The last American man to win the U.S. Open, Andy Roddick is making a brief and thrilling comeback teaming with another comeback kid, Mardy Fish. Last week, this duo reunited for an exciting quarterfinal fun in the ATP doubles event in Atlanta. Roddick wants to team with Fish in this year's U.S. Open for one…
Roger Federer brought his "A" game to Wimbledon this year. The "Best Player of All-Time" was brilliant at times, but it was not good enough because Novak Djokovic could be "The Toughest Player of All-Time." While Djokovic played solidly most of the match, he served remarkably well at big moments while teetering on the brink,…
While savvy local tennis fans know that a visit to the qualifying rounds of the U.S. Open can be more rewarding (and accessible) than the main draw, perhaps the best kept secret in tennis are the qualifying rounds for Wimbledon held at The Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton, just a few miles from…
The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning had its grand opening in Crotona Park last Monday in an economically impoverished area of the South Bronx. It is a testament to the potential of using tennis to encourage education and improve the community. This facility, a labor of love honoring former tennis professional and Yale star,…
I watched Serena Williams nearly meltdown against the world's number 104 Anna-Lena Friedsam in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win at the French Open. It’s the hallmark of a true champion to play poorly and still survive, and Serena is an all-time great player who will get stronger as the tournament goes on. I wouldn't bet…
For the last two springs, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has hosted the biggest grassroots tennis event in the country. This event matches our country’s premier facility, named after a tennis pioneer who loves grassroots tennis, with a free event that has something for everyone. I cannot imagine a more perfect fit….
My last blog focused on the strange and sad attempt to make college tennis more fan-friendly, and by doing so, making the sport less player-friendly. As a junior coach, I see the importance of this issue firsthand because the desire to one day play college tennis is a cornerstone motivation of many juniors’ tennis experience….
The Big 12 Athletic Conference is permitting spectators to engage in "non-abusive disruptions" during its tennis matches in a effort to be more fan-friendly. The Conference is encouraging spectators to become loud and boisterous during points, and supporters of this initiative say that tennis needs to break with tradition and encourage more spectator involvement to…
Sania Mirza is now the world's number one ranked doubles player, and that is a remarkable achievement. To put this accomplishment in perspective, consider that Mirza is the first female from India ranked number one in the world in any professional sport and no Indian woman had been ranked in the top 100 before Sania Mirza (she reached…
Arthur Ashe once called Martin Blackman "The next great American champion." Things did not work out as expected for Blackman, as his top junior career did not translate to success on the ATP Tour. Blackman had a short stint on the Tour and was ranked as high as 158th in the world at one point….