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A Case Against NTRP Ratings Expiration Putting It All Together: My Daily Plantar Fasciitis Prevention Routine Tennis Beyond the Headlines: March 31, 2025 A Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Gift Idea A Great Gift for Grads… and Tennis Players Basket Case: The Gift of Tennis for Easter Improve Your Tennis IQ: The off-court workout for on-court skills

Venus Envy by Jon Wertheim

On By Teresa Merklin

At first glance, the selection of Venus Envy by Jon Wertheim might seem strange. My ambivalence toward biographies of players who are still competing is well documented on this site, and the story of Venus Williams and her professional tennis career has yet to conclude. Additionally, based solely on the title, it might be easy to assume that this book might be more appropriate in February during Black History Month. Ultimately, Venus Envy is the perfect selection to kick off Women’s History Month in March.

Service Alternatives in Wheelchair Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

As we continue to work through the Rules of Wheelchair tennis, the final adaptation for delivery of the service presents a perplexing conundrum. While some wheelchair players can execute a conventional tennis serve, sometimes physical limitations make that action an impossibility. There is a rule adaptation that accommodates that situation.

Billie Jean King’s Eye Coach

On By Teresa Merklin

I am living in fear that at some point in the near future the management at my new tennis club will wake up to the fact that giving me 24×7 access to indoor courts and unlimited ball machine usage is a bad idea. Until then, I will continue to haunt the facility in the wee hours of the morning working on my technique and consistency. This brings us to the topic of Billie Jean King’s Eye Coach.

A New Study on the Positive Health Impacts of Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

Tennis players who pay any attention to current news are inundated with frequent articles touting the health benefits of playing the sport. The fact that tennis players have more positive health measures is backed up by reputable independent research data. A couple of weeks ago, the USTA issued a press release that illustrates that point. It pointed to “one of the largest tennis-specific studies performed to date.” Today we are taking a look at the report summarizing that research.

An Avalanche of Tennis Ice Photos

On By Teresa Merklin

The story of the Fiend at Court Spousal Unit chipping ice off courts in order to get a league match played last weekend inadvertently set off a cavalcade of similarly themed photos. As it turns out, there are a lot of players in our orbit who essentially did the same thing. Many went out to their local courts armed with lawn tools last weekend.

A Little More Winter Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

Yesterday I shared a photo that illustrated that some players in the DFW area chipped ice off a court at Hurst Tennis Center in order to get some USTA League matches played as scheduled. Today I am sharing another photo from earlier in the week that shows that the courts a couple of miles away at Richland Tennis Center were fully playable. This photo was provided courtesy of Bobby Reeves who is the Head Tennis Pro at that facility.

Breaking the Ice

On By Teresa Merklin

Many years ago I once chipped ice off a tennis court before playing a junior match in the Cotton Bowl tennis tournament. That event is an indelible part of our family lore. To add insult to injury, I lost the ensuing match. The Umpire who Gave Birth To Me watched me play from the cozy confines of the pro shop. She was less than impressed with my level of energy during the match as evidenced by the fact that I never took my sweats off. It was c-c-c-c-old.

Zina: My Life in Women’s Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

When mapping out books to cover during Black History month this year, Zina: My Life in Women’s Tennis was an immediate selection. Zina Garrison emerged from a public park’s program in Houston, which makes her book an obvious choice for a tennis blog sourced from Texas. Additionally, she was my Dad’s favorite player. It was a foregone conclusion that this book would come up pretty quickly in the rotation.

Desmond Margetson and the Tennis Bubble

On By Teresa Merklin

The recent spate of arctic weather makes this the perfect time to discuss the inflatable tennis bubble. Desmond Margetson, a black American tennis player and engineer is the inventor of the structure that enables seasonal indoor tennis. Since February is designated as Black History month AND the week of February 21-27 is designated as “Engineers Week” it is the perfect time to discuss the tennis bubble.