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☆ How One Family’s Pursuit of Tennis Success Ended in Heartache
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Four years ago, David Lewis received a phone call from the coroner’s office in Washington, D.C. His oldest daughter, Carolina, a former college tennis player, had been found dead in a hotel room. The Lewises are tennis royalty in their native New Zealand. Another brother, Chris, played in the 1983 Wimbledon men’s singles final, losing to John McEnroe. For a time, Carolina and her sister, Jade, carried on the family tradition. When they showed promise on the court as young teenagers, their parents moved the family to the United States so the girls could chase tennis stardom.

Persons: David Lewis, Lewis, Carolina’s, Mark, Chris, John McEnroe, Jade Organizations: Wimbledon Locations: Washington ,, Carolina, New Zealand, United States

☆ Novak Djokovic Wins the U.S. Open and a 24th Grand Slam Title
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Novak Djokovic has won so many Grand Slam singles titles in so many different ways, it is getting extremely difficult to keep track of them. Djokovic, a Serb, further solidified his reputation as the greatest player of the modern era on Sunday with a clinical, straight-sets win over Daniil Medvedev of Russia. He did it on an Arthur Ashe Stadium court where he spent most of his career playing the villain in matches against underdogs or longtime crowd favorites like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The nearly 24,000 spectators welcomed him with a massive roar, then showered him with the biggest one when Medvedev dumped a shot into the net to give Djokovic the title that has been surprisingly hard for the greatest hardcourt player in the sport’s history to win. “This means the world to me,” he said to the crowd just before lifting the trophy for the fourth time of his career.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic, Medvedev, Monte, Arthur Ashe, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, ” Organizations: Russia Locations: Monte Carlo

☆ Amid U.S. Open Fanfare, U.S.T.A. Fights Questions of Its Handling of Sexual Abuse
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a statement, Chris Widmaier, chief spokesman for the U.S.T.A., said the organization had “no intention of revictimizing or shaming” McKenzie in any way. Shriver testified that U.S.T.A.’s top lawyer, Staciellen Mischel, last year warned her to “be careful” about her public statements on sexual abuse in tennis. in the McKenzie case asked Shriver whether anyone at the U.S.T.A. had discouraged her from speaking out about sexual abuse, she responded: “Depends how you interpret the conversation from Staciellen. And in that interpretation, meaning don’t say too much.”When asked about Mischel’s conversation with Shriver, Widmaier said the organization had deep sympathy for Shriver.

Persons: Chris Widmaier, ” McKenzie, ”, Shriver, Staciellen Mischel, McKenzie, Widmaier, “, Anibal Aranda, Aranda Organizations: The New York Times Locations: Staciellen, California, Florida, Paraguay, United States

☆ Medvedev Stuns Alcaraz to Meet Djokovic in U.S. Open Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just when the U.S. Open was on the verge of its dream weekend, Daniil Medvedev did perhaps the most Medvedev-like thing and messed it all up. With a stunning win over Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion and 20-year-old wunderkind of the sport, Medvedev, the game’s happy troll, playful wiseguy and unorthodox baseliner took a wrench to the popular plans to watch the next chapter of the Alcaraz’s mounting generational rivalry with Novak Djokovic. Instead of a rematch of an epic Alcaraz-Djokovic final in the tuneup to this tournament three weeks ago, which was a rematch of the Wimbledon final in July, which was a rematch of their semifinal showdown at the French Open in June, Sunday will bring a rematch of 2021 U.S. Open final between Medvedev and Djokovic. On that day, Medvedev, the 27-year-old Russian with the funky strokes, goofy one-liners and dead fish victory celebration, left Djokovic’s quest to become the first man in 50 years to win all four Grad Slam titles in a calendar year in tatters, drubbing the seemingly unbeatable Serbian champion in three sets.

