Latest News

Here’s Why the Elderly Should Play More Tennis

April 22, 2022 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Tennis is a sport that is enjoyed by people of all ages, its popularity being of no surprise, but it can be especially beneficial for seniors. From physical stimulation to companionship, here are three reasons why the elderly should play tennis.

Companionship

A major problem for the elderly is loneliness and isolation. More and more seniors are resorting to social media or the more effective moving to assisted living facilities as a means of combating this. Playing tennis is an underrated way to find companionship.

Playing with old friends can help to combat this feeling by providing much-needed social interaction. Playing tennis can also help people to make new friends and stay connected with the community.

Here are tips for making friends on the tennis court:

Talk to people before and after your match.

Join a tennis club or league.

Play mixed doubles so you can interact with people of the opposite sex.

Participate in social events hosted by your local tennis club.

Physical Activity

With age comes physical limitations, making it tempting to live a sedentary life. Yet exercise prevents a myriad of age-related diseases- like osteoporosis, and heart disease – and playing tennis is a great way to get moving. Even if you are not competitive, simply hitting the ball around with a friend can provide some much-needed physical activity.

However, if you’re new to tennis or getting back into the game after a long break, start slowly and build up your stamina over time. This is important to prevent injuries. Also, be sure to warm up before playing, also to prevent injuries.

Mental Stimulation

A brutal effect of age is the gradual loss of cognitive and mental function. Playing tennis can help to keep your mind sharp as you age. Playing tennis requires split-second decisions and quick movements, so the mental benefits include improved memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills.

In fact, studies have found that people who play tennis have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who do not play any sports.

To get the most out of this, you can try things like memorizing the plays. Memorizing the plays of your favorite tennis players can help to keep your mind sharp. Likewise, watching matches with a friend and discussing the strategies used by each player will stimulate your brain.

You can even take this a step further and start reading about tennis. From its history to its most famous players, to the best playing techniques. Nothing stimulates the mind quite like reading.

So get out on the court and start playing! Regardless of your age or skill level, tennis provides an enjoyable way to get some exercise, get some mental stimulation, and socialize with both old and new friends. Even if you don’t win every match, you can still have a good time.

Carlos Alcaraz Beats Casper Ruud For Miami Open Title

April 3, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest ever Miami Open men’s singles champion after the 18-year-old Spaniard defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 in the final at Hard Rock Stadium.

Only two men have won titles at the ATP 1000 level at a younger age — Michael Chang, who was 18 years and five months old when he won Toronto in 1990, and Rafael Nadal, 18 years and 10 months when he claimed the Monte Carlo crown in 2005. To boot, Alcaraz became the first Spanish man to win in Miami, a title that even Nadal has not won in his career.

“I have no words to describe how I feel right now, but it is so special to win my first Masters 1000 here in Miami,” Alcaraz said in his post-match speech. “I’m so happy with the win and for sure with my team. “I knew Casper is playing very well, he has a big forehand. I tried to play to his backhand first and tried to go to attack, to not let him dominate the match.”

Alcaraz came back after a slow start, trailing 1-4, then broke Ruud twice early in the second en route to closing out victory, capped with a serve-and-volley winner.

The win will move Alcaraz to No. 11 in the world, but many see him as the No. 3 threat to win the French Open later this Spring, behind Nadal and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Iga Swiatek Shows Everyone Who Is The New No. 1 With Miami Open Win

April 2, 2022 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Iga Swiatek entered the 2022 Miami Open as a satisfied but distant world No. 2, but leaves as the dominant world No. 1.

Suddenly thrust into the No. 1 ranking with the surprise retirement announcement of top-ranked Ash Barty at the start of the tournament, Swiatek embraced the pressure and ruthlessly plowed through the draw to the title, defeating four-time major champion Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-0 in the final.

Swiatek did not lose a set en route to the victory in Miami, which coupled with her win in Indian Wells, California two weeks earlier, gave her the sweep of what is now being branded “The Sunshine Double.”
She clinched the top ranking with her 6-2, 6-0 victory over Victoria Golubic in her opening match in Miami. Some speculated that the new pressure of being No. 1, as well as the fatigue of advancing so deep in both Miami and Indian Wells would catch up to Swiatek, but she proved to up to the task.

