A most unpredictable season begins. Steve Tignor and Joel Drucker discuss the new 2021 schedules, and gives thanks to Melbourne for being tennis’ much-needed port in a storm in this week's Rally. Hi Joel, Looking at the new, seven-week 2021 ATP and WTA schedules, is there a phrase comes to

NEW YORK—A few minutes after Roberta Vinci beat Serena Williams 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday, she was asked if she had believed, when she woke up that morning, whether she had any chance of winning. Vinci didn’t hesitate with her answer. “No!” the Italian cried

[Ed. Note: Pete's off hunting in Pennsylvania until Monday. In his absence, we are proud to present today's column, written by Mmy -- our resident Tribe Mass Media and Communications Expert.] Among the various comments posted recently, in response to Pete's rebuttal to my comment in his original Andy vs.

On Wednesday, former doubles standout Eric Butorac—now Director of Pro Tennis Operations and Player Relations for the USTA—kept Redditors rapt with an engaging rally via the popular forum's "AMA"—Ask Me Anything. Persons of interest in all walks of life regularly hop onto Reddit for AMAs, a conversation that invites questions,

Steve Tignor recently released* High Strung: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and the Untold Story of Tennis's Fiercest Rivalry, and Peter Bodo’s The Courts of Babylon*, originally published in 1994, has now been re-released as an eBook. We thought it was a good time for both authors to ask each other

By Rosangel Valenti, TW Contributing Editor

Barbora Krejcikova paid an emotional tribute to a former mentor and compatriot when she successfully defended her Australian Open mixed doubles title. Krejcikova and Nikola Mektic beat Jamie Murray and Bethanie Mattek-Sands 5-7, 6-4 (10-1) in a fluctuating final under the closed roof at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.

In the midst of the US Open Series, the podcast co-hosts Nina Pantic and Irina Falconi dissect the press' relationship with players, which has an air of negative stigma around it. There’s a new face in town named Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nina saw his success coming, sort of. He’ll be

NEW YORK (AP) — Now that Coco Gauff is a Grand Slam champion, she's ready for stardom. "100%," she said, without a hint of hesitation. "That was the dream since I started this sport." She's also eager. "I know that this feeling is incredible and I want to experience it

MELBOURNE—On Tuesday, 17-year-old Destanee Aiava faced world No. 1 Simona Halep inside Rod Laver Arena and she looked like she’d been there before. It’s because she has. “She played without thinking, without emotions,” Halep said. “She was not afraid of anything so she was hitting very strong and very well.

Petra Kvitova had mostly kept it together for two years. For two years, she had patiently answered questions about the knife attack she suffered in her home at the end of 2016. She had told us, over and over, how happy she was to be playing again. She had recalled

Justine vs. Serena should be a classic rivalry. They’re pure opposites, right down to the way they lined up at the baselime to start a point last night: Williams wearing black, standing still, stolid, looking right into her opponent's eyes; Henin in bright orange, doing her little-step dance to the

INDIAN WELLS, CALIF.—Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer may meet in the final here at the BNP Paribas Open, but there’s no question they’ve been on their games in the interview room. The tournament has a more relaxed atmosphere than any of the other majors and most of the other Masters,

To wind up 2014, I’m reposting 14 articles I liked from this past season. I’ll put up one each day until January 5, when the new season begins. Roger Federer wasn’t the player of 2014, but at 33 he made himself the game's most intriguing figure going into 2015. “Winning

If you’ve ever had doubts about the sagacity of coaching legend and soldier of self-promotion Nick Bollettieri, consider the comments he made concerning two volatile American players, Ryan Harrison and Donald Young, at the very beginnings of their careers. Asked about Young’s future when he was 16 and the No.

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.

• Picby Pete Bodo* **WIMBLEDON, England—It was 1:29 p.m. on this blustery, sunny day, and out on Court 3, things were getting desperate for Benoit Paire. He trailed Brian Baker by two sets to one and 0-3 in the fourth; occasional cries of "Allez Benoit!" rent the air like the

87961097 by Pete Bodo Yesterday I wrote about how Roger Federer is at a significant career crossroads, and one of the more interesting subplots in this plot-rich rivalry Federer enjoys with Rafael Nadal is that the same could be said for Nadal. And if the events of the last 12

By Pete Bodo Mornin', everyone. I've had a pretty tough week all around, and later this afternoon I have to skip out and get down to Washington D.C. for a thoroughly unexpected memorial service for my great, late friend, Jim Range. I don't want to take up too much of

As sure as night follows day, complaints about the unending tennis year follow the beginning of the fall ATP swing through Asia and Europe. I've already spent good parts of the past two days writing about the issue, both at ESPN and here at the Tennis.com home page. Novak Djokovic