Persons: Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev, baseliner, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic Organizations: U.S ., Medvedev, Wimbledon, Grad Locations: tatters, Serbian

☆ Novak Djokovic Beats Ben Shelton to Play for a 24th Grand Slam Singles Title
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That was never more true than when Shelton trailed 2-4 in the third set, desperately trying to extend the match. He found himself with a point to break Djokovic’s serve and did not disappoint, drawing Djokovic into a wide forehand that generated a brain-rattling sound. There was still a little more Shelton and Djokovic for the packed stadium to enjoy. Shelton saved match point and sent the third set to a tiebreaker, then stuck around a bit when he went down, 5-1. But Djokovic had things to do and a rightful place in his 36th Grand Slam final.

Persons: Arthur Ashe, Shelton, Djokovic

☆ Coco Gauff Beats Karolina Muchova to Reach Her First U.S. Open Singles Final
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They grow up fast these days, and none faster than Coco Gauff. In September, she is a U.S. Open finalist, the star attraction of her home Grand Slam tournament and the new face of her sport in America. Gauff, the 19-year-old prodigy from steamy South Florida, beat Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 7-5, to reach her first U.S. Open singles final on a warm and heavy Thursday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Muchova’s all-court game and the strangest of atmospherics tested her as never before, but in the end the night went her way in front a crowd that exploded for her over and over along the way. “Some of those points were so loud I don’t know if my ears are going to be OK,” she said in her on-court interview.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Karolina Muchova, Arthur Ashe, atmospherics Locations: U.S, America, steamy South Florida, Czech Republic

☆ Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka to Meet in U.S. Open Final
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During the delay, Gauff and Muchova headed off the court and tried to stay loose in the locker room and the warm-up area. Muchova got a massage and jogged lightly in the hallway outside the locker room. She said later that she woke up Thursday morning thinking that a climate protest might break out, as they had at the French Open in 2022 and Wimbledon this year. She and her family celebrated in Paris, then she won six matches at the French Open before losing to the world No. Over the past four years, Gauff has evolved into the most likely candidate to fill the void, breaking out at Wimbledon when she was 15 and making her French Open run last year.

Persons: Muchova, Iga Swiatek, Serena Williams, Gauff Organizations: United States Tennis Association, Wimbledon, U.S . Locations: Paris, American

☆ At the U.S. Open, Stifling Heat Causes Some Players to Lose Their Cool
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In most years, there is a very specific climate pattern at the U.S. Open. The tournament starts at the end of the dog days of August, in the lingering heat and humidity of a New York summer. By the final matches, at the end of the first full week of September, it’s a good idea to bring a light sweater or a windbreaker to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Not this year. It is heat and humidity so oppressive that it parks itself in the brain, sparks fear and makes it difficult to focus on anything else, especially returning serves of 130 miles per hour and chasing forehands and backhands around the court for as many as five hours.

Persons: it’s, Billie Jean King, forehands Organizations: U.S ., Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Locations: New York

☆ Zheng Qinwen Is Coming Into Her Own
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Zheng Qinwen, the brightest of China’s growing cohort of bright tennis lights, was 7 years old when she first picked up a racket. Almost instantly, she was among the best children her age in her hometown, Shiyan, by Chinese standards a smaller city with 1.1 million people. Since she had done well, she would not be coming home with him and instead would stay in Wuhan to train. “I cried a lot,” Zheng, 20, said during a recent interview. But every two weeks when her parents would come to visit, she would beg them not to go.

Persons: Zheng Qinwen, “, ” Zheng Locations: Shiyan, Wuhan

☆ This Year’s U.S. Open Belongs to Coco Gauff, Win or Lose
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

player Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat is one of the many boldface names who have come out for her matches. They were in the house on Friday for Gauff’s third-round win over Elise Mertens. Butler was there, too, and returned for her fourth-round win over Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday. He started putting her on the court in matches against players who were more advanced in their development than she was. More often than not, she found a way to win.

