Tennis news, analysis, tournament coverage, and rumors
It is common to construct a perception of a tennis player around the best stroke of their game. Andre Agassi was the ultimate returner. Roger Federer produced genius with his one-handed backhand. Simona Halep’s two-handed backhand was singularly lethal. The first time I watched Hailey Baptiste, in the opening round of the WTA’s inaugural Trophee […] READ MORE
Paris– For the many of us gathered around Lagardere Racing Club’s Centre Court on Sunday afternoon, the occasion unfolded as a day of firsts. Shortly after 3:30 PM local time, American Claire Liu defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia to win the inaugural Trophee Lagardere. The tournament, hosted on Lagardere Paris Racing’s sprawling collection of clay courts, […] READ MORE
Paris– After an eight-year hiatus left in the wake of Open Gaz de France’s 2014 conclusion, the WTA has returned to Paris. The inaugural Lagardère Trophy commenced this Monday at Lagardère Paris Racing Club in the heart of the beautiful Bois de Boulogne on Paris’s west edge. The WTA 125 event features $115,000 in prize […] READ MORE
Victoria Azarenka is anticipated to miss this year’s Wimbledon Championship as a result of the All England Club’s decision to ban players of Russian or Belarusian nationality. Amidst the geopolitical background of Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine, and under guidance provided by the British government, Wimbledon announced its ban last Wednesday in order to “limit […] READ MORE
Several months ahead of the year’s only grass-court Major, Wimbledon officials have published a new policy to ban players of Russian or Belarusian origin. The exclusionary move was announced amidst the geopolitical background of Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine. According to a statement issued by the All England Club last Wednesday, the decision to ban […] READ MORE
As the sun went down in Riverside County yesterday, 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to make an Indian Wells semifinal since Andre Agassi in 1988. However, even Agassi’s run falls short in comparison––Alcaraz hasn’t dropped a set yet. His eight-set journey to the semifinals reveals a trail of compact, efficient victories over top […] READ MORE
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unfolds, the professional tennis community appears firmly united in support of peace. Ukrainian and Russian players in the ATP and WTA are leading this effort, commenting in the press, posting on social media––even fighting on the front lines. For Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, last week’s invasion was life-altering. In January, Stakhovsky […] READ MORE
There was a seeming familiarity to the eighteenth game of the Men’s Doubles semifinal in Melbourne this January: Nick Kyrgios was yelling at a chair umpire. After two allegedly blown net cord calls on his serve, Kyrgios was visibly agitated. Then, a rogue fan shouted during Kyrgios’ toss at deuce, which sparked more yelling and […] READ MORE
Freelance writer covering tennis, US-China relations, and cultural affairs. Lived in NYC, Nanjing, Kigali, Paris. A once-competitive, now-severely mediocre tennis player.