Young guns, doping, and drama. The headlines you might have missed as the Australian Open gets underway.
The Young Talent of Tennis Takes Aim at the Established Stars: The top players still dominate, but many young players are expected to challenge them for the big trophies. Full Story: The New York Times
Doping controversies have not harmed tennis but commissioner needed, McEnroe says: McEnroe said he had long advocated for a commissioner and had been “ready, willing and able” to take the job. “If I wasn’t the commissioner, there still should be a commissioner,” he said. Full Story: Reuters
Jannik Sinner gets April date at sports court for appeal hearing in doping case: The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Friday it scheduled a closed-doors hearing on April 16-17 at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. CAS gave no timetable for a verdict, though the parties could request a fast-track decision before the French Open starts May 25. Full Story: AP
Jannik Sinner’s doping case explained: Everything you need to know about the case so far, why the appeal has been lodged, and what it means for Sinner and the sport as a whole. Full Story: The Athletic
New year, new deals: Tracking players’ new sponsors and apparel changes in 2025: New year, new deals. Except the start of a new season in tennis rarely overlaps with the actual calendar year—a feature that makes January a uniquely fun month for tennis fashion watchers. Full Story: Tennis
Wimbledon tennis expansion opponents start legal action against All England Club plans: The residents’ group fighting Wimbledon’s tennis expansion plans — which include adding one stadium court and 38 further courts to the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) grounds — has formally “started legal action to challenge the validity of the Mayor of London’s decision to grant planning permission for the AELTC redevelopment of the former Wimbledon Park golf course.” Full Story: The Athletic
Billie Jean King: Tennis stars need to learn the business—not just play: Encouraging women—and also men—into other areas of tennis is vital to the growth of the sport, believes the trailblazer. Full Story: Tennis
Tennis has become mundane without me – Kyrgios: Kyrgios, who is now unranked, has been drawn against rapid-rising British number three Jacob Fearnley in the Melbourne first round. He said: “I think it’s good to be back. I think it’s important. I think the sport was getting a bit mundane.” Full Story: BBC
Belinda Bencic’s tennis comeback and the challenge of returning to the WTA Tour after pregnancy: Belinda Bencic is doing what so many women do outside of tennis, but has until recently been a rarity in the upper echelons of the sport: coming back from a career break during which she gave birth to a child. Full Story: The Athletic
Cameron Norrie apologizes after accidentally hitting fan with racket: Cameron Norrie tossed his racket after losing a point at the Auckland Classic, causing a spectator to have to raise her hands to stop it from striking her in the face. Norrie received a warning but avoided disqualification for the incident, which the spectator appeared to take in good spirits. Full Story: CNN
Naomi Osaka says she and rapper Cordae are no longer in a relationship: Naomi Osaka posted the news on social media Monday. Full Story: AP
Danielle Collins Doesn’t Like Iga Swiatek: Despite being 31 years old and nearing the end of her career, Danielle Collins is not above taking shots at opponents she does not like. Following Team USA’s victory over Team Poland, Collins shook hands with Iga Swiatek before making a facial expression that sent tennis Twitter into a tailspin. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
Has The Tennis Ball Gotten Worse? Complaints about the tennis ball are a staple of both the men’s and women’s tours, though the exact nature of the complaint has changed over time. The type of ball varies between tournaments, which is a common source of consternation. Full Story: The Defector
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 1/12-26 | The Australian Open | Grand Slam | Australia |