“She went from being elated to be No. 2 to ‘Oh my goodness,’” said Lindsay Davenport on Tennis Channel in the middle of the Miami Open of the sudden change from being “the hunter” to be “the hunted” in women’s pro tennis.

“I am still hungry. I want to win very much,” said Swiatek to Tennis Channel of her mind-set and her avoiding complacency after clinching the No. 1 ranking. “I knew I couldn’t have focused on rankings, but to focus on tennis.”

Swiatek becomes the first player from Poland to rank No. 1 in men’s and women’s tennis. She burst on the scene as the surprise champion at the French Open in 2020. She joins Steff Graf, Kim Clijsters and Vika Azarenka as the only women to win the “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells followed by Miami Open in the same year.

“I wouldn’t even have dreamed to be compared to them,” she said of Graf, Clijsters and Azarenka to Tennis Channel.

Iga Swiatek To Become WTA No. 1 After Ash Barty Retirement

March 26, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

The WTA announced that Poland’s Iga Swiatek will become the new WTA World No.1 when the rankings are released on Monday, April 4 following the Miami Open presented by Itaú, becoming the first man or woman from Poland to ascend to the No.1 position in singles. She will become the 28th woman to capture the WTA World No.1 ranking.

At 20 years, 308 days of age, Swiatek will become the youngest player to make the WTA World No.1 debut since Caroline Wozniacki did so in 2010, aged 20 years and 92 days.

“I am really satisfied and proud of myself for reaching the No.1 spot,” stated Iga. “I feel like my tennis is going the right way and my goal is to stay at No.1 and continue what I am doing.” On the impact she is making in Poland, Swiatek said, “Polish fans continue to grow more and more passionate about tennis. It is amazing to see and one of my goals is to make tennis more popular in Poland and I hope this will help grow the game. The support from home and all around the world has been great.”

“Iga is an incredible player with an all-around athleticism and unique shot-making ability, and I am delighted she will become the new WTA World No.1 ranked player,” said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. “To achieve all that she has at such a young age and reach the pinnacle of the WTA rankings is a true testament to her hard work and professionalism. I am pleased to congratulate Iga on this very special moment and achievement.”

With the announcement of current WTA World No.1 Ashleigh Barty retiring from the sport earlier this week, Swiatek has now secured her rise to the elite ranking position with her win today over Viktorija Golubic in the second round at Miami. Her victory over Golubic was her 12th match win in a row as she advances in Miami.

Swiatek started the season in excellent form, reaching the semifinal stage at her first two events– Adelaide International, a WTA 500 level event, and the Australian Open – marking a continuation of her success across 2021, when she picked up the title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome and qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals for the first time in her career.

In 2022, Swiatek has captured back-to-back WTA 1000 titles at the Qatar TotalEngergies Open in Doha and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Swiatek first rose to prominence after winning the title at Roland-Garros in 2020 without dropping a set, and at No.54 became the lowest-ranked Roland-Garros champion since rankings were introduced in 1975. Her success in Paris also saw her become the first Polish player (man or woman) to win a Grand Slam singles title and was subsequently voted as the WTA Most Improved Player at the end of the 2020 season.

“Absolutely Spent” Ash Barty Announces Retirement

March 23, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Australian tennis women’s world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty has announced her retirement from the sport, saying she has lost the drive to compete at the highest level.

“I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top level anymore,” she said in a video posted on social media on Wednesday.

“I am so thankful for everything this sport has given me and leave feeling proud and fulfilled. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way,” the 25-year-old said.

In an emotional interview with a close friend, Barty said she was “absolutely spent” when it came to tennis.

“I know physically I have nothing more to give and that for me is success. I’ve given absolutely everything I can to this beautiful sport of tennis and I’m really happy with that,” said Barty.

“It’s given me all of my dreams and more, but I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams, and put the racquet down.”

The announcement came two months after Barty became the first Australian to win the Australian Open since 1978.

The Australian tennis star finishes her career with three Grand Slam titles – the French Open in 2019, Wimbledon in 2021 and this year’s Australian Open, where she beat out American Danielle Collins in the final.

“As a person, this is what I want. I want to chase after some other dreams that I’ve always wanted to do, and always had that really healthy balance, but I’m really, really excited,” said Barty.

Following her Australian Open triumph, Barty withdrew from Indian Wells and the Miami Open, saying her body needed more time to recover.

