The US Open is over, but several of its biggest stories continue into this week. Players have called a truce in their Grand Slam prize-money dispute, ESPN recorded its largest US Open men’s final audience, and the WTA announced a significant move to Charlotte.
World’s top tennis players call truce in prize-money battle with grand slams: In a statement released after the men’s US Open final on Sunday the players announced they would stop their 18-month campaign of agitating against the grand slam tournaments, which culminated in a media boycott at the French Open this year. Full Story: The Guardian
ESPN Sets Record With Its Most-Watched Men’s Championship Ever: The US Open Men’s Championship match between Ben Shelton and eventual champion Alexander Zverev attracted an average audience of 3.2M viewers on ABC, the largest viewership on record since ESPN began televising the tournament in 2009.Full Story: Racquet Sports Industry
Ben Shelton’s tennis gifts made him a contender. To become a champion, he has more to unwrap: Mental lapses. Sub-par returning. Poor point construction on break points in his favor. Those are three large reasons why Shelton has had a mixed bag of a year. He has captured four titles, the most he has ever won in a single season, but he has also endured several early-round exits at the big-time tournaments, including two of the first three Grand Slams. Full Story: The Athletic
The Tennis Community Takes Sides on Alexander Zverev’s US Open Ball Bouncing: German player Alexander Zverev won the US Open. However, his propensity to bounce the ball so many times over for each serve has drawn criticism and commentary from the tennis community. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
A Cloud Hangs Over Alexander Zverev’s Breakout Season: The sport still doesn’t know how to handle the two-time major winner and the allegations made against him. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
WTA Finals moving to an NBA arena next year as tennis tour seeks ‘Super Bowl for women’s sports’: The WTA Finals, the elite season-ending event in women’s tennis, will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the next three years in a move that organizers hope will create “the Super Bowl for women’s sports.” The tournament will be played at the Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, the WTA and the Charlotte Sports Foundation announced Wednesday. Full Story: AP News
Charlotte just made a major tennis move: The Women’s Tennis Association is moving its corporate headquarters to Charlotte, in addition to hosting the annual WTA Finals there for the next three years. Full Story: Axios
Patrick McEnroe urges Congress to cap foreign recruits, protect American student-athletes: The former Davis Cup captain testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce this week. Full Story: Fox News
Wheelchair tennis celebrates 50 years and a new wave of popularity: Acceptance was built one match at a time. Full Story: PBS
Venus Williams’s Crate & Barrel Collection: Tennis fans can have a piece of Venus Williams’s interior design vision in their own homes, courtesy of her new furniture and decor collection with Crate & Barrel and Crate & Kids. Full Story: Vogue
USTA announces recipients of inaugural 35 x 35 President’s Impact Award: The USTA honored the recipients of the inaugural 35 x 35 President’s Impact Award, recognizing individuals and organizations across the country for their contributions to the growth of tennis. Full Story: USTA Editorial Note: Including this since I wrote about 35 by’35 over the weekend. I know quite a few of the people who received this honor and most are well-deserved. However, I see evidence in the list that my worst fears of this initiative are coming to fruition.
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 9/22-27 | Billie Jean King Cup Finals | ITF | China |
| 9/21-27 | Singapore Tennis Open | WTA 500 | Singapore |
| 9/21-27 | Korea Open | WTA 250 | Korea |
| 9/23-29 | Chengdu Open | ATP 250 | China |
| 9/23-29 | Hangzhou Open | ATP 250 | China |
| 9/25-27 | Laver Cup | Exhibition | Great Britain |
