An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
The tennis channel sets a new viewership record at the French Open and the “ombeleebable” revelation that this is the first time in history that Nadal has won the first two Majors of the year. Emma Raducanu releases a cute commercial with Dua Lipa.
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The USTA National League Regulations contain some interesting requirements for players who advance to Championships on more than one team. The procedures are spelled out at both the Sectional and National level. Some Sections also allow Districts to create rules intended to encourage and foster league play at the local level.
Following his recent conviction for hiding assets during bankruptcy proceedings, a British tabloid reported that Boris Becker will be writing a book to stave off boredom during his 30 month incarceration. Additionally, a source claims that “It’ll be a warts-and-all diary on how he got himself in such a troubling position and then what life is like in jail.” The apparent forthcoming book will not be the first authored by Becker. He originally published an autobiography in 2004.
A women’s tennis icon generates controversy over French Open scheduling. The professional tours enter into the grass court season. Tennis Canada and the US Open launch summer hardcourt advertising campaigns.
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Back in 2018, the USTA decided that it would be a good idea to create a new age-based NTRP division for tournament play. That new division was for 50+ players. Bifurcating by age did not increase participation in NTRP leveled tournaments, at least not in Texas per my analysis. Perhaps the USTA has more complete data at the national level that tells a different story. In any case, it was later decided that what tournament tennis really needed was three age based divisions. Now tournaments can offer 18+, 40+, and 55+ NTRP divisions.
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On the first Friday of each month this year, this site is publishing a deep dive on one of the 12 “Gifts” you can treat yourself with to improve your tennis life. The focus this month enumerates the reasons why tennis players and fans should engage with the organizations that promote our great sport. Advocacy is essential for the future health of the tennis ecosystem. We are stronger together than we are individually.
René Lacoste is one of the most iconic tennis players in the history of the sport. His tenacity on the court earned him the nickname “The Crocodile” and that image became logo of the brand that still bears his name. He was one of the French “Four Musketeers” players that dominated international tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Lacoste was also a prolific inventor of tennis related technology.
The final Case Decision in the “Role of Court Officials” section of the ITF Rules of Tennis is mysterious in a couple of ways. First, imagining how the scenario could even happen requires significant mental gymnastics and I am unable to find any evidence that it has ever actually occurred. Additionally, the interpretation of tennis law seems straight forward which leaves me wondering why this Case is even included.
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There is a cap to the number of tournaments that count toward a player’s USTA ranking under the current cumulative tournament performance ranking system. The primary purpose of this post is to correct a misstatement I made about that on this site a couple of weeks ago. Additionally, it is a perfect opportunity to preview my emerging thinking on how to structure tennis tournaments to build the robust participation needed for a healthy competitive ecosystem.
While Roland Garros played tennis… very poorly by all accounts… the stadium of the French Open bears his name for panache and heroics unrelated to tennis.
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