Feature Stories

Claude Okin grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan during the dawn of tennis’ Open Era and the tennis boom that followed in the 1970s and early 1980s. He came from humble means, as both of his parents were teachers. His father was an avid tennis player, playing on outdoor courts across New...Read more

Andy Murray has enjoyed a fantastic tennis career up to this point and is no doubt one of the top three players in the world. Murray led Great Britain to the 2015 Davis Cup championship and brought a Wimbledon championship back to Great Britain when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final,...Read more

Bill de Blasio may be the official Mayor of New York City, but he isn’t the only one who wears that title in the city that never sleeps. Jeffrey Appel is commonly and appropriately referred to as the “Mayor of New York Tennis” because of the relationships and connections he makes and develops...Read more

The reason we as fans love sports so much is because it often times plays as a mirror to life. The ups and downs of an athlete often serve as metaphors for life’s trials and tribulations. That is no more evident than in the story of American Venus Williams. The seven-time Grand Slam champion is one...Read more

Alley Pond Tennis & Sports Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. (718) 264-2600 AlleyPondTennisCenter.com Like us on Instagram: AlleyPondTennisCenter Alley Pond Tennis & Sports Center is a multisport facility. During the winter season, Alley Pond offers tennis on our 11 hard...Read more

Last spring, the Beacon Lady Demons once again reigned supreme as the best team in New York City. The Demons topped McKee Staten Island Tech 3-2 in an excellent city championship. Not only did Beacon win the team championship, a pair of Beacon players, Alexus Gill & Michelle Khaimov, won the...Read more

A Look at the 2015 U.S. Open Men’s and Women’s Draws By Jacob Mishkin On the heels of the final Grand Slam of 2015, the U.S. Open descends upon New York to bring the pageantry and electricity that only the backdrop of NYC can bring. If last year is any indication with the 14th-seeded Marin Cilic...Read more

Not since 1988 has a woman’s player won all four Grand Slams in a calendar year. That year, Steffi Graf dominated the rest of the women’s field, as the 18-year-old won her second career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and proceeded to rattle off titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open...Read more

The year 2015 was supposed to be the year Novak Djokovic captured the lone trophy that has eluded him up to this point in his career, La Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers' Trophy), the Men’s Singles Championship at the French Open. The chips fell into place. With Roger Federer aging and nine-...Read more

When she was eight-years-old, Sabrina Xiong decided to go with her older sister to the Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Xiong, like any little sister, just went because her older sibling was going. But while there, a young Xiong developed a love for tennis...Read more