As the tour transitions from clay to grass, one story towers above all others: Serena Williams is back. Her return headlines a week that also explores some of tennis’ most enduring themes, from integrity and mental resilience to community, history, and the unique culture that surrounds the sport.
Celebrating the return of Serena Williams to global tennis stage: The American tennis legend, who was a month shy of her 41st birthday when she said goodbye, plans to restart her iconic career at next week’s HSBC Championships, a WTA 500 event staged at the Queen’s Club in London. Serena Williams has been awarded a wild card to play doubles. Full Story: WTA
The Secret Is Out: Serena Is Coming Back to Tennis: Tennis legend and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams has confirmed what some of us have either known or suspected for a while now: that she is indeed, after four years away from it, coming back to play pro tennis—at least at Queens, the famed grass-court Wimbledon warm-up tournament in London, where she will play doubles with Victoria Mboko. Full Story: Vogue
Tennis player fined $65,000 after saying female umpire not strong enough for French Open match: Tennis player Adolfo Daniel Vallejo has been fined $65,000 for saying that his French Open loss against 17-year-old Moïse Kouame should have been umpired by a man, as women find working with a demanding crowd “very difficult.” The fine is one of the largest in tournament history and amounts to half of his prize money. Full Story: The Athletic
Match fixing in tennis: How gangs use threats and violence to prey on lower-ranked players with everything to lose: Tennis is highly vulnerable to match-fixing. According to an unnamed integrity expert, “football is the most high-profile, but tennis is where it is most endemic.” Cases generally involve lower-ranked players, who live a hand-to-mouth existence during their years on tour. Full Story: The Athletic
2026 NAITA National Championships celebrated 50 years of tennis, community and heritage: Members of more than 20 Native American tribes gathered in Tulsa, Okla., for the North American Indian Tennis Association (NAITA) National Championships. This year marked the 50th year of the cultural gathering and tennis tournament. NAITA National Championships brought together more than 100 athletes for singles, doubles and mixed doubles competition. Full Story: USTA
Pope Leo plays tennis religiously as part of an Augustinian devotion to sports and spirituality: Pope Leo sets aside time in his busy schedule to play tennis every week as part of his Augustinian devotion to physical activity and spirituality. The Rule of St. Augustine, an ancient guide for religious life, highlights the value of good habits. Full Story: AP
Park Service officials raised alarms over Trump administration’s tennis center plan: Documents suggest the government steered a parkland lease for the Rock Creek Tennis Center through an unusually fast process that favored a businessman with a financial interest in the site. The site is where the DC Open is played. Full Story: Washington Post
How tennis players manage nerves and intrusive thoughts: Overthinking is one way tennis players experience nerves. They also describe wanting to throw up, hands shaking, upper body tensing, shoulders rising. These responses bleed into their tennis. Their reactions become too quick or too slow; their limbs become heavy, the racket weighing in their hands. Spraying forehands, service yips and stuttering footwork ensue. Full Story: The Athletic
How having zero points in tennis — or ‘love’ — came to sound so sweet: The sport’s scoring system is notably distinct, and can sometimes be hard to grasp for newcomers. But even tennis aficionados might not know why, or how, “love” became the unmistakable callout for zero points. Full Story: NPR
The Golden Rules of Attending a Tennis Grand Slam, According to Players, Fans, and Experts: At a Grand Slam, that fans get the chance to choose their own adventure, whether it’s court-hopping through several matches, staying honed in on a favorite player, or even just browsing the grounds, enjoying its trademark food and drinks and curated shops. That ability to personalize the experience makes it one of the most compelling sports to travel for. Full Story: Condé Nast Traveler
How tennis players’ dogs live at Grand Slams and on tour: Roland Garros employed a dog concierge this year to look after the beloved pets that tennis’ top players tote around from tournament to tournament. Full Story: The Athletic