Every Monday, we bring true tennis fans the under-reported must-read stories that provide in-depth insight into the game.
Tennis Fans Sound the Alarm on Overcrowded US Open: Many displeased tennis fans are taking to social media to complain about the overcrowded conditions at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
The Rowdiest Crowd in Tennis Just Got Rowdier: The Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens has always been home to certain rowdy stylings: ultra-late nights, boisterous crowds, and the heavily imbibed Honey Deuce cocktail. Throughout tennis history, late-arriving patrons have been allowed to file into the bleachers only during changeovers, when the players switch sides of the court. However, this year, the fans closest to the action can find their seats after any game they like. Full Story: WSJ
Taylor Fritz is Leading American Men’s Tennis Into the US Open: For the first time since 1997, there are now five American men in the top 20 on the ATP Tour: Taylor Fritz (12), Ben Shelton (13), Tommy Paul (14), Sebastian Korda (16), and Frances Tiafoe (20). Full Story: Vogue
Coco Gauff risks joining the ranks of tennis’s nearly-greats: Like several of the sport’s best players, her struggles against a particular rival could be career-altering. Full Story: The Economist
Zzzzzzz: US Open tennis players take naps before matches, especially late ones: Plenty of tennis players at the U.S. Open agree that there are benefits to taking a nap before a match, especially if they are due on court at night. Full Story: ABC News
How Black American tennis players built U.S. stardom: Roughly one-third of the top 1,500 to 2,000 youth players who cycle through the USTA’s regional camps each year are players of color. That is a significant jump from 20 years ago, and far different from so many other multicultural countries where tennis is popular. Full Story: The Athletic
How the U.S. Open’s jumbo tennis ball became a cute and fuzzy yellow harbinger of doom: Signing autographs after a match is one of the sacred obligations a tennis player commits to when they step onto a tournament court. A jumbo-sized tennis ball, 11 inches big and emblazoned with the Wilson logo is a canvas for autographs. It has also turned into a fuzzy yellow harbinger of doom. Full Story: The Athletic
ESPN signs deal to air US Open tennis through 2037: ESPN signed a deal with the United States Tennis Association to continue broadcasting the U.S. Open tournament through 2037, the network said on Wednesday. ESPN, which is currently airing this year’s U.S. Open, will air the tournament in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean under a new agreement that starts in 2026. The deal also gives ESPN the rights to offer more U.S. Open programming through streaming. Full Story: Reuters
A review of the Chase Lounge and Terrace at the US Open: Chic lounges with a side of tennis: Chase has been operating an exclusive lounge at the U.S. Open in Queens, New York, at Flushing Meadows for 13 years now. In fact, its presence at the U.S. Open was its first real lounge product before its now-famous Chase airport lounges. This year, for the third Open in a row, Chase has brought back its outdoor terrace, where you can watch tennis with a bird’s-eye view of the courts and sip a cocktail in style. Full Story: The Points Guy
Iga Swiatek among stars who say tennis tours ignore players’ health: It’s nothing new for tennis players to worry aloud about their sport’s overcrowded calendar, too-tough season and too-short offseason. Iga Swiatek has joined the chorus of complaints. Full Story: ESPN
Finance brands’ love affair with tennis, explained: The US Open is an “entertainment event with a side of tennis,” one marketer said—making it a golden opportunity to win fans over. Full Story: Marketing Brew
Attractions and Accessories for the Tennis Obsessed: Tennis, everyone? The starchy sport, long the province of country clubs and corporate sponsors, has inspired a whole new creative class. Full Story: The New York Times
Dove and Venus Williams support teen girls in sports with tennis-inspired soap: The limited-edition Beauty Bar can be obtained via a giveaway and is being supported by partnerships with Black Girls Tennis Club and Bras for Girls. Full Story: Marketing Dive
I Wish Tennis Wasn’t So Cool: You can practically taste the ball fuzz in the air. So why am I, a tennis freak, anguished by the sport’s surging popularity? A rising tide lifts all boats, right? As long as it means more playing and more watching tennis, I should be hyped. Full Story: GQ
Does American tennis have a pickleball problem?: Even as the U.S. Open opened this week with more than a million fans expected for the sport’s biggest showcase, the game’s leaders are being forced to confront a devastating fact — the nation’s fastest-growing racket sport (or sport of any kind) is not tennis but pickleball, which has seen participation boom 223% in the past three years.. Full Story: AP News
Tennis players may live 10 years longer. How the sport boosts physical and mental health: The Copenhagen City Heart Study projects that recreational tennis players will live an average of 9.7 years longer than they would have otherwise. Similarly, in a 2020 study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, recreational tennis players who played at least twice a week were less likely to have obesity, felt more energized, and had better overall health. Full Story: Fortune
Why fitness coaches prefer tennis to pickleball: Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, but when it comes to fitness, tennis outshines its younger cousin.. Full Story: Axios
The Paige Lorenze Guide to Being a Tennis WAG: A WAG is a wife and (or) girlfriend of a major sports star. For Tommy Paul, that is Paige Lorenze. Full Story: Interview Magazine
Tennis enters its WAG era: How Morgan Riddle became the sport’s MVP: Morgan Riddle has a busy week ahead of her. As she gets ready to attend her third U.S. Open, the influencer has already hosted a Fenty Beauty event in Chelsea, participated in a panel on tennis and fashion with Sporty & Rich founder Emily Oberg and launched a campaign with Heineken for a zero-proof beer. The main event, however, is cheering on her partner, the tennis player Taylor Fritz who is currently ranked No. 12 in the world in men’s singles. Full Story: Glossy
Tennis Star Taylor Fritz Starts the Day With a ‘Girlie’ Drink: The top-ranked American male player talks about jet lag, Uber Eats and being an Instagram boyfriend. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal
How to smash a tennis racket: Because of the grass being a live surface, players are not allowed to hit it with their rackets. But, within reason and at risk of punishment, it is fair game on hard courts. Full Story: The Athletic
The World’s 39 Most Beautiful Tennis Courts: With exquisite design and picturesque surroundings, you can perfect your strokes on some of the world’s most beautiful tennis courts, located in places like villages, busy streets of bustling cities, the Amalfi Coast in Italy, or high over New York City. Full Story: Architectural Digest
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 8/26-9/8 | The US Open | Grand Slam | New York City |
| 9/2-9/8 | Montreux Nestlé Open | WTA 125 | Switzerland |
| 9/2-9/8 | Guadalajara 125 Open | WTA 125 | Mexico |
