All Articles
From the Trenches of the World’s Most Obscure Racquet Sport
Stické tennis was invented in the 1870s in England, i’s a hodge-podge of tennis, squash, and real tennis. The game disappeared after the First World War. Just two courts are still playable. Yes, stické is the world’s most obscure racquet sport.
Racquet Retreat at Sensei Had us Breathing Easier
During this year's Indian Wells tournament, we launched a first-ever restorative trip for our nearest and dearest at the exclusive Porupine Creek property, and the results were... relaxing.
Jannik Sinner Can’t Lose (Except at Content)
When Aryna Sabalenka’s on-court intensity translates into campy, self-congratulatory TikToks, harmony is felt and sense is made. But Jannik’s on-court persona, tightly controlled like an unseasoned chicken breast, respectfully, need not be repackaged for YouTube. Because where is the flavor?!?
Issue No. 28: Tennis is the Blueprint
“To create one’s own world takes courage.” —Georgia O’Keefe
The Disappearing American College Tennis Player
These days, American college tennis is barely that: American
The Elegant Order of the Court
Sure, game-play conditions may vary, and a maintained court is more enticing for actual play, but as purely aesthetic fascinations, the inherently satisfying rationality of court design endures.
The Morte d’Arthur Was Greatly Exaggerated
Frenchman Arthur Fils—the charisma bomb—is back and looking better than ever.
An Open Letter To Daniil Medvedev: Are You “So Back?”
Racquet’s See You In Court is a regular column in which Melissa Kenny, a famously mediocre lifelong player, opines on pro tennis. She also writes Hard Hitting, a Substack about the thrills and frustrations of recreational tennis.
Dispatches from the Desert
Our Managing Editor Wendy Laird is on the grounds and has Dispatches from the Desert coming in on a regular basis: Today the BNP Paribas Open is over. Long live the BNP Paribas Open.
A Playable Feast
There’s something wonderful about seeing “closed for the season” on a hotel’s website. They’re just four words, but they say so much: we don’t wring every penny from this property; this location has a “season;” this hotel values your experience far too much to stay open during sub-par weather. “Closed for the season” has a lot of sexy indifference to it; it makes you want to visit even more.
In Dubai, Uncertainty on Court and in the Skies
By the end of the week, it was hard to tell what felt more fragile: the schedule, the draw, the final, or the belief that sport can stay separate from the world around it.
Jessica Pegula has a Serious Sleep Routine
World No. 5 Jessica Pegula has had a busy few weeks. From lifting the trophy in Dubai for her fourth Masters 1000 title to becoming Blueair’s air wellness ambassador, her results call attention to what many of us already know: sleep hygiene, including managing air quality, