Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month’s Davis Cup finals. Billie Jean King has been named Grand Marshal for the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade. Tensions between tennis and pickleball continue to rise over court space.
Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month’s Davis Cup finals: Rafael Nadal has competed infrequently the past two seasons because of injuries and said next month’s Davis Cup finals will mark his farewell to the sport. He had hip surgery in 2023 and entered just two of the past eight major tournaments. Full Story: AP
Stars pay tribute as Rafael Nadal announces tennis retirement: Longtime rival and friend Roger Federer took to the comments of Nadal’s post to pay tribute. “What a career, Rafa,” he wrote. “I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor!” Full Story: ESPN
What’s it like to play Rafael Nadal on clay? “He makes you suffer. First he takes your legs, then your mind.” Full Story: The Athletic
Billie Jean King, named 2025 Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal: “You have no idea how excited I am to be here today and be the grand marshal for the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade,” Billie Jean King said during the announcement. Full Story: CBS News
Wimbledon Replaces Line Judges: That long-held Wimbledon tradition of line judges dressed in elegant uniforms is no more. The All England Club announced Wednesday that artificial intelligence will be used to make the ‘out’ and ‘fault’ calls at the championships from 2025. Full Story: Time
Tennis player association calls anti-doping processes ‘broken’ in letter: The cold war between tennis players and the sport’s integrity authority grew several degrees hotter this week, as the leading but nascent organizing body for tennis players directly questioned the methods by which tennis polices doping and corruption. Full Story: The Athletic
Tennis star Frances Tiafoe curses out umpire after Shanghai loss, later apologizes: Frances Tiafoe might be in hot water after the American tennis star directed a profanity-laden outburst at an umpire following a controversial call at the ATP Shanghai Masters on Tuesday. Full Story: USA Today
Tennis has a problem with players, umpires and rules. How to fix it?: In less than 24 hours, three tennis players subjected three umpires to three tirades of different flavors in Shanghai. The vast majority of tennis matches pass without even minor incidents, but this cluster of incidents raises the question of how the sport can solve a problem like officiating. Full Story: The Athletic
The Turf War Between Tennis and Pickleball Is Escalating: there is no longer any denying that tennis and pickleball are in direct conflict. The battle for court space has arrived—and tennis is losing ground fast. Today, the USTA says, at least 10% of tennis courts in America have been taken over and repurposed for pickleball. Full Story: WSJ
NCAA Scores Legal Win in Tennis Prize Money Spat: U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles denied University of North Carolina tennis player Reese Brantmeier’s motion for a preliminary injunction. Brantmeier asked Eagles to prohibit the NCAA from enforcing its prize money rules against college athletes who participate in individual sports while her antitrust case against the association is pending. Full Story: Sportico
Rafael Nadal’s House: Inside the Tennis Star’s Off-the-Court Oasis: When Nadal isn’t on the court, the tennis star loves to be near the water. His main home is located in Porto Cristo, a harbor and charming fishing town in the eastern region of Mallorca, Spain. The house is situated on a 1.7 acre plot of land overlooking the crystal clear port where Nadal keeps his catamaran. Full Story: Architectural Digest
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 10/14-20 | Ningbo Open | WTA 500 | China |
| 10/14-20 | Kinoshita Group Japan Open | WTA 250 | Japan |
| 10/14-20 | Almaty Open | ATP 250 | Kazakhstan |
| 10/14-20 | BNP Paribas Nordic Open | ATP 250 | Sweden |
| 10/14-20 | European Open | ATP 250 | Belgium |