Persons: Jimmy Butler, Justin Bieber, Hailey, Elise Mertens, Butler, Caroline Wozniacki, Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams, Mouratoglou Organizations: Miami Heat, Gauff

☆ At the U.S. Open, It Feels Like the Fourth of July
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“We always believed this would happen,” said Martin Blackman, the general manager for player development at the U.S.T.A., who has known all five players since their early years. That was last year, though, and there was no guarantee that they or any of their compatriots would reproduce the magic of some of those days. Looking at the draw in the middle of last week, Fritz’s eyes drifted to the quarter just above him, where Shelton, Paul and Tiafoe were crowded together. Some big names were out, and his people were still very much alive. Immediately he thought, “One of them is going to be in the semis,” and that was pretty cool.

Persons: ”, Martin Blackman, Serena Williams, —, Shelton, Paul Organizations: Gauff, Tiafoe, Sunday Locations: ”

☆ When Coco Gauff and Zendaya Need Tennis Tips, They Ask Brad Gilbert
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Brad Gilbert — tennis junkie, junkballer, commentator, coach of legends — had roughly seven minutes to trade his coaching hat for a microphone, to shift from helping Coco Gauff manage her third-round match Friday night to interviewing Novak Djokovic in the tunnel before his. That match, by the way, ended just after 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, and Gilbert had spent Friday afternoon calling matches before heading to Gauff’s courtside box. It was well after 2 a.m. when he got back to the New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott. Then he spent an hour analyzing the video of the match that Gauff’s next opponent, Caroline Wozniacki, had won that afternoon. Andre Agassi had him at his side when he won the U.S. Open in 1994, as did Andy Roddick, in 2003.

Persons: Brad Gilbert —, —, Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, Gilbert, Gauff’s, Caroline Wozniacki, “, ” Gilbert, Billie Jean King, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick Organizations: New York LaGuardia, Marriott, a.k.a, Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, U.S

☆ Caroline Wozniacki Is Getting Very Good at Comebacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A new you, or perhaps a better version of the old you, is just around the corner. So perhaps it’s fitting that comebacks have featured so prominently in the first days of the U.S. Open. Some have gone well — Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Stan Wawrinka, Jennifer Brady. Others — Venus Williams, who suffered an opening night drubbing — not so much. “It’s the competition,” said Brady, 28, who is rediscovering her form following two injury-plagued and mentally grueling year.

Persons: Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Stan Wawrinka, Jennifer Brady, Venus Williams, “, ”, Brady Organizations: U.S .

☆ The One-Handed Backhand Is on the Way to Extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Not so long ago, the top ranks of the sport, especially the men’s game, had no shortage of one-handed backhands. Among the top 10 men now, only Stefanos Tsitsipas plays with a one-handed backhand. In more immediate terms, it has been a mostly terrible first week for one-handed backhands in the singles competitions at the U.S. Open. But Tsitsipas, Thiem, Eubanks and Maria all lost in the first days of the tournament. So did Lorenzo Musetti, the rising Italian whose silky one-handed backhand can make tennis cognoscenti drool.

Persons: Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Tatiana Maria, Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov, “ I’m, that’s, ” Wawrinka, Tomas Etcheverry, Thiem, Eubanks, Maria, Lorenzo Musetti, drool, Carlos Alcaraz, Musetti Organizations: U.S . Locations: Argentina

☆ A Grand Slam Rite of Passage: Be Young, Burn Bright, But Not for Long
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It happens every year in tennis. A young, bright-eyed player with fistfuls of skill and promise wins a match or two at a Grand Slam, and all of a sudden, the next big thing has arrived. And here we are once more, just a few days into the year’s final Grand Slam, with no shortage of chatter about Arthur Fils, the gallant, 19-year-old Frenchman, who a year ago was battling to get within sniffing distance of the top 300. Now he is ranked 48th in the world and won his first match at a Grand Slam — on his third try — on Tuesday. On a field court in front of bleachers teeming with in-the-know spectators desperate for a glimpse of the future, Fils outlasted Tallon Griekspoor, the 24th seed, in five sets.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison, Arthur Fils, Frenchman, Fils, Tallon Griekspoor Organizations: Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

