going fine; I got in a around 11 AM, met Steggy at the car rental counter, we checked into the hotel and made out to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden - only to discover that Steggy had left her AC power adapter at home and

If a picture is worth 1000 words, it can easily sum up the 62 minutes Aryna Sabalenka spent winning an 18th straight match at the Australian Open. The two-time defending champion made quick work of rival Mirra Andreeva, defeating the No. 14 seed, 6-1, 6-2 to reach a third consecutive

5. Ticket Stampede: Wimbledon's queue transformed Getting a Centre Court ticket was once synonymous with camping all night in Wimbledon's famous 'Queue,' which stretched hundreds of meters down the road from the All England Club. This year, it involved camping in front of a screen in a queue with a

TenniStory: Carlos Alcaraz

NEW YORK—Two weeks before the U.S. Open, at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, heralded doubles star Martina Hingis and her partner CoCo Vandeweghe received a bye and two walkovers before playing their first match of the tournament in the semifinals. Novak Djokovic’s path to the final four in

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—After winning three Grand Slams, seven other titles and claiming the No. 1 ranking, Novak Djokovic briefly abandoned his strict diet to toast a season of triumph with a glass of wine. “More than one, actually,” a smiling Djokovic said Saturday. “It did not end

Deadlocked at one set apiece, Juan Martin del Potro sat on his courtside seat, scanning the red clay like a man in search of a remedy. An aching left knee and a persistent pain-in-the-neck named Albert Montanes prompted del Potro to take treatment after saving break point to hold for

Screaming jets soared overhead, signaling the start of Australia Day celebration. A shrieking Victoria Azarenka closed the show instituting a no-fly zone below. Maintaining her nerve and the lead in the decisive set, the third-seeded Belarusian grounded defending champion Kim Clijsters, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, to reach her first Grand Slam

HIGHLIGHTS: Alexander Zverev d. Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-3

NEW YORK—The US Open is well underway with a round of singles action complete. One notable face, however, is MIA in NYC: the sport’s resident Minister of Happiness. Today, Ons Jabeur turns 30. As she's established herself on the WTA Tour, the trailblazing athlete has proven to resonate with both