An independent review panel tasked with evaluating corruption and match fixing in professional tennis, mostly in the lower levels of the sport, has finally released a report that essentially says there is a whole lot of corruption and match-fixing in professionl tennis, mostly in the lower levels of the sport. But…
American tennis player Madison Brengle filed a lawsuit against the WTA and ITF yesterday in Florida’s Manatee County Court, in which she claims the organizations ignored her medical condition that causes her to suffer “physical and emotional consequences” from regular doping tests that draw blood using a needle in…
Sloane Stephens is in her first final, at the Miami Open, since winning the U.S. Open last summer. That’s especially significant, considering this tournament is the first time she’s strung together more than two wins in a row since that grand slam victory. (She won two and only two rounds at Acapulco as the No. 1…
Tennis players do press constantly; it’s part of their job. They field questions about all the unforced errors on their forehand, why their first serve was so effective, or what does it feel like to pull off an upset like this, and they generally give tame and compact answers. So the journalists can write off of a…
On Thursday at Indian Wells, Serena Williams will play her first tour event in more than a year. Is she ready? Yesterday in an interview with the BBC, Williams heaved a sigh and answered:
Nearly five years after winning Wimbledon in 2013 and announcing her retirement, Marion Bartoli—whose drastic weight loss last year sparked concern and social media bullying—is returning to professional tennis. She announced her comeback last month, and in an interview with L’Equipe published yesterday, she discussed…
The coaching carousel in pro tennis has been picking up speed for years, but the frequent turnover generally involves low-drama transactions—a player fell a few spots in the rankings and wants to change tracks, for example. But this week, world No. 25 Barbora Strýcová accused her countrywoman and world No. 3 Karolina…
Returning from a 15-month doping ban, Maria Sharapova faced some harsh critics, but none harsher than fellow WTA player Eugenie Bouchard, who suggested that she never should have been allowed back at all:
Maria Sharapova is set to return to competition on Wednesday at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart after receiving a wild card entry to the tournament. It will be her first tournament since she was banned from tennis for 15 months after testing positive for a banned substance last January. While the manner of her…
Following a two-year ban for doping, which was reduced to 15 months on appeal, Maria Sharapova is set to return to competition next week after she received a wild-card entry in Stuttgart. She was also given wild cards to Madrid and Rome. A handful of prominent players have questioned Sharapova receiving wild cards,…
Venus Williams defeated world No. 1 Angelique Kerber in straight sets last night to advance to the semifinals of the Miami Open. By downing Kerber, the 36-year-old became the oldest player to defeat a world No. 1, but she has no desire to rest on that accomplishment.
It’s only March and the French Open isn’t until the end of May, but there’s reason to wonder (or in my case, as a devoted Serena disciple, worry) if Serena Williams will be ready to win the next grand slam of the year. She hasn’t played a competitive match since her Australian Open win and she announced Monday that…
Sachia Vickery (ranked No. 135) and Elise Mertens (ranked No. 127) are set to play qualifiers later this week to try and earn slots in the main draw of the Australian Open. That’s a Grand Slam, a far more alluring attraction than the Hobart International, where these two met in the second round yesterday. What do…
Raymond Moore is the CEO of Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is currently hosting the BNP Paribas Open. While talking to reporters today ahead of today’s men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Milos Raonic, he called the WTA a bunch of lucky coattail-ridin’ dummies who have the men to thank for their continued…
In an effort to address the sport's most overheated and overrated controversy, the Women's Tennis Association is introducing some sort of preposterous grunt-o-meter. Here's USA Today's Doug Robson on what the WTA will be rolling out:
"I think that it's asking too much of the women. They shouldn't be playing as many events as the men...You shouldn't push them to play more than they're capable of." Also, mouthy broads talking about shopping, etc. [NYDN]
Young tennis phenom Laura Robson has caused a small stir with a recent interview where she says that some of her fellow players are "sluts" who "go with every guy." Yeah, we're going to need some more information here.
Lately, there's been much clamoring around the internet about tennis steamstress Ashley Harkleroad's upcoming Playboy spread this month. With good reason, of course. Based on her recent ESPN the Mag interview about the shoot, she seems affable, confident, and very into herself: