Burnout, betting, bans, branding, and bears. (Oh my!) It was an unusually active week for off-season tennis news. Also, the NCAA prize money lawsuit enters settlement discussions.
A Brutally Long Tennis Season Takes a Toll on Players: Injuries and mental exhaustion this year forced both men and women to withdraw from tournaments and suspend play for months. Full Story: The Athletic
WTA Tour signs landmark Mercedes sponsorship deal as ATP commercial merger moves closer: The WTA Tour has signed the largest sponsorship deal in the organization’s history, as the commercial arms of women’s and men’s tennis move closer to unification. Mercedes-Benz will become the WTA’s premier partner from January 1, 2026. Two sources briefed on the deal — who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly — said it will far exceed the previous one with medical company Hologic. Full Story: The Athletic
Sabalenka Says ‘Battle of the Sexes’ will not damage women’s sport: Some people see it as harmless entertainment between two high-profile players, but others believe it could belittle the women’s game if Sabalenka loses. Asked if it could be damaging, Sabalenka told BBC Sport: “I don’t agree. Full Story: BBC
‘Mine was for social change, this is not’ – King on Battle of the Sexes: Asked if she saw any similarities between the matches, King told BBC Sport: “The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That’s it. “Everything else, no. Ours was about social change, culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not.” Full Story: BBC
UNC tennis player, NCAA in settlement talks over prize-money suit: Lawyers for University of North Carolina tennis player Reese Brantmeier and the NCAA should know by January or early February whether they can settle a lawsuit over the college sports governing agency’s prize money rules. A trial in the class-action suit is scheduled for November 2026. Full Story: The Carolina Journal
French tennis player Quentin Folliot suspended 20 years, fined $70,000 for alleged match fixing: The International Tennis Integrity Agency has suspended French tennis player Quentin Folliot for 20 years for match-fixing. Folliot must also pay a $70,000 fine and return more than $44,000 in corrupt payments. He may not play in, coach in or attend any tennis event authorized by ITIA members or any national association during the ban.. Full Story: CBS Sports
Caroline Garcia turned down $270,000 betting company offer for her tennis podcast: Retired French tennis player Caroline Garcia has turned down a $270,000 sponsorship deal for her podcast from a betting company. Full Story: ABC News
Coco Gauff inks deal to become global brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz: After topping Sportico’s list of highest-earning female athletes for the third straight year, Gauff has added another luxury brand to her endorsement portfolio. Full Story: Tennis
Ben Shelton Strikes Deal For Docuseries: Ben Shelton has struck a deal with Wheelhouse, which is behind his new series, The Long Game, that was just released on YouTube and Instagram. Full Story: Deadline
ITA Officially Launches Video History Library: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the governing body of college tennis, has officially launched the ITA Video History Library, a wide-ranging collection of recorded interviews with the sport’s most distinguished individuals, available now on YouTube via the newly created @ITAHistoryLibrary channel. Full Story: ITA
Florida black bear serves up ‘scary’ encounter on Naples tennis court: A morning tennis match turned wild at Naples Lakes Country Club when an unexpected visitor showed up. A woman was playing tennis with her daughter when a black bear wandered onto the courts, startling the pair. Full Story: Naples Daily News Editorial Note: Great! Something else to worry about when playing tennis in Florida.
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 12/17-21 | Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF | ATP/Finals | Saudi Arabia |
