The drama surrounding Halep’s doping offence magnified this week as the two-time Grand Slam Champion was hit with a second offense. A rare victory for tennis over pickleball. A Fishy story from Tennis Australia.
Simona Halep charged with additional doping offense: Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been accused of a second doping offense by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport. The charge announced Friday “is separate and in addition to” the provisional suspension Halep received last year. Full Story: ESPN
Even as He’s Out, Rafael Nadal Will Always Be a Part of the French Open: Nadal’s reign in Paris — full of flexed biceps, forehand winners and underrated court craft — is one of the great achievements in any sport. Full Story: The New York Times
Djokovic takes issue with Norrie at Italian Open: ‘Not fair play’: Novak Djokovic took issue with Cameron Norrie at the Italian Open this week. Norrie hit him in the left calf with an overhead smash after Djokovic had already turned his back and conceded a point. Djokovic also took issue with how his British opponent took a medical time out just before he served out the match. Full Story: AP
The Not-So-Genteel Side of Tennis Is in the College Playoffs: The college version of this supposedly genteel sport — especially the competition that unfolds in the final segment of the N.C.A.A. championships — is where tennis morphs into something more like the spectacle of pro wrestling. Full Story: The New York Times
Schedule Announced for 2023 Hopman Cup: A total of six teams are competing in the 2023 edition of the event – including a French team consisting of Alize Cornet and Richard Gasquet, and a Spanish team featuring world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and Paula Badosa. The event will expand to eight teams from 2025 onwards. Full Story: ITF
Tennis Data Innovations & Champion Data Join Forces: Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) has engaged Champion Data to develop the Tennis Sport Data Platform (TSDP), a critical piece of its technology framework set to transform the way tennis data is collected, analysed and consumed. Full Story: ATP
Tennis Elbow Is a Real Pain. Here’s How to Treat It: The painful condition isn’t just caused by racket swings, and can sideline you from activity. But a few simple tips can get you back into the game. Full Story: The New York Times
Notes from Prince Harry’s Ghostwriter: J. R. Moehringer also ghost wrote “Open” by Andre Agassi and he talks about it in this essay. Full Story: The New Yorker
Darien tennis players won’t have to share court space with pickleball players: The Darien Parks and Recreation commission considered adding both tennis and pickleball lines to the three unfinished tennis courts at Cherry Lawn Park, ultimately voting against the hybrid courts 6-1 during its May 17 meeting. Two of the biggest reasons for the decision were capacity concerns and the threat to high school tennis teams. Full Story: The Darien Times (Connecticut)
Pickleball Kits Available for Check Out from St Louis Library Out: St. Louis County Library will offer Pickleball Kits for check out starting May 15. Anyone with a valid library card for that system can check out a kit. Each kit contains a set of 4 graphite pickleball paddles, 4 balls (two for indoor and two for outdoor play), and a carrying case. The kits can be checked out for 21 days. Full Story: St Louis County Library
A Fishy Tale from Australia: Judy Curran has arguably the most random tale to tell. Curran, who turns 88 next month, was hit by a fish (yes, a fish!) mid-match last week. “We were just finishing a set at around 11 o’clock last Tuesday morning when I heard a bit of commotion and next thing I know, I got hit by a fish,” Curran said. Full Story: Tennis Australia
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 5/21-27 | Internationaux de Strasbourg | WTA 250 | Strasbourg, France |
| 5/21-27 | Grand Prix Son Altesse Royale La Princesse Lalla Meryem | WTA 250 | Rabat, Morocco |
| 5/21-27 | Gonet Geneva Open | ATP 250 | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 5/21-27 | Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon | ATP 250 | Lyon, France |
