An eloquent case for best-of-five tennis matches. The USTA has announced that Russian and Belarusian tennis players will compete in the US Open. A new John McEnroe documentary is scheduled for release in September.
The Glory of Five-Set Tennis
Nothing generates headlines that penetrate the at-large world of sports more thoroughly than one of those good, old-fashioned, knock-down, drag-out, best-of-five epics periodically staged by the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and many lesser lights. The recent French Open semifinal between Nadal and Djokovic—a four-hour and 12-minute clash that did not even go the full, five-set distance—is a case in point. When titans clash on a grand scale, people notice. Full Story: tennis.com
U.S. Open Will Allow Russian and Belarusian Tennis Players to Compete
The move leaves Wimbledon as the only Grand Slam tournament to bar Russians and Belarusians in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Full Story: The New York Times
Shapovalov Takes a Stand on Gender Equity
Denis Shapovalov has taken to social media to slam the Queen’s Club Championships to protest gender inequities. “It is ironic that Queen’s Tennis Club is named after a powerful and extraordinary woman and yet women are still discriminated against by not being allowed to train at the club when they need to prepare for Wimbledon,” Shapovalov said. The tournament organizers allow the men who have been eliminated from that tournament to continue to use the facilities courts to prepare for Wimbledon. That same courtesy is not extended to the women. Full Story: Marca
9 Ways the ITF World Tennis Number is Being Used
The new metric is officially a part of ITF tournament acceptance criteria and is being piloted for that same purpose by the USTA. The other 7 ways are basically federations that have made the number available to their members. Full Story: ITF
Billie Jean King and Tory Burch Talk Tennis and Title IX
Tory Burch and the legendary Billie Jean King recently sat down with Vogue to chat about ambition as well as the 50th anniversary of the historic Title IX law which revolutionized women’s sports. The women also discussed their exciting new tennis collaboration. Full Story: Vogue
International Tennis Hall of Fame announces $12 million ‘Tennis Forever’ capital campaign
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is embarking on the public phase of a $12 million capital campaign to enhance connection to the local and global communities served by the organization, and to support preservation of its historic property. The campaign, Tennis Forever, is a nod to the long-range and lasting impact that its initiatives will have on the non-profit organization and those it serves. Full Story: What’s Up News
San Diego asks for national help with debacle over tennis, pickleball court space
San Diego is asking for national help to resolve the battle between pickleball and tennis players, and to decide where each sport should play. “It’s just been an evolving issue regarding facility and activity,” said Jim Brown, a pickleball player. John Broderick, the president of the San Diego District Tennis Association, said “I agree they don’t have a lot of dedicated courts, nobody is saying that they don’t. It’s that trying to take one sport away in order to take over another when that sport is already doing well, that’s why there is a problem.” Full Story: Fox 5
New John McEnroe Documentary
John McEnroe, the subject of director Barney Douglas’ upcoming Showtime documentary “McEnroe,” has always relentlessly pursued perfection. And while this intensity led him to unparalleled glory in tennis, it also yielded personal torment that plagued him, dating all the way back to his childhood. Full Story: Insider Streaming: “McEnroe” will be released Friday, September 2 on Showtime.
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 6/19-25 | Rothesay International Eastbourne | WTA 500 | Eastbourne, Great Britain |
| 6/19-25 | Bad Homburg Open presented by Engel & Voelkers | WTA 250 | Bad Homburg, Germany |
| 6/19-25 | Mallorca Championships | ATP 250 | Mallorca, Spain |
| 6/19-25 | Rothesay International | ATP 250 | Eastbourne, Great Britain |
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