Weekly tennis news from outside the lines features Will Smith spoiling the King Richard moment, more racquet smashing, and a display of sportsmanship.
Will Smith Owned the Williams Sisters’ Story Onscreen. Then He Stole Their Moment.
An Oscar night that should have affirmed Serena and Venus’s rise to stardom instead played out in a way they have seen before — triumph tempered by mixed emotions. Full Story: New York Times
Racket Smashing Gets Out of Hand
Long accepted as an entertaining idiosyncrasy of the sport, the act of hurling one’s racket has led to some close calls, as ball people and chair umpires dodge injury. This article includes a picture of Alexander Zverev’s assault of the umpires chair at the Mexican Open that captures the extent of the violence. Full Story: New York Times This topic was also recently covered on this site in “Tennis Tantrums“
Tennis needs to be a bit more like Nick Kyrgios to thrive (Editorial)
At 26 years old, Kyrgios still feels alien to tennis culture – which remains a starchy combination of cucumber sandwiches and Victorian values. With his braggadocio and his snark, he behaves more like a boxer or a wrestler. And he stands out all the more because everyone else is so determined to conform. Full Story: The Sydney Morning Herald
‘It feels like a movie, but it’s not’: How Ukrainian student-athletes in the U.S. are processing the Russia-Ukraine war
In the weeks since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, the resounding feeling among six Ukrainian NCAA athletes interviewed by ESPN has been one of helplessness. They have attempted to compartmentalize the horrors of war while carrying on their daily lives in the United States. Full Story: ESPN
Boris Becker tells jury he lost Wimbledon trophies
The German former world number one told the court he has sold his properties to help fix his financial situation and he owned “lots” of trophies and memorabilia from his career, but some are now missing. Full Story: BBC
Bethanie Mattek-Sands talks tennis fashion through the years
From the long, flowing skirts of Suzanne Lenglen and others at the turn of the 20th century, to the dawn of women’s professional tennis in the 1970s and the modern creativity of the Williams sisters, Mattek-Sands serves as our guide through tennis’s sartorial history. Full Story: USTA Full Video: YouTube
Tennis Player Sues USTA Over Alleged Sexual Abuse by Coach
A tennis player alleges in a lawsuit against the U.S. Tennis Association that the governing body for the sport failed to protect her from a coach who she says sexually abused her at one of its training centers when she was 19. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
World Tennis Number and ITF Profile
According to an email sent to tennis players with an ITF Pin/Profile, the World Tennis Number was supposed to be integrated with the player profile page last week. It has yet to appear on my ITF Profile, but I am keeping an eye out for it. (No source/link.)
As if we needed another reason to love Carlos Alcarez
In the Miami Open Semi-Finals this week Hubert Hurkacz received an incorrect “not-up” (double bounce) call from the chair umpire. In an act of sportsmanship, Carlos Alcaraz agreed to replay the point. Tennis needs more of this. Source: Tennis TV Tweet
Tennis Celebrates April Fools
Tennis outlets went all out this year with hilarious posts and fake announcements. Check out the Babolat Pure Unbreakable racquet, USTA Sanctioned Triples play, and the US Open Midnight sessions. Full Story: tennis.com
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location (GMT) |
| 4/4-10 | Credit One Charleston Open | WTA 500 | Charleston, USA (GMT -4) |
| 4/4-10 | Copa Colsanitas presentado por Zurich | WTA 250 | Bogota, Columbia (GMT – 5) |
| 4/4-10 | Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship | ATP 250 | Houston, USA (GMT – 5) |
| 4/4-10 | Grand Prix Hassan II | ATP 250 | Marrakech, Morocco (GMT + 0) |
