Wimbledon snuck up on me this year. As the grass-court season unfolds, there’s a flurry of tennis news that you might have missed last week.
Chris Evert on TNT’s tennis coverage: ‘ESPN needs a little competition’: ESPN owns the live U.S. broadcast rights to three of the four Grand Slams: the Australian Open, U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. This year, however, a new competitor entered the fray in TNT Sports, which began a decade-long run of broadcasting the French Open in the U.S. in May. Full Story: Sports Business Journal Editorial Note: I enjoyed TNT’s coverage and shared my thoughts in this post.
WTA Ventures and Tennis Channel extend U.S. media deal through 2032: WTA Ventures and Tennis Channel have agreed to a new six-year media rights deal, ensuring that Tennis Channel platforms will continue to be the exclusive home of WTA tennis in the United States through 2032. Full Story: WTA Editorial Note: This raises the stakes on the importance of addressing the systemic issues with the Tennis Channel app. What am I talking about? This recent post.
Tennis player association files new complaint against ATP, WTA Tours, removes star complaints: The organization, which was co-founded by Novak Djokovic in 2020, has removed critiques of the tour schedule from players who are not named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including French Open champions Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz. Full Story: The Athletic Editorial Note: It does seem a little disingenuous to include statements from players who are not a part of the lawsuit.
Apple Sports serves up tennis, just in time for Wimbledon: The free iPhone app is also introducing a brand-new personalized home experience for fans. Full Story: Apple Editorial Note: Wow! Spoilers via push notifications? I’m probably going to pass.
Inside Wimbledon’s AI Era: This year’s tournament will break one of its long-standing traditions for the first time. AI ball tracking has replaced line judges. Full Story: Technology Magazine
Wimbledon to honor Andy Murray with statue: The statue will be unveiled in 2027, the 150th anniversary of the first time The Championships were conducted. Full Story: UPI
Why tennis defaults and disqualifications for racket smashes need a change of perspective: The past week suggests that potential disqualifications will continue to be judged on the consequences of a player’s actions, rather than the actions themselves. Full Story: The Athletic
U.S. Open Innovates With Mixed Doubles Format: The major has revamped its mixed doubles championship, which will now feature duos made up of the sport’s top singles players. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
USTA Florida Hosts Juneteenth Event Revisiting the History of Black Tennis Excellence: A free community event aimed to uplift Black voices and expand access to tennis across the state, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion statewide. Full Story: USTA Florida
Six books about tennis’s greatest players: To better understand what it takes to succeed on Centre Court, pick up one of these books about a few of the greatest players ever to pick up a racket. Full Story: The Economist Editorial Note: At first I thought this might be a reading assignment from the Economist, but I have read (and reviewed) all six books and the two “bonus books” recommended as well.
How Taylor Townsend Balances Motherhood and Ambition: The 29-year-old, Chicago-born tennis champion has climbed through professional rankings over the past decade-and-a-half, but not without a few hurdles, including injuries, motherhood, and losses. Full Story: Newsweek
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 6/30-7/13 | The Championships (Wimbledon) | Grand Slam | London |
