The Madrid Open is in the news over the treatment of women players, and the Italian Open is criticized for not moving to equalize pay fast enough. Judy Murray releases a debut novel.
Madrid Open organizers apologize following criticism over treatment of women tennis stars: “Not giving our women’s doubles finalists the chance to address their fans at the end of the match was unacceptable and we have apologised directly to Victoria, Beatriz, Coco and Jessica. We are working internally and with the WTA to review our protocols and are committed to improving our process moving forward. We made a mistake and this will not ever happen again.” Full Story: CNN
The Same Work but a Lot Less Pay for Women. Welcome to Tennis in 2023.: At the Italian Open, women will compete for less than half as much money as the men. Organizers say they intend to fix that, but not for two years. Full Story: The New York Times
Embracing new experiences, Townsend challenges tennis to do the same: Venturing beyond her comfort zone this season, Taylor Townsend has not only set personal goals on the court but is also on a mission to make tennis universally accessible. Full Story: WTA
Naomi Osaka Claps Back at Critics Doubting Her Tennis Future After Pregnancy: Naomi Osaka plans to return to tennis and revealed in a recent interview that she is more concerned about the opportunity and “dream” of playing in front of her future child than playing in front of “millions of spectators.”. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
USTA Names Liz McSorley Managing Director–Strategy and Innovation: The USTA has named Liz McSorley, a seasoned management consultant and executive leader, as the organization’s Managing Director, Strategy and Innovation. Aligned with the USTA’s mission to grow tennis at the community level, this position will work to develop and execute strategic priorities for the Community Tennis organization. In addition, McSorley will be responsible for unifying efforts across digital products, programs, marketing, research, and innovation to fuel the growth of tennis and maximize the retention of tennis players across all play levels. Full Story: Racquet Sports Industry
Western & Southern tennis tournament’s potential move will have an economic impact: The new owner of the Western & Southern is considering relocating the event. Ben Navarro and his company Beemok Capital purchased the competition for an undisclosed amount last year. Full Story: Springfield News-Sun
Judy Murray lobs gritty tennis truths into her debut novel: The book is the next step in Murray’s transformation in the public eye from being called the “tiger mother” of Andy, 35, and Jamie, 37, to an outspoken, fully minted feminist icon: the highest profile female coach in tennis working among teams of men, a self-proclaimed “white-hot blonde” who is nonplussed about dating, learned to cook at 60 and is often the only woman on the Gleneagles golf course. Full Story: The Times (UK)
It’s Tennis vs. Pickleball vs. Padel. Or Is It?: Tennis participation has indeed continued to grow in the United States after years of stagnation and was up to 23.6 million players over the age of 6 in 2022, according to a report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Pickleball, once a regional oddity with a quirky name, is booming and not just among the gray-haired set as it continues to expand its reach into schools. It had 8.9 million players in 2022 according to the organization — way up from 4.8 million in 2021 — with other studies showing significantly higher numbers. Full Story: The New York Times
Lucky Loser: Explaining The Greatest Term In Tennis: Typically you call someone a loser at your own peril. But in tennis, when a player is told by tournament officials that he is a ‘lucky loser’, those two words are music to his ears. A lucky loser is a player who lost in the qualifying rounds but later was given passage into the main draw following a player’s withdrawal from the main draw, typically due to illness or injury. Full Story: ATP
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 5/9-20 | Internazionali BNL d’Italia | ATP 1000 WTA 1000 | Rome, Italy |
| 5/15-21 | Trophée Clarins | WTA 125 | Paris, France |
| 5/15-21 | Firenze Ladies Open | WTA 125 | Florence, Italy |
