Year: 2015

  • The 2016 Tennis Expo

    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….

  • 2015 NCAAs

    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….

  • Disruptive Fans in The Big 12

    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

    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…

  • Martin Blackman

    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….

  • What’s Old Is New

    The PowerShares series—a senior circuit which includes Grand Slam Champions Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick and Michael Chang—will be playing matches without linesman aided by a chair umpire, Hawk Eye instant replay and unlimited challenges. Currently, when Hawk Eye is used, players are permitted three incorrect challenges per set prior…