Sinner creates his own Davis Cup controversy, Saudi Arabia has bought tennis with a billion-dollar” tennis plans” investment, and other news from a wild week in tennis.
Jannik Sinner to sit out Davis Cup, faces backlash in Italy: Jannik Sinner’s decision not to play for host Italy in the Davis Cup Final 8 is being met with a sense of abandonment in his home country — where he was fiercely defended during his doping case earlier this year. The second-ranked Sinner, who led Italy to tennis’ biggest team trophy the past two years, said he prefers to prepare for next season rather than help the Azzurri aim for another title in Bologna next month. Full Story: Source
WTA Finals singles field set: The WTA announced Thursday night that Elena Rybakina has secured the last spot in the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF. Rybakina joins PIF WTA World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, along with Iga Swiatek, defending champion Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Jasmine Paolini in the draw in Riyadh to compete for the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy. Full Story: WTA
Taylor Fritz Perfectly Explains What’s Wrong With Tennis Now: Taylor Fritz observed “This year, the balls were still slow, and they also slowed the courts, and it was brutal. I can say with certainty every ball we play with consistently, with the exception of the US Open ball that is used for Toronto, Cinci, US Open is much slower and more dead compared to when I started my career.” Full Story: Sports Illustrated
USTA Sport Science Research Grants 2026: The USTA is challenging people to play a significant role in growing American tennis by conducting valuable research. The USTA provides research grants to promote tennis sport science in 3 key priority areas: Adult Tennis Participation, Junior Tennis Retention, and High Performance Player Development. Full Story: USTA Editorial Note: Three categories? I won’t be applying for a grant, but I definitely see a three-part “Unplugged” weekend series on this because… I have ideas.
Saudi Arabia to host newly created 10th ATP Masters 1000 as early as 2028: Saudi Arabia will host a new ATP Masters tournament, likely starting in 2028, in the first addition to the men’s tennis tour’s premium series since its founding 35 years ago. Full Story: Tennis
Saudi Arabia’s tennis investment and ATP tournament: How it is changing the sport: When Saudi Arabia proposed investing $1 billion into tennis in spring last year, it briefly upended the sport. The bulk of that money was earmarked for a combined men’s and women’s 1,000-level tournament, to be held in January ahead of the Australian Open. After months of negotiations between the ATP and WTA Tours, the four Grand Slams, and the alphabet soup of tournament owners and governing organizations, disruption appeared to have arrived. Full Story: The Athletic
Diego Schwartzman Retirement Interview: Reflections on South American tennis and the future of a global sport: Schwartzman, the most successful South American male player since the heyday of Gustavo Kuerten, who won three French Open titles and was year-end world No. 1 in 2000, and Juan Martin del Potro, who won the 2009 U.S. Open, is concerned about the future of elite-level tennis on the continent. Full Story: The Athletic
Carlos Alcaraz’s 2023 Wimbledon racquet just became the most expensive ever sold: A $173,000 price tag puts the 22-year-old ahead of Rafael Nadal in the tennis memorabilia record books. Full Story: Tennis
Iga Swiatek Shares Her Favorite Song Before Tennis Matches: Iga Swiatek recently participated in a rapid-fire Q&A with her footwear and apparel sponsor, On. In the Instagram video, Swiatek reveals her favorite genre is rock and her go-to song before matches is “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
United States captures three titles at ITF 75-, 80-, 85-and-over World Team Championships: American teams won three of the six titles at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) 75-, 80-, 85-and-over World Team Championships on the red clay courts in Bol, Croatia, which saw a total of 70 teams – representing 23 nations from around the globe. The tournament is the super-senior equivalent of the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competitions, where top American tennis players represent their country in the 75-, 80-, 85-and-over age groups. Full Story: USTA
“Never Too Late”: 102-year-old tennis player inspires others on the court: At 102 years old, Dick Baughn is dominating the tennis court, busy keeping up with players decades younger than him. The decorated fighter pilot who commanded the skies in three wars picked up tennis in his 50s. Full Story: CBS
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 10/27-11/2 | Rolex Paris Masters | ATP 1000 | France |
| 10/27-11/2 | Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open | WTA 250 | Hong Kong |
| 10/27-11/2 | Jiangxi Open | WTA 250 | China |
| 10/27-11/2 | Chennai Open | WTA 250 | India |