Wednesday’s announcement marked the second time Barty has walked away from tennis, previously taking a hiatus to play cricket in 2014 before returning in 2016,

Iga Swiatek Now The No. 2 Player In The World After Indian Wells Triumph

March 22, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Iga Swiatek of Warsaw, Poland jumped to the second place of the WTA Tour rankings after defeating Greek Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells.

“I did not expect to be in this place. This is something crazy. I didn’t think I could play on this level from tournament to tournament,” said Swiatek. “Every game with Maria Sakkari is amazing, I would like to thank you very much. Hopefully we will face each other in the finals for the next 10 years.”

The Pole started nervously going down 0-2 quickly. The first set was very tight but it was the 20-year-old who rebounded to win it 6-4.

Both players had to cope with very demanding conditions and strong wind in the second set while Swiatek turned the pace after a bad start and took control on the court. The 2020 French Open champion broke Sakkari twice to end her hopes to turn the game into her favor, winning 6-1 to seal her fifth WTA title.

“Right now, it’s too surreal to describe it, honestly. But of course I want to go higher because I feel like taking first place is getting closer and closer,” said Swiatek.

Swiatek extended her winning streak to 11 matches and improved her WTA Tour record this season to 20-3.

“Especially winning after playing so well in Doha is giving me a lot of confidence and kind of belief that I can do it, because I wouldn’t think of myself as someone who’s ready to play two tournaments in a row and win it,” she added.

Jack Sock, Rajeev Ram Put Team USA Over The Top In Davis Cup Win Over Colombia In Reno

March 6, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

An American doubles team of Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram was too much for a Colombian doubles team missing Robert Farah, as the American tandem overwhelmed Juan Sebastian Cabal and substitute Nicolas Barrientos to clinch victory in this Qualifying tie and punch the USA’s ticket to the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals Group Stages in September.

Sock and Ram won their second straight Davis Cup doubles match together, 6-4, 6-3, as Barrientos was tabbed to sub in for Farah, who had a neck injury. Tommy Paul finished the tie with a 7-5, 7-6(4) win over Nicolas Mejia in a dead singles match.

The Americans will be one of the 16 teams competing in the Group Stages of the 2022 Finals September 14-18 in a location yet to be announced. The top eight nations from the Group Stage advance to the knockout stage of the Finals November 23-27, also in a location yet to be announced, that will crown this year’s Davis Cup champion.

Friday Results

Sebastian Korda (USA) d. Nicolas Mejia (COL), 6-4, 1-6, 6-4

Taylor Fritz (USA) d. Alejandro Gonzalez (COL), 6-1, 6-0

Saturday Results

Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram (USA) d. Juan Sebastian Cabal and Nicolas Barrientos (COL), 6-3, 6-4

Tommy Paul (USA) d. Nicolas Mejia (COL), 7-5, 7-6(4)

U.S. Davis Cup Team In Reno (photo via Mike Lawrence / USTA)

Genie Bouchard Stars In Winning Debut Champions Series Tennis Mixed Team Event Title With Tommy Haas

March 6, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Genie Bouchard registered wins in singles and mixed doubles to lead her and partner Tommy Haas to victory at the SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at the Sherwood Country Club, the first new mixed team event on the Champions Series Tennis tour.

The 28-year-old Bouchard, the Wimbledon runner-up in 2014, was competing in her first organized event in a year after undergoing right shoulder surgery, Bouchard surprised 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-1 in singles before pairing with Haas to beat Kenin and Sam Querrey 6-3 in the decisive mixed doubles match.

“I feel like I’ve just been smiling all afternoon, like my cheeks hurt,” said Bouchard. “I’m just so happy to be back out here. It was so fun today.”

Bouchard last competed on the WTA Tour in March of 2021 at the WTA event in Monterrey, Mexico and underwent right shoulder surgery shortly thereafter. Playing with gusty winds and temperatures in the low 50s, Bouchard showed many of the same elements that allowed her to reach a career high ranking of No. 5 in her dominant victory.

“I played better than I expected,” Bouchard said after her win over Kenin. “We had really tough conditions. We’re both very cold out here and it’s hard to serve sometimes with the wind. But I just tried to hit the shots I’ve been doing in practice since I’ve been training for my comeback.”

