Headlines this week include a new French Open ban on alcohol in the stands, a cultural resurgence for tennis, and thoughtful insight from the sport’s top players.
French Open bans alcohol in stands after fan incidents: Spectators will not be allowed to drink alcohol in the stands at Roland Garros after crowd trouble during the opening rounds of the French Open. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo addressed the crackdown on fan behavior Thursday after both David Goffin and Iga Swiatek had issues with spectators during their matches. Full Story: ESPN
Tennis crowds and etiquette: How should fans behave and how should players react? After a series of pressure-cooker clashes in the early rounds, tennis players and fans are being forced to re-engage with the current rules of the game. At its best, tennis is a sport that inspires uncontrollable emotions, from awe and ecstasy to desolation and pain. Fans going through those emotions are expected not to show them — at least until a point is over — and even then, not to show them too much. Full Story: The New York Times
Fashion, film, and TikTok: Tennis is experiencing a resurgence: The sport is surging globally, with its biggest names fronting luxe fashion campaigns from Louis Vuitton to Loewe and stars gracing the cover of Vogue. Of course, there’s a TikTok angle, with the rise of #tenniscore videos garnering tens of millions of views, and yes, even that buzzy film, which was number one at the box office in its debut weekend. To top it off ESPN chose Serena Williams to host this year’s ESPY Awards. Full Story: CNN
Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka: How to be tennis world No 1: Both have wrestled with the idea that being the world’s top tennis player is more than just a sports calibration. It brings fame, wealth and privileges, but also obligations and responsibilities that make anyone who holds the title search for the right way to exist as the world No 1. As tennis enters a transitional moment, emerging from two decades of cross-cultural gold dust largely sprinkled by three men and two sisters, the question of not just which player dominates camera lenses and microphones, but how she should do it is coming into view once more. The answers, like the game itself, are never easy. Full Story: The New York Times
How Rafael Nadal broke tennis math: Nadal will retire in the coming days, weeks or months. He has committed to playing in the Laver Cup this fall. He has suggested he is hoping to participate in the Paris Olympics this summer in some capacity. We don’t know where the end will come, exactly, but for every tournament he enters, he’s almost certainly doing so for the last time. Full Story: ESPN
When Age Catches Up to a Tennis Player: Some players still scuffle along in reduced circumstances, far lower in the rankings than during their halcyon days. These old men of the court — all 34 to 39 years old — win a few matches here and there without much chance of regaining their former glory, yet they keep grinding. Full Story: New York Times
‘The Inner Game of Tennis’ Turns 50’: Were there a Shelf of Fame for sports books, “The Inner Game of Tennis” would occupy a prominent slot. W. Timothy Gallwey’s handbook has been holy writ for generations of hackers and better players as well. Now it’s been reissued in a special 50th-anniversary edition as sleek as a Roger Federer backhand up the line. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal
Naomi Osaka has more going on than tennis at the French Open: Her daughter is learning to walk: The big news in Naomi Osaka’s life has nothing to do with the French Open or clay-court tennis: Her 10-month-old daughter, Shai, is taking her first steps. Full Story: AP
Why one writer is covering tennis for The Athletic: Telling the stories is a reminder of how special a sport tennis is to cover. Full Story: The Athletic
Youth sports at its worst: Tennis, anyone: Youth tennis, the Thunderdome of youth sports, where adolescents and younger are expected to enforce the rules themselves and parents’ behavior makes Fight Club look like choir practice. Full Story: Jacksonville Journal-Courier
Alizé Cornet’s parting words as she bids au revoir to tennis: “Roland, you have seen me take my first steps, grow, win, lose, curse, fire myself up, but above all, leave your court with nothing left to give. You have brought me tears of joy, stress and despair. But all too rarely have you brought me peace of mind. You’re far too intense for that. And so am I.” Full Story: WTA
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 5/26-6/9 | The French Open | Grand Slam | Paris |
| 6/3-9 | Open delle Puglie | WTA 125 | Italy |
| 6/4-9 | Makarska Open | WTA 125 | Croatia |
