From handshake drama to roaring crowds, rising stars, and new tech in college tennis, this week’s top news you may have missed.
The unwritten rules of tennis and why post-match handshakes sometimes go awry at the US Open: The post-match greeting at the net, which usually involves shaking hands and, sometimes, a hug or kisses on the cheek. It would seem to be a simple act of sportsmanship, but every so often it ends up going awry. Full Story: AP
At the U.S. Open, tennis etiquette no longer rules: Don’t go looking for hushed tones, decorous silence or the other traditions of a sport whose roots exist on the hallowed lawns of polite society. At the U.S. Open, music blares from speakers. A near-constant buzz rises from every crowd, interrupted only by bursts of exuberance. Trains rumble behind the main stadiums, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, while planes approaching and departing from La Guardia Airport bring their stomach-churning roars. Full Story: The Athletic
How the best American women’s tennis players rose to the top of Grand Slams and the sport: When it comes to finding an American woman ready to win her home Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, the nation’s tennis fans don’t have to look very far. The top of women’s tennis is loaded with them these days, and they’ve been shining the most when the lights are the brightest. Full Story: The Athletic
Taylor Townsend’s U.S. Open and a tennis career of confounding expectations: At 29, Taylor Townsend has become what a lot of people in tennis thought she would be when she was a teenager: A big-time figure in her sport and one of the most talked-about athletes in America. Full Story: The Athletic
How tennis rankings work on the ATP and WTA Tour, as U.S. Open puts world No. 1s on the line: During the U.S. Open, the world No. 1 ranking is on the line in both the men’s and women’s draws. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are fighting for the top ranking on the ATP Tour, while Świątek, Sabalenka and — maybe — Coco Gauff are in play on the WTA Tour. Full Story: The Athletic
How Italy created a ‘tennis machine’ and became home to some of the world’s best players: Given the country’s modest history in the sport, this is truly a golden age for Italian tennis, one which has vaulted to even greater heights thanks to Jannik Sinner’s success on the court and popularity off it. Full Story: CNN
Are tennis players the fittest athletes in the world?: As seven-time grand slam singles champion Venus Williams said upon her comeback to the sport late last month, “Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? … You’re running the whole time, lifting weights and just, like, dying. And then you repeat it the next day. Full Story: CNN
ITA and PlayReplay Unveil a Three-Year Electronic Line Calling Partnership: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) and PlayReplay, Inc. have announced a three-year partnership to bring electronic line calling to all divisions of college tennis. PlayReplay is the first and only electronic line-calling system officially approved by the ITA for use in college tennis. The ITA has approved the PlayReplay system as a review (challenge) system and can be deployed for indoor and outdoor use, for singles and doubles play, and for unofficiated, roved, and chaired matches. Full Story: ITA
Former Tennis Pro Shares on the Power of Pivoting Amid Adversity: Next time things go wrong, step back and find a way to change your ‘What now?’ into ‘What’s next?’ Full Story: Inc
A Tennis Vacation in the Midwest’s Golf Mecca: Most men go to Sand Valley to tee off on its dune-sculpted courses. The writer of this essay went in search of grass courts and “real tennis.” Full Story: Inside Hook
Never disrespect doubles tennis again: The only true mixed doubles tennis team at the U.S. Open defended its sport’s honor. Full Story: Rodger Sherman via Substack
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 8/24-9/7 | The US Open | Grand Slam | New York |