☆ Tommy Paul the Man Finally Catches Up to Tommy Paul the Tennis Talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

She and her husband live on a small farm in South Jersey, with two horses, eight sheep and various other animals. Paul and his older sister started spending every afternoon playing tennis at the health club. Beating his sister, who would go on to play collegiate tennis, was his earliest goal. MacMillan said that when Paul started playing — and winning — tournaments at age 6, he barely knew the rules or how to keep score. “He just loved to hit the ball.”That love never faded, even as Paul played plenty of baseball and basketball before focusing exclusively on tennis when he was about 13.

Persons: ”, Jill MacMillan, Stefano Travaglia, Paul, Grandma Betty —, —, MacMillan, “ Locations: Italy, South Jersey, Greenville, N.C

Benton was at Tiafoe’s match on Monday and has been in contact with him over the summer. “He’s a little —” Benton paused and with his arms imitated someone who was experiencing the inevitable weight of expectations, the biggest of which are those Tiafoe has set for himself. A typical Tiafoe sequence occurred Monday during a tight second set against Tien. With the score knotted at 4-4, Tien rose and twisted and snapped a backhand overhead that looked like a certain winner. Then he did his trademark frozen stare into the crowd, his cue for the fans to get loud.

Persons: Benton, “, ” Benton, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, Tien, Tiafoe Organizations: Australian, Tien Locations: Houston, Stuttgart, Germany, Wimbledon

☆ Carlos Alcaraz Is Bending Tennis to His Will and Taking Over the Game
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“And now every player knows if he is going to compete with him, he’s going to have to do that as well.”Alcaraz knows that better than anyone. He wants to win spectacularly, showcasing his power and speed and touch from everywhere on the court. “It’s dynamic,” Alcaraz has said time and again of his style. Each took a turn or two redrawing the tennis court to suit his style. First came Federer’s supreme and unmatched shotmaking, which ran into Nadal’s power and competitive fire, which ran into Djokovic’s relentless defense and angular creativity, which ran into Murray’s magical touch and movement.

Persons: ” Djokovic, ”, David Nainkin, he’s, ” Alcaraz, Alcaraz, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray Organizations: United States Tennis Association, “

☆ The Suddenly Hot ‘Coco and Jessie Show’ Is Ready to Open in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Even the path that you want for yourself may not happen.”Pegula, 29, has come to this moment from the opposite end. A classic late-bloomer who doesn’t have the height or obvious athleticism of many of the best women, she did not crack the top 100 until she was 25 years old. Now she is ranked third in the world, yet she often goes unmentioned in discussions of the world’s best players. As the U.S. Open gets underway, American tennis is riding high on optimism. The U.S. is the only country with two women in the top six.

Persons: ”, Gauff, “, ” Pegula, bloomer, doesn’t, I’m, Serena Williams, Frances Tiafoe Organizations: Wimbledon, U.S . Open Locations: Harlem, U.S

☆ Novak Djokovic, Back in New York and Loving It as Never Before
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“The matches are going to get tougher, more demanding as the tournament progresses,” he said between bites. He has become the elder legend of the sport and solidified his status as the greatest player of the modern era. Djokovic prevailed in their first match at the French Open, where Alcaraz succumbed to stress-induced cramping, but lost in five thrilling sets in the Wimbledon final. Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner of Italy and Holger Rune of Denmark, he said, are members of a generation that unapologetically believes it is capable of beating him to win big tournaments. “My role nowadays is to prevent them from that,” he said with the sly grin that has become a late-career trademark.