Bouchard’s singles win came after Querrey defeated Haas 7-5 to give he and partner Kenin the early 1-0 lead.

“Genie carried me today in this new format, which was a lot of fun, I must say,” said Haas. “I tried to gain a point in the singles, came up short against Sam, but then Genie just played lights out today.”

With the victory, Bouchard and Haas split the first prize of $50,000 while Querrey and Kenin split the runner-up payout of $25,000.

Champions Series Tennis will also stage events in 2022 in Dallas, St. Louis, The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Orlando and other sites to be announced. Full player fields and event dates will be announced in the near future.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Hologic and the WTA Tour join forces in landmark partnership

March 3, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

The WTA and Hologic today jointly announced a landmark partnership introducing Hologic as the global title sponsor of the WTA Tour.

The multi-year alliance, the largest global sponsorship in WTA history and Hologic’s first worldwide sponsorship, aims to achieve significant progress through a shared vision of greater wellness and equality for women. The groundbreaking partnership allows both organizations to rally around their collective mission to champion women while modernizing their respective industries of healthcare and sports.

As one of the world’s top medical technology innovators, Hologic focuses primarily on improving women’s health and wellbeing. That includes industry-leading products in every category of its business: diagnostics, imaging systems, and surgical devices. Hologic’s areas of emphasis include state-of-the-art preventive care, reducing disparities in healthcare access and education, and unique research that helps countries worldwide better prioritize women’s health.

“Hologic and the WTA come together with a collective purpose as pioneering advocates for women,” said Hologic Chairman, President, and CEO Steve MacMillan. “We are proud to stand with the WTA in its commitment to the highest integrity and values. Ultimately, our partnership allows us to jointly raise the profile of women even higher and to share the importance of early detection and treatment with women across the world.”

Hologic’s sponsorship also affirms the continued growth of women’s tennis and the strong brand values the WTA embodies. “From the start, we knew Hologic was the right partner,” said WTA President Micky Lawler. “As we embark on a new era of women breaking barriers and understanding how imperative our health is to reach our full potential, Hologic joins the WTA family at a pivotal time. Reflecting on the passion we both share for women’s equality around the world, I look forward to the meaningful change this partnership will spark for our athletes, sport, and fans.”

“As a professional athlete who relies on my health to perform at the highest level, I’m excited that Hologic has partnered with the WTA,” said Ashleigh Barty, WTA World No. 1. “Hologic’s initiative to invest in women’s tennis shows its commitment to women’s health and women’s sport. I look forward to playing on the Hologic WTA Tour and the impact this partnership will generate for women globally.”

Hologic will be integrated into the WTA across all platforms, including net signage at all WTA tournaments and virtual advertising at WTA 1000 and 500 events. As the official health partner of the WTA, Hologic becomes the founding partner of Hologic WTA Labs, a WTA initiative focused on health innovation and research-based projects specific to female athletes. Hologic and the WTA plan to announce more joint activities in the coming months.

The new partners also will emphasize the importance of preventive care through the annual Well Woman medical visit. To learn more about the Well Woman exam, visit ScreeningsForHer.com.

Rafael Nadal Now Has 91 ATP Singles Titles… And Counting!

February 28, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Rafael Nadal defeated Cameron Norris 6-4, 6-4 to win the Mexican Open in Acapulco for his 91st career ATP singles victory and extend his career-best start for a season to 15-0.

Nadal, who won his third title in 2022 including the Australian Open for his record 21st major singles title, is three victories from tying Ivan Lendl’s total of 94 for third place for most championships in the Open Era. Jimmy Connors leads with 109 and Roger Federer has 103.

The Spaniard won for the fourth time in Acapulco (2005, 2013 and 2020) where he is a fan favorite. Norrie, who was on an eight-match winning streak including winning the Delray Beach Open, was trying to become the first British man to win the Mexican Open in its 29-year history. In two weeks, he will try to defend his title at the BNP Paribas Open, that he won when the event was staged last Autumn.

At the start of the match, Nadal had a break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and went on to win the first set in 51 minutes. The players exchanged breaks in the first two games of the second set. However, Nadal added breaks in the fifth and seventh games to take home the trophy.

In the doubles final, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo and the Netherlands’ Jean-Julien Rojer 7-5, 6-4.