This week’s tennis news roundup covers Saudi investment in the ATP calendar, Indian Wells scheduling debates, player safety concerns, and tennis culture.
How Saudi Arabia, ATP Tour will reshape tennis calendar with hundreds of millions of dollars: A shopping spree designed to reshape the calendar of the men’s tennis tour is intensifying. After ATP Tour-funded buybacks and reacquisitions of licenses for four of its smaller tournaments, SURJ, the sports arm of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, is funding further possible reacquisitions. Both processes are designed to create a longer off-season and increase the focus on a major new event in the kingdom, starting in 2028.. Full Story: Source
At Indian Wells, tennis crowds, tickets and show courts form a complex equation: Scheduling a tennis tournament is much more complex than it first appears. Fans want to buy tickets to see stars and their favorite players. The stars and favorite players have preferences about courts and court times. Courts and court times are subject to television companies’ preferences about what the court times are in other countries. But Indian Wells has made one change that has not gone over all that well with tennis fans. Full Story: The Athletic
Tennis players receive threatening messages, including photos of a gun, demanding they lose matches: Two women’s tennis players were sent threatening messages, and each received a photo of a gun and were ordered to lose matches. Panna Udvardy and Lucrezia Stefanini detailed the disturbing messages in which they and their families were threatened. Full Story: Fox News
Sabalenka credits new dog with providing ‘mental health support’: Aryna Sabalenka credits her new puppy, Ash, with providing “mental health support” as she continues to rack up victories and maintain her standing as the top-ranked player in women’s tennis. Full Story: ESPN
Peyton Stearns confirms split with coach under WTA Tour misconduct investigation: Peyton Stearns, the American world No. 48, is no longer working with coach Rafael Font de Mora, who is under investigation by the WTA Tour for alleged misconduct and inappropriate relationships with players during his previous time coaching on the tour. Full Story: The Athletic
What Is Tennis IQ? Top Stars Weigh In: The concept of Tennis IQ has several components, and it’s a personal term. Everybody has their own definition. But what are the components? Full Story: BNP Paribas Open
National report examining systemic barriers for women in sport coaching uncovers top issues impacting retention: “Women in Coaching: A Cross-Sport Collaboration,” developed in partnership with Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota, concludes that women’s attrition from coaching is driven less by personal choice and more by systemic workplace structures, including compensation, advancement pathways and work culture, that determine who can sustain a career in the profession. Full Story: USTA
How the ITF Advantage All Program is Paving the Way for Women Leaders: From grassroots coaching to ITF governance, the ITF Advantage All Programme is reshaping tennis and creating pathways for women to lead. Since 2018, it has championed opportunities in leadership, coaching, officiating, and the professional game – building a clear pipeline for future female leaders. Full Story: ITF
Venus Williams Addresses Possibility of Teaming Up With Sister Serena Again in Doubles: Serena Williams was reinstated as of Sunday, meaning she could return to the tennis court again if she desires. “Oh man, wouldn’t that be cool?” Venus Williams said when asked if she would team up with her sister again. “I never see her practicing, though. I don’t know where she’s doing it. I think to come back, you have to get out there. So, we’ll see if she can put some work in. I mean, of course, playing for exercise is nice. There’s a lot of hours that goes into it, so we’ll see what happens.” Full Story: Sports Illustrated
Serena Williams Shares What It Means for Mattel to Make a Barbie Doll of Her: Barbie announced a new line up of dolls for this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8, and Serena Williams is included in the women chosen to have a doll made of them. However, Williams’s doll is wearing business attire instead of a tennis outfit as her doll is representing the entrepreneurial part of her life. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
How to smash a tennis racket: Style, control, damage, aggression — and danger: This is the art and science of the racket smash, the tennis staple that brings code violations and fines as much as spectacles for fans and relief for players. Full Story: The Athletic
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 3/17-29 | Miami Open Presented by ITAU | ATP 1000 WTA 1000 | Miami |
