Billie Jean King is set to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, a historic first for female athletes. The tennis world mourns the loss of legendary coach Robert Lansdorp.
Billie Jean King to Be Awarded Historic Congressional Gold Medal: The bill to award King the Congressional Gold Medal was first introduced one year ago on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes. King is the first individual female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, putting her in a class all her own and giving her another major accolade to go along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom she received in 2009. Full Story: The Bleacher Report
Robert Lansdorp dies at 85: Robert Lansdorp, a longstanding and legendary tennis instructor who coached four players who became No. 1 in the world, has died at the age of 85. Tracy Austin, Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport, and Maria Sharapova collectively won 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Full Story: Tennis
The Nick Kyrgios Saga Exposes One of the Sport’s Central Conflicts: Jon Wertheim’s weekly mailbag addressed recent disparaging comments from the Australian player-turned-broadcaster. In the same way he has self-sabotaged his playing career, his lack of discipline and impulse control have already undermined a potentially bright broadcasting career. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
Tennis Is a Solo Sport, but Players Learn That Team Competition Is Thrilling: The Laver Cup pits Europe against the rest of the world, and players love being picked for one of its teams. Full Story: The New York Times Editorial Note: Most Laver Cup players skipped the World group stage of Davis Cup competition because they love team tennis? Got it.
Carlos Alcaraz Says Overcrowded Tennis Calendar ‘Going to Kill Us’: The budding face of the game spoke frankly about the sport’s schedule. Full Story: Sports Illustrated Editorial Note: Alcaraz made these comments at the Laver Cup, but at least he played the Davis Cup Tie for Spain the previous week.
The ITA and PlayReplay To Pilot Electronic Line Calling At Select Events During the 2024-25 College Tennis Season: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and PlayReplay, Inc. have announced an agreement to pilot test an Electronic Line Calling (ELC) pilot program for college tennis. The system will be used at five events. Full Story: ITA
Tennis Social AI V1 Tennis Simulator available for pre-order: The setup for Tennis Social includes a large simulator screen, like indoor golf, but with a cutout for a machine to fire tennis balls at varying speeds, spins and side-to-sides. Optical tracking cameras follow the ball’s path, to provide feedback on where a shot hits the screen — such as giving points for hitting a gamified target. The AI software will generate social games that also help players improve their skills. Full Story: Sports Business Journal
The Most Stylish Man in Tennis Is Here to Make a Statement: Frances Tiafoe, known for his maximalist style on and off the court, thinks men’s tennis fashion is just getting started. Full Story: Harper’s Bazaar
USPTA Changes Name and Expands Mission: The organization is now the “Racquet Sports Professionals Association,” or RSPA. The announcement was made by CEO Brian Dillman at the opening session of the organization’s annual conference. The mission has been expanded to include all racquet sports, including pickleball and padel, which are both represented on the organization’s new logo. Full Story: Tennis Industry Magazine
Pickleballers vs. tennis players: Battle for court space heats up in Hawaii: Yet another debate over an apparent supply and demand imbalance at a busy park. It’s pickleballers versus tennis players vying for court space, and they both say there are long waits to play. Full Story: Hawaii News Now
Montgomery Taxpayers Question Their Lack of Access to High School Tennis Courts, After School Hours: Montgomery Township residents who were accustomed to having public access to the high school tennis courts were greeted with a lock-and-chain this summer with no explanation — just a sign advising them to use the tennis courts elsewhere. Full Story: The Montgomery News
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 9/25-10/6 | China Open | WTA 1000 | China |
| 9/26-10/2 | China Open | ATP 500 | China |
| 9/25-10/1 | Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships | ATP 500 | Japan |
