A weekly tennis news roundup reflecting on the Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz’s career Grand Slam, and the sport’s enduring values and communities.
The Enduring Impact of John Wilkerson’s 50-Year Coaching Career: Working primarily out of Houston’s MacGregor Park, John Wilkerson created an environment where young players, many experiencing the sport for the first time, could see a place for themselves, develop confidence, and learn lessons that extended well beyond the court. Full Story: USTA Coaching
Australian Open takeaways: Best matches, shots, and moments from Melbourne. Full Story: The Athletic
Carlos Alcaraz Gets Career Slam in Tennis: Winning a Grand Slam event is a major accomplishment in tennis. Every year, players vie for titles at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. It’s even more of a triumph to win all four during a single career. Carlos Alcaraz becomes the ninth and youngest man to win all four majors. Full Story: ESPN
Carlos Alcaraz has the career Grand Slam, but his tennis legend is long in the writing: Winning the Australian Open was the latest move in Carlos Alcaraz’s assault on tennis’s Mount Rushmore. Full Story: The Athletic
Carlos Alcaraz plans kangaroo tattoo to commemorate Australian Open win: Carlos Alcaraz thinks he might get a small kangaroo tattooed on one leg. It would be a lasting memento of his win over Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open men’s final Sunday which made him the youngest male player at 22 to complete a career Grand Slam. Full Story: ESPN
Is the Australian Open still the ‘Happy Slam’?: Intrusive behind-the-scenes cameras watching the stars, overcrowding in the grounds and accusations too many attendees are not interested in the tennis have been among the chief complaints. Full Story: BBC
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi reelected to third term: ndrea Gaudenzi was reelected as chairman of the ATP men’s professional tennis tour on Thursday, giving him a third term that runs through 2028. Gaudenzi, a former player, first took over the tour in January 2020. Full Story: ESPN
A 95-year-old tennis ace in Waterville shows you’re never too old to play: At 95, Al Grenier plays tennis twice a week at Champions Fitness Club in Waterville with Zane, as well as Duane Wheeler, 75, of Waterville, and Fred Knapik, 79, of Winslow. Grenier’s skills belie his age. Fit and trim at 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and 171 pounds, he moves on the court like a teenager, whacking the ball with precision, rarely missing a return. Full Story: Central Maine
These tennis players unite for the love of the game — and ribbing each other: A love of tennis — mixed with razzing, rallying (if ever so slowly) and rounding out lives well-lived — keeps a resilient band of buddies on task at a longstanding tennis meetup. Full Story: Observer
Pope, an avid athlete, extols the physical and spiritual benefits of sport in Olympic message: Pope Leo XIV, an avid tennis player and sports fan, marked the start of the Winter Games on Friday by extolling the positive values of sport and fair play while warning that the pursuit of profits and performance risked corrupting sport entirely. In a message entitled “Life in Abundance” issued on the same day as the Milan Cortina opening ceremony, Leo traced the history of Christian philosophers and popes who had identified sports and leisure activity as beneficial for both physical and spiritual development. Full Story: AP
Elise Mertens AO Trophy Meets Her Dogs: A cute video from this year’s Australian Open Doubles Champion. Full Story: Facebook Reel
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 2/8-14 | Qatar Totalenergies Open | WTA 1000 | Qatar |
| 2/9-15 | Nexo Dallas Open | ATP 500 | Dallas |
| 2/9-15 | ABN AMRO Open | ATP 500 | Netherlands |
| 2/9-15 | IEB+ Argentina Open | ATP 250 | Argentina |
