Wimbledon takes center stage this week, but the conversation extends well beyond the grass courts. A new documentary featuring the rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the evolving fight for player equity, the business of tradition, coaching, and grassroots tennis.
Chris Evert to miss Wimbledon amid ovarian cancer recurrence: Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert said Thursday that her ovarian cancer has returned and that the treatment will prevent her from attending Wimbledon this year. Evert, 71, was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2021. In December 2023 she revealed her cancer had returned. Full Story: ESPN
How Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova shaped each other’s tennis careers — and lives: Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the main characters of the first transcendent rivalry in women’s sports, were ready to share in an upcoming documentary how they had become closer than ever after supporting each other through simultaneous cancer treatments. Then, the story changed. Full Story: The Athletic
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova Were Tennis Rivals and Friends for 50 Years. Then They Had to Fight Cancer Together: Even as they battled in 80 matches during the ’70s and ’80s, including 60 tournament finals, Evert and Navratilova forged a friendship through their extraordinary shared experience. Full Story: People
The business of Wimbledon: Careful modernisation of tennis tradition protects a unique commercial model: Unlike many major sporting events, Wimbledon prioritises brand preservation over revenue maximisation. As The Championships expand their global reach, the challenge is preserving that balance amid growing demands from players, partners and the wider sport. Full Story: SportsPro
Tennis stars’ protests over prize money share to continue at Wimbledon: The top men’s and women’s tennis players have decided to continue their protests for a greater percentage of grand slam tournament revenues at Wimbledon. Full Story: The Guardian, BBC
Battling egos and stereotypes – the rise of female tennis coaches: Female coaches, even at the top of the women’s game, are a rarity. Only four players inside the top 50 in singles have a woman as their primary coach. Full Story: BBC
Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova suspended 4 years for refusing doping test: The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that Marketa Vondrousova refused a test in December, and that the decision to suspend her was reached by an independent tribunal. Vondrousova became Wimbledon’s first unseeded female champion when she beat Ons Jabeur in the 2023 title match. Full Story: PBS
International Tennis Federation rebrands as World Tennis: The International Tennis Federation is changing its name to World Tennis. The name switch was ratified in October by member national tennis associations voting at the governing body’s annual general meeting. Other international sport federations have made similar name changes in recent years. Full Story: ESPN
Coco Gauff Serves Up Debut Documentaries For Tennis Channel: Gauff has teamed up with the Tennis Channel for two documentaries from her company iROC Media Group. The projects, both short documentaries, include one that explores the history of fashion in tennis, tracing the sport’s most iconic moments and the culture they helped shape, and the other is a portrait of Zina Garrison, the American tennis champion and a personal hero of Gauff’s. Full Story: Deadline
Tennis lives here: USTA Missouri Valley celebrates community impact of parks: The USTA Missouri Valley spotlights the impact of parks throughout the month of July for Park and Recreation Month. In particular, the section is celebrating the many public parks upgrading or renovating their tennis courts thanks to USTA Tennis Venue Services grant funding. Full Story: USTA
Kiest Tennis Center operations are up in the air. Many Dallas residents want to keep nonprofit: Management of the Kiest Tennis Center in Oak Cliff could switch from its current local nonprofit to McKinney-based company Impact Activities. But outspoken support for Dallas Tennis Association prompted City Council to direct staff to go back to the drawing board on who will manage the center. The current contract with Dallas Tennis Association, or DTA, is set to expire at the end of the year. Full Story: KERA
How to be a good tennis parent: When it comes to parental behaviour the LTA says tennis is like any sport “there are occasions when a small minority of parents do not uphold the standards of behaviour expected”. The governing body will soon be launching a new initiative called Fair Play, to promote positive parent behaviour and support coaches. Full Story: BBC
Wilson Unveils Tennis Balls With Even More Smell: Calling the update a major breakthrough for players who enjoy new-ball smell, Wilson Sporting Goods officials unveiled a new line of tennis balls that contain even more smell. “We know tennis fans love that bright chemical fragrance, so we dipped these balls in as much smell as they could physically absorb,” said a Wilson spokesperson. Full Story: The Onion Editorial Note: Celebrating the first time I get to link to an article from The Onion!
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 6/29-7/12 | The Championships, Wimbledon | Grand Slam | London |
