Heading into the start of the US Open “Fan Week,” the news is so scattered that I resorted to using an AI assistant to determine the order.
Is tennis the epicenter of stalking in sports?: Athletes in all sports deal with fixated individuals, but women’s tennis has been and continues to be the epicenter of the issue. People involved in the sport and stalking experts say that tennis has particular conditions and characteristics that make its players targets, regardless of the era. Full Story: The Athletic
The USTA Launches New Coaching Program: The USTA announced the start of its first all-encompassing coaching program on Wednesday, a little more than a year after an outside review of the USTA’s safeguarding system offered recommendations for how to better protect players from abuse, such as sexual misconduct. Full Story: AP
Monica Seles talks myasthenia gravis diagnosis: Monica Seles was diagnosed three years ago with myasthenia gravis, or MG, a rare autoimmune condition. Full Story: ABC
Venus Williams gets a U.S. Open wild card: Venus Williams will make her return to Grand Slam tennis at the U.S. Open after a two-year absence, receiving a wild-card invitation on Wednesday to compete in singles at Flushing Meadows at age 45. The American will be the oldest entrant in singles at the tournament since Renee Richards was 47 in 1981. Full Story: PBS
The world’s best women’s doubles player is Taylor Townsend: The powerful lefty is taking her top ranking and renewed momentum into the U.S. Open. Full Story: WBEZ (Chicago)
They’re Losing Their Vision. They Still Love Playing Tennis: For the visually impaired people who participate in blind tennis, the sport delivers joy. “This is what I’ve been missing,” one player said. Full Story: The New York Times
A street in Harlem is transforming into an open-air tennis club for a day ahead of the US Open: One of the most recognizable blocks in New York City is transforming into an open-air tennis club ahead of the US Open when “Tennis in Harlem: On the Block” takes to the concrete jungle this weekend. Full Story: Tennis
USTA, Marvel to Spotlight Fantastic Four, Althea Gibson at US Open: The USTA has announced that the US Open and Marvel will continue their landmark collaboration for a second consecutive year by championing this year’s US Open theme – Celebrating 75 Years of Breaking Barriers – with a new and original comic book spotlighting Althea Gibson and the Fantastic Four. Full Story: Racquet Sports Industry
Venus Williams to get new Barbie as part of Inspiring Women collection: Venus Williams’ doll, to be released Friday, will celebrate the tennis great and pay equity champion with a doll wearing the uniform she wore while winning Wimbledon in 2007. Full Story: AP
Inside the US Open’s Boozy Boom: The most chic accessory in New York City around Labor Day is a pink-hued, honeydew ball-topped cocktail. The drink is the iconic Honey Deuce, a $23 vodka lemonade sold by the hundreds of thousands at the U.S. Open, the tennis Grand Slam that takes place in Queens, New York, at the end of every summer. Full Story: Food and Wine
IHG Offers Breakfast-in-Bed Experience on U.S. Open Tennis Court: Introducing “Bed on the Baseline,” an exclusive offering for IHG One Rewards members with the chance to win a breakfast-in-bed experience right on the court in Louis Armstrong Stadium—just days after tennis legends have played and the crowds have cleared. Full Story: Travel Agent Central Editorial Note: This has to be a joke, right?
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 8/18-23 | Abierto GNP Seguros 2025 | WTA 500 | Mexico |
| 8/17-23 | Tennis in the Land Powered by Rocket | WTA 250 | Cleveland |
| 8/17-23 | Winston-Salem Open | ATP 250 | Winston-Salem |
| 8/19-20 | US Open Mixed Doubles | Exhibition | New York |
