Aryna Sabalenka typically has things more under control, even on clay. For a while there, it seemed that Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek would divide the spoils. Sabalenka would dominate on hard courts, and Iga would continue her reign on clay. At the moment, Aryna is taking it all. She has held the number one…

The pair earned their way to Paris. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday May 5, 2025 Iva Jovic and Emilio Nava have earned their way into Roland-Garros. The USTA announced that the pair have won the Roland-Garros wild card challenge. They competed in clay court tournaments across continents, with the players picking up the…

Tennis icon Venus Williams is set to make a high-profile return to the spotlight this spring—this time behind the microphone. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will join the TNT Sports broadcast team for coverage of the 2025 Roland Garros tournament in Paris, beginning May 25. At 44, Williams brings decades of elite tennis experience…

Life has a way of surprising us. When Naomi Osaka entered the WTA 125 tournament in Saint-Malo, it was widely seen as a step down. After all, it was her first event at such a low level since 2015, when she was still a teenage up-and-comer ranked outside the Top 200. But what looked like…

The Norwegian waited a long time for this moment. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday May 4, 2025 Losing big matches, time after time, can take a toll on a player’s psyche. Credit Casper Ruud for never letting that happen to him. Prior to Sunday’s triumph in Madrid, where he won his maiden Masters…

The Japanese dropped down a level to build up her confidence, and came away with a title. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday May 4, 2025 Naomi Osaka made the decision to drop down to a lower-level tournament in Saint-Malo, France this week, and she was rewarded with her first trophy lift since 2021.…

The World No.1 is happy to be fulfilling her promise, and wants to expand her empire to Paris. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday May 4, 2025 Another title in Madrid has once again caused pundits to wonder if this is the year that Aryna Sabalenka can parlay her success in the Spanish capital…

The 21-year-old was the youngest women’s singles finalist in Madrid in 16 years. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday May 4, 2025 Coco Gauff had won eight consecutive WTA finals, and 10 of 11, prior to Saturday’s loss against Aryna Sabalenka. The reason for her success in high-stakes title matches? “I hate losing a…

Slovakian tennis star Anna Karolina Schmiedlova has revealed she is expecting her first child with her partner, fellow professional player Lukas Klein. The three-time WTA titlist and Olympic semifinalist shared the joyful news with her followers on Instagram, offering an explanation for her absence from the tour since February. “Hello, I just wanted to let…

Paula Badosa, Spain’s top tennis player, has made a confession that no fan wanted to hear: she will retire early. Not because she wants to, but because her body is forcing her to. In an emotional, soul-baring interview with Eurosport before leaving Madrid, the 27-year-old revealed the full extent of her chronic back injury —…

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka claimed her third Madrid Open title with a 6-3 7-6(3) victory over Coco Gauff in Saturday’s final, marking her 20th career title. This victory adds to her impressive history in the Spanish capital, having won the tournament in 2021 and 2023, and coming back from being last year’s runner-up. The…

New world No. 5 Jack Draper will face two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud for the Madridchampionship on Sunday. Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open Facebook Madrid will crown a new clay king on Sunday. New world No. 5 Jack Draper stopped Monte-Carlo finalist Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6(4) charging into his first clay-court final at the…

Francisco Cerundolo at Wimbledon in 2022. Credit: Jmmuguerza I remain mildly obsessed with Francisco Cerundolo’s second-serve stats. It started when I was writing about Jakub Mensik last month. Mensik is one of the worst players on tour at winning points when opponents return his second serve. Cerundolo is the best. This graph compares points won…

Coco Gauff delivered a stunning performance to dismantle defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-1 6-1 in the semifinals of the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open, handing the world No. 2 one of the heaviest defeats of her career on clay. Coming into the match, Swiatek led their head-to-head 11–3 and had long been a dominant force on…

The Italian will join the Top-10 next week. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday May 1, 2025 Lorenzo Musetti has been playing eye-catching tennis ever since he hit the tour in 2020. Next week, he’ll do it as a member of the ATP’s Top-10. Musetti’s 6-4, 6-2 beatdown of Alex de Minaur sent the…

Madison Keys opened her quarterfinal clash at the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open with a bang—serving Iga Swiatek her first bagel in nearly four years. But instead of derailing the defending champion, the stunning 0-6 first set only served to ignite her comeback fire. Swiatek regrouped, reset, and roared back with a 0-6 6-3 6-2 victory,…

New Tennis Channel CEO hopes to bring his experience working on many Amazon ventures. By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Photo credit: Tennis Channel Jeff Blackburn, an experienced tech executive with a passion for tennis, is set to lead Tennis Channel. Blackburn, a former top Amazon executive, was announced as the new…