Wimbledon viewership numbers, player comings and goings, and an unusually busy week of off-court controversies. These are the tennis stories you might have missed last week.
Wimbledon Viewership Ratings Were Very Good: The Championships generated some of the highest viewership since ESPN secured the broadcast rights to the All England Lawn Tennis Club tournament in 2003. Successes include the most viewed quarterfinals and semifinals of the past six years, the most viewed Ladies’ semifinals in a decade, and the most viewed Wimbledon Day One ever on ESPN platforms. Full Story: ESPN
A Dietitian Weighs In on Iga Swiatek’s Pasta with Strawberries: “Pasta is a wonderful food for active people because it’s rich in carbs,” sports dietitian Claire Shorenstein explains. “Yogurt is also a solid option for athletes because it has calcium, which can be beneficial for everything from bone health and muscle contraction, and contains probiotics, which can help support gut health. And strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, which supports immune function and collagen production—two body functions linked to better athletic performance. Full Story: Self
Amanda Anisimova put down her racket, then made the Wimbledon Final: Amanda Anisimova’s appearance in the Wimbledon final is a remarkable bounceback for a player who was once so racked by stress that she took an indefinite break from the sport to tend to her mental health — a break during which she was warned she might never return to form. Full Story: NPR
Jabeur announces break from tennis ‘to put myself first’: “I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges,” On Jabeur wrote in a statement posted to social media. “But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now.” Full Story: WTA
Eugenie Bouchard to retire from tennis at Canadian Open in Montreal: Bouchard, 31, who was born in Montreal, announced her final professional event in a post on X Wednesday. “ You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now. Ending where it all started: Montreal,” she wrote. Full Story: The Athletic Editorial Note: This was shocking news to me. I didn’t realize she was still playing.
Boris Becker’s Wimbledon title in 1985 made him a star. The next 40 years made it complicated: It was hard to imagine how complicated Becker’s life would become four decades later after he won his first Wimbledon title. First came the existential crises of his early twenties, when he nearly quit the sport. There would be a paternity lawsuit, two tabloid-magnet divorces, bankruptcies, and a tax evasion conviction in Germany in 2002. Then, another conviction in 2022, this time at Southwark Crown Court in London. Becker was found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act, after he concealed money and assets during a bankruptcy proceeding. Full Story: The New York Times
Miami Open Fraudsters Must Pay Restitution: Two employees of IMG Worldwide, the company that ran the Miami Open, used their roles as sponsor and patron coordinators to arrange for a vendor to print extra tournament tickets. They sold the tickets to customers who paid money directly into their accounts, netting them somewhere between $200,000 and $400,000. Full Story: Courthouse News Service
Billionaire Ackman’s $10M Offer to the International Tennis Hall of Fame Declined: Days after Bill Ackman lost his first professional tennis match, the 59-year-old billionaire hedge fund investor offered a $10 million endowment to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the same organization that invited him and doubles partner Jack Sock to its annual tournament. The organization turned down the donation. Full Story: Sportico
Class action ‘highly likely’ in UNC tennis player’s lawsuit against NCAA: A federal judge signaled this week that she is likely to expand a University of North Carolina tennis player’s lawsuit against the NCAA to cover other college tennis players across the country. Reese Brantmeier challenges the college sports governing agency’s rules against student-athletes accepting prize money. Full Story: The Carolina Journal
‘Billie Jean’ playwright and cast talk tennis: In the Chicago Shakespeare Theater production “Billie Jean,” Lauren Gunderson has written a play that showcases the public and private struggles King fought on her journey to becoming an icon who has inspired millions. An interview with Gunderson, actress Chilina Kennedy, who portrays King, and Dan Amboyer, who plays King’s first spouse, husband Larry King. Full Story: Windy City Times
Miss Manners on a Tennis Player Not Feeling the Love: League team drama hits an advice column. Full Story: NJ
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 7/21-25 | Mubadala Citi DC Open | ATP 500 WTA 500 | Washington, DC |
| 7/20-26 | Generali Open Kitzbühel | ATP 250 | Austria |
| 7/20-26 | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag | ATP 250 | Croatia |
| 7/20-26 | Livesport Prague Open | WTA 250 | Czech Republic |
