Eight singles players, eight doubles teams and one final opportunity to claim one of the biggest titles in women’s tennis. The WTA Finals bring together the season’s most successful players for a championship unlike almost anything else on the professional circuit. Unlike the Grand Slams or regular WTA tournaments, losingContinue Reading
Six players. Three nights. One champion. And no ATP ranking points. The Six Kings Slam is one of the most unusual additions to the modern tennis calendar: a lucrative invitational exhibition that brings six leading men’s players to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a short knockout tournament. First staged in 2024,Continue Reading
By Andrew Pace A junior tennis match can last two hours, but the most delicate part of the day may be the ten minutes after it ends. The player walks off court already replaying the double fault at 4-all, the forehand they missed on break point, the argument over aContinue Reading
By Andrew Pace Confidence in tennis can be misleading because it often feels strongest when everything around you is familiar. You know the level of the players you train with. You understand where you sit in the group. You recognise the patterns of the opponents you are likely to face.Continue Reading
A player smashes a racquet. The chair umpire announces a code violation and gives a warning. Twenty minutes later, the same player shouts an obscenity and suddenly loses a point. Another violation could cost an entire game. Eventually, it could cost the match. Professional tennis has a formal system forContinue Reading
Tennis has changed considerably since players stepped onto grass courts wearing long trousers, dresses and almost exclusively white clothing. Modern professional tennis can feature bright colours, sleeveless shirts, dresses, skirts, shorts, leggings, compression clothing, hats and outfits specifically designed for individual players. So does tennis actually have a dress code?Continue Reading
For generations, one of tennis’s defining characteristics was simple: once a singles player walked onto court, they were largely on their own. A football manager could shout instructions from the sideline. A basketball coach could call a timeout. A boxer returned to a corner full of advice between rounds. AContinue Reading
Tennis has an unusually large number of traditions that are not immediately obvious from reading the rulebook. You can learn how to serve, understand the scoring system and know whether a ball landed in or out, yet still step onto a court without knowing how players are expected to behave.Continue Reading
Men’s and women’s professional tennis spend most of the year on separate tours. The United Cup brings them together. Staged in Australia at the beginning of the season, the tournament features national teams containing both ATP and WTA players. Men and women compete in singles for the same team beforeContinue Reading
Before the packed stadiums, Grand Slam main draws and million-dollar prize cheques, professional tennis often looks very different. A few spectators might stand beside an outside court. There may be no television cameras. Players can be responsible for their own travel, accommodation and coaching expenses while competing for relatively modestContinue Reading
