Baseline Buzz

The upcoming “Battle of the Sexes” between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka is being pushed as one of the most intriguing offseason events — but let’s make one thing clear: this isn’t a sporting experiment designed to settle a debate. It’s a commercial production. A packaged, marketable show created by two of the biggest personalities in tennis who happen to be represented by the same management agency. Kyrgios and Sabalenka are two of the most charismatic, entertaining figur

For decades, the Davis Cup was one of the most meaningful trophies a tennis player could win. It carried a sense of pride, nationalism, and competitive fire that the regular ATP season couldn’t replicate. Players circled Davis Cup weekends on their calendars. Crowds were electric, home advantage mattered, and five-set marathons decided legacies. Today, the reality is completely different. The competition has slipped into irrelevance, and the behavior of top players — includin

Tennis parents, we hope you enjoy this read. Before diving in, here’s a fair warning: this article is meant to be both informative and light-hearted. We understand that parenting is incredibly difficult, and being a tennis parent adds a whole new layer of challenge. You walk a thin line between supporting your child and accidentally screaming in their face. On top of that, you must navigate the natural bias you feel toward their progress and what you believe they’re capable o

Since COVID, many top players have noticed something different about the tennis balls — and they’re not happy about it. Ball manufacturers insist nothing has changed, but pros like Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas disagree. “They’re much slower,” Zverev said earlier this season. “It’s harder to hit winners or get free points.”

The ATP Challenger Tour is supposed to be the steppingstone to tennis greatness — the grind before the glamour. But walking into a Challenger 75 event in Winston-Salem this week, it felt less like a professional sporting event and more like a scrimmage in an empty park. No ball kids, barely any spectators, and a silence broken only by the sound of tennis balls… For those unfamiliar, the Challenger circuit is where most players outside the top 100 live — fighting for points, c