Persons: ”, I’m, Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alcaraz, Italy, Holger Rune of Denmark Organizations: Alcaraz, Wimbledon Locations: Spanish, U.S

☆ Alcaraz Wins Wimbledon in a Thrilling Comeback Against Djokovic
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After years of false starts, men’s tennis finally has a proper war between the generations. Besides chasing the Grand Slam, Djokovic was aiming to extinguish the dreams of another heralded upstart challenging his hold on the game, which, so far, has amounted to 23 Grand Slam tournament titles. Alcaraz won the U.S. Open last year in thrilling, acrobatic fashion, serving notice that men’s tennis was going to be shaken up by an unusual talent. This year, he withdrew from the Australian Open to nurse an injury and was defeated by Djokovic in the semifinals at the French Open. “It’s great for the new generation,” Alcaraz said, “to see me beating him and making them think that they are capable to do it.”

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz, “, ” Alcaraz, ” Organizations: Court, U.S, Djokovic Locations: England

☆ Marketa Vondrousova Wins Wimbledon and Her First Grand Slam Title
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic became one of the most unlikely Wimbledon champions Saturday, beating Ons Jabeur, a trailblazing Tunisian, in straight sets. Vondrousova, 24, became the first unseeded player to win Wimbledon and the latest in a long line of Czech-born women to lift the most important trophy in the sport, going back to Martina Navratilova’s domination of Wimbledon in the 1980s, after Navratilova had defected to the United States. Like Navratilova, who was watching from a box, Vondrousova is a left-handed player with a nasty slice serve that she used throughout the afternoon in the tensest moments when Jabeur tried to take control of the match or mount yet another comeback. The similarities with Navratilova, an aggressive serve-and-volleyer who burst into the sport as a teenager, mostly end there.

Persons: Marketa, Martina Navratilova’s, Navratilova, Jabeur Organizations: Wimbledon, Saturday Locations: Czech Republic, Tunisian, Czech, United States

☆ Novak Djokovic Relaxes, and Lands in Another Wimbledon Final
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Six months ago, having just won the Australian Open one year after being deported from the country, Novak Djokovic collapsed in the arms of his family and his coaches in a moment of strained ecstasy. He had drawn even with Rafael Nadal in the race for most Grand Slam singles titles. 23 and jetted off to the Azores for a hiking vacation with his wife. Gone is the pugnacious battler carrying around a career full of angst. His default facial expression, something like an inquisitive scowl, has been replaced with a relaxed grin.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros Locations: Azores

☆ Jabeur and Vondrousova Finesse Way to Wimbledon Final
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For a set and a half, Sabalenka overpowered Jabeur, and she got within two games of advancing to the final and taking the top ranking. But down a set and by 4-2 in the second, Jabeur dug in. “Crazy match,” said Jabeur, a groundbreaking figure for the Arab world. “One more match to go.”In Vondrousova, Jabeur will face an opponent with a deceptively slim résumé but a penchant for ruining sentimental narratives. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Vondrousova eliminated Naomi Osaka, the national hero and international star who lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony, on her way to winning a silver medal.

Persons: Elina Svitolina, Aryna, Sabalenka, Jabeur, Marketa, ”, Vondrousova, Naomi Osaka Organizations: Wimbledon, Aryna Sabalenka, Court, Tunisian, Tokyo Locations: Ukraine, Belarusian, Belarus, Sabalenka, Czech Republic

☆ At Wimbledon, the Human Eye Keeps Dropping the Ball
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jiri Lehecka had to play a fifth set and essentially win his third-round match twice. Hawk-Eye Live, an electronic line calling system, could have saved the players their set, even their match, but Wimbledon doesn’t use it to its full extent, preferring a more traditional approach. The people for whom the information is most important — the players and the chair umpire, who oversees the match — must rely on the line judge. When the human eye is judging serves traveling around 120 m.p.h. and forehand rallies faster than 80 m.p.h., errors are bound to happen.

Persons: Andy Murray, Bianca Andreescu, Jiri Lehecka Organizations: Wimbledon, All England Club

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