Ostapenko has one of the craziest head to head stats in women’s tennis. Beating #2 ranked player in the world in all their first six meetings. The first time both players faced each other was in 2019 in Birmingham; the result very one-sided. 6-0 6-2 for Jelena. They met again at Indian wells in 2021 …
Continue reading Jelena Ostapenko beats Iga Swiatek for the sixth time
More tennis players continue to transition into pickleball
Aryna Sabalenka plays her best tennis when it matters most, yet when it seems like she has sort of an “open draw” she flops. Not too long ago, she was struggling with her serve. It wasn’t her opponents’ powerful groundstrokes, or their lack of unforced errors. No. It was her own game looting her down …
Continue reading Aryna Sabalenka vs Aryna Sabalenka: When being your own enemy becomes a reality
Not only did she reach the Roland Garros final, but she backed up that incredible accomplishment by also reaching the Wimbledon final. There have been many cases where Roland Garros finalists and even champions find the transition to grass really difficult and tend to lose in the early rounds of the third Grand Slam of …
Continue reading Paolini’s year sealed with gold: A year to remember for Italian tennis
This match started nothing like their last confrontation at Wimbledon, where Alcaraz was clearly dominating every game. That final wasn't even close. Djokovic got close to winning the third set but came up short. This time, with a gold medal at stake, Djokovic is playing a much more consistent game. Both playing at really high …
The WTA has been urging for an intense rivalry. The kind of that has existed on the men’s side for years. The Big 3 rivalry has elevated the sport for more than a decade. They have challenged each other to improve their game even more. The weekly battle for titles has kept them at the …
Continue reading Swiatek & Sabalenka: The rivalry we all knew we needed
Ben Shelton was almost forced to go pro after his accelerated success which included a victory over(at the time) the #5 ranked player in the world, Casper Ruud.The following months, he achieved many milestones. For example, being the youngest player in history to win three Challenger titles in three straight weeks. He reached the top …
I believe that in no other sport the fans and the media are so hard on players. I understand if a soccer player poorly performs at the final of an international competition or if a quarterback is not able to complete passes in a Superbowl game. But many of these great achievements always remain next …
Continue reading One-time wonders: Achieving the unachievable
There are certain players that you know will have a breakthrough at some point. You can almost visualize them winning big tournaments and getting to the top of the rankings. For me, that was not the case with Caroline Garcia. She is the player that I saw getting maybe a couple of early-round victories at …
Players’ careers are full of highs and lows, even for top-ranked players. Nadal, for example, has had to face injuries and surgeries just to keep playing the sport he loves so much. Amanda Anisimova has faced a lot of things at such a young age in and out of the court. Once a French Open …
The Politics of Tennis 