First Ball Forehand is your hub for all things ATP Tour. From tournament previews and results to player rankings and news, stay updated on the latest in men’s professional tennis. Want to elevate your game? Check out myAI Tennis Coach and my book Stop Losing!.

Best Tennis Couples If tennis gave out trophies for vibes, this list would be the Hall of Fame. Tennis couples have always brought the sport a blend of charm, chaos, romance, longevity, and occasionally “did that really happen?” energy. But which couples would you actually want to hang out with? Which pairs would make the…

Serena Williams GOAT Case Serena Williams isn’t just a legend because of her resume — she’s the definition of dominance in every way tennis can be judged. You can dig into Grand Slam counts, weeks at No. 1, or win-loss records — and they’re all towering, yes. But what really cements Serena as the GOAT…

Taylor Fritz Tommy Paul 2026 Breakthrough If you’re a fan of American men’s tennis, you’ve probably spent the last two seasons saying the same thing: “It’s coming… right?” Because for Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul—both perched inside the world’s elite and yet still one tier below major glory—2026 isn’t just another season. It’s the season.…

Emma and Leylah Breakout Case For the first time since their electric clash in the 2021 US Open final, Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez head into a season not as teenagers, not as mysteries, not as “what ifs”—but as fully formed, battle-tested 23-year-olds moving in the right direction at the same time. It took longer…

Federer GOAT Debate If you measure greatness strictly by trophies, weeks at No.1, and head-to-head tallies, the record books point firmly toward Novak Djokovic. Nadal owns clay like no one else. Djokovic owns the spreadsheet. But Federer? Roger Federer owns everything you can’t count on a stat sheet. So what if you built your GOAT…

WTA players most likely to break out in 2026 The WTA Tour’s next breakthrough wave is already here — and unlike distant prospects, these players are on the brink. With Victoria Mboko (rank 18), Alexandra Eala (rank 50) and Iva Jovic (rank 35) all posting career-high rankings in 2025, they aren’t “rising stars” in the…

ATP players most likely to break out in 2026 The ATP youth surge didn’t just arrive in 2025—it rewired expectations for what rising players can accomplish before turning 21. With João Fonseca, Learner Tien, and Arthur Fils all finishing the season inside the top 40, the “breakout” conversation isn’t about potential anymore. It’s about who…

The Biggest Surprises of the 2025 WTA Season If 2025 felt chaotic on the WTA side, that’s because it was—but the best kind of chaos, the kind where careers pivot, new stars emerge, and old narratives get shredded. The tour has rarely been deeper, and this season gave us several plot twists that no preseason…

WTA women’s tennis 2025 year in review If you like chaos with your champagne, the WTA served up a vintage 2025. Five different women lifted the four Grand Slam trophies and the WTA Finals, and Aryna Sabalenka somehow still walked away as year-end No. 1—again. The year felt less like one dominant queen and more…

ATP men’s tennis 2025 year in review If you like your tennis with a side of drama, 2025 delivered a five-course tasting menu. We got a full-season duel between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, four Slam finals split between them, a Wimbledon breakthrough, a Roland Garros epic people are already calling “match of the decade,”…