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Managing NTRP as a Complex System: Patterns, Feedback, and Adaptation The Incentive Problem Hidden Inside NTRP Ratings Why the NTRP Ratings System Is Complex, Not Just Complicated The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis The Code, Principle 13: Why You Cannot Call Your Own First Serve Out Soccer Bell Touches for Better Tennis Footwork Tennis Beyond the Headlines: August 17, 2026

Tennis and Corrective Lenses: A Low Tech Solution

On By Teresa Merklin

I have worn glasses since I was about ten years old. I will never forget the day that my first pair of prescription lenses arrived. The first stop after we picked them up and had them fitted at the optician was one of the local tennis centers. We had hit balls for a few short minutes when the umpire who gave birth to me excitedly called me up to the net to tell me that I was playing really well in the new specs. From my side of the court, I didn’t notice much of a difference.

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Pulse Oximeter Training

On By Teresa Merklin

I recently purchased and started using a pulse oximeter as a part of my tennis training. If you have been in a medical setting recently, chances are that you have already had one of these devices slipped onto your finger. However, the availability of pulse oximeters in the consumer market is a fairly recent development. Most people probably don’t have one at home.

Training with a Heart Rate Monitor

On By Teresa Merklin

Last week in “Low-Impact Interval Training” I outlined a training routine that I developed after learning that USTA Player Development regularly uses low-impact cardio machines for interval training. Low-Impact refers to the amount of stress placed on the joints. The workout itself is extremely high intensity and effort. If I am going to work that hard, then I am also going to collect data to know if it is effective.

The EGO Leaf Blower

On By Teresa Merklin

It rained during the early rounds of the US Open this year. I was completely disinterested in the two matches in progress on the courts in the covered stadiums at that time. Rather than switching over, I left the stream rolling on the rainy court. It was peaceful. For inexplicable reasons, I enjoy watching rain fall on a tennis court — as long as I am not the one actually waiting to play.