Young American Guns

By Steven Kaplan
The current group of young American men is impressive. You would have to go back to 1977 to find two Americans with junior Grand Slam titles. Today, U.S. tennis has three with Taylor Fritz the current U.S. Open Junior Champion; Tommy Paul, the reigning French Open Junior Champion; and Reilly Opelka...Read more

Fred Hersch Riffs on Tennis

By Steven Kaplan
Jon Wertheim talks with the great jazz pianist and composer Fred Herch on his podcast " Sports Illustrated Tennis Beyond the Baseline " and it's fascinating to hear Mr. Herch parallel tennis and jazz. His first bit of advice is that young pianists, like young tennis players, should learn to "slow...Read more

Alla Kudryavtseva: My 2015 U.S. Open Experience in NYC

By Alla Kudryavtseva
The U.S. Open is the biggest tennis tournament in the world, and because of that, thousands upon thousands of people from all over the world flock to New York for a couple of weeks at the end of the summer. While the tennis is exciting enough, players and fans alike have an opportunity to visit the...Read more

U.S. Open Review: The Top 10 List

By Steven Kaplan
10. The Grounds We bid adieu to the Grandstand, perhaps the best place to watch on the grounds and hello to the completed roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium with no more rain outs. 9. The Heat It was hot and humid with a record 12 first round retirements (16 in total). Many matches were affected and Jack...Read more

Game, Set, Interview?

By Brian Coleman
During her 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sloane Stephens in the first-round of the U.S. Open on Monday, American Coco Vandeweghe was interviewed by ESPN commentator Pam Shriver following the first set. This was unprecedented, and a lot of people on Twitter, including a number of players, voiced their...Read more

Testing the Domination of Serena

By Brian Coleman
Switzerland teenager Belinda Bencic won the biggest title of her career on Sunday, defeating Simona Halep for the Rogers Cup title. But it was her win on Saturday against Serena Williams in the semifinals, which may have had a bigger impact on the WTA landscape and sent ripple effects throughout...Read more

The Curious Case of Nick Kyrgios

By Steven Kaplan
Men's tennis popularity would benefit from the excitement of a new bad boy, but Nick Kyrgios is not yet the man for the job. Kyrgios is too crude, over the top and just not good enough yet to be forgiven by the fans for being a tortured genius. Kyrgios trash-talked Stan Wawrinka during an ATP...Read more

Is Andy Roddick Above the Rules?

By Steven Kaplan
The last American man to win the U.S. Open, Andy Roddick, is making a brief and thrilling comeback teaming with another comeback kid, Mardy Fish. Last week, this duo reunited for an exciting quarterfinal fun in the ATP doubles event in Atlanta. Roddick wants to team with Fish in this year's U.S...Read more

Wimbledon 2015

By Steven Kaplan
Roger Federer brought his "A" game to Wimbledon this year. The "Best Player of All-Time" was brilliant at times, but it was not good enough because Novak Djokovic could be "The Toughest Player of All-Time." While Djokovic played solidly most of the match, he served remarkably well at big moments...Read more

Coco and Kyrgios Add Flare to Wimbledon Tradition

By Brian Coleman
Wimbledon has always been a tournament that prides itself on its tradition and its class. The players all required to wear white, and are referred to as “Gentlemen” and “Ladies”, rather than “Men” and “Women. In the 138 years of the tournament, very little has changed. American Coco Vandeweghe and...Read more

Roehampton

By Steven Kaplan
While savvy local tennis fans know that a visit to the qualifying rounds of the U.S. Open can be more rewarding (and accessible) than the main draw, perhaps the best kept secret in tennis are the qualifying rounds for Wimbledon held at The Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton, just a few...Read more

The Cary Leeds Center

By Steven Kaplan
The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning had its grand opening in Crotona Park last Monday in an economically impoverished area of the South Bronx. It is a testament to the potential of using tennis to encourage education and improve the community. This facility, a labor of love honoring...Read more
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