Federer retires and the US Open announces all time records in attendance, viewership, and sales. Serena Williams invokes Tom Brady and teases a potential return.
Roger Federer Announces Retirement From Tennis
Roger Federer, the 20-time major winner whose ruthless artistry defined an era of tennis, announced his retirement on Thursday. “I am 41 years old, I’ve played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years, and tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt,” Federer said in a video on social media, “and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.” Full Story: The Wall Street Journal
Who’s the Best in Men’s Tennis? It Depends on How You Measure
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all have credible claims to be considered the best. Here are a few ways to consider their gaudy stats. Full Story: New York Times
Looking for More Frances Tiafoes
Frances Tiafoe’s rise to the top echelon of tennis is an inspiration, but tennis officials are trying to build a U.S. system that relies less on chance to produce a Black champion. Full Story: New York Times
US Open Sets Records in Attendance, Viewership, Engagement, Sales
For the first time ever Arthur Ashe Stadium (capacity of 23,859) was sold out for every session. The Serena Williams-Ajla Tomljanovich third-round match was the most-watched tennis telecast on record in ESPN’s 43-year history. It averaged 4.6 million viewers and peaked with 6.9 million viewers. Full Story: Racquet Sports Industry
Serena Williams teases return to competitive tennis
on Wednesday, the 23-time grand slam champion said “you never know” to a return to competitive tennis in the future. “I think Tom Brady started a really cool trend, you know … the way he did it,” Williams said on Good Morning America. Full Story: CNN Editorial Note: No, no, no, no, no.
New Arthur Ashe Sports Brand
Rowing Blazer, who launched the Arthur Ashe Sports brand last month, took the rebellious, creative spirit of Ashe—embracing how he played on the court, how he dressed and how he lived his life—and translated it into a collection of retro, sporty designs. Full Story: Golf Digest
Remembering Roger Federer’s “This is SportsCenter” Promo
It was kind of a slow news week with the post US Open hangover, so this week is rounded out with a walk down memory lane of tennis related “This is SportCenter” spots.
It was a running gag, that also once featured Maria Sharapova…
Eventually Sharapova exacted her revenge.
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 9/19-24 | Budapest Open | WTA 125 | Budapest, Hungary |
| 9/19-25 | Hana Bank Korea Open | WTA 250 | Seoul, Korea |
| 9/19-25 | Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis | WTA 500 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 9/19-25 | San Diego Open | ATP 250 | San Diego, California |
| 9/19-25 | Moselle Open | ATP 250 | Metz, France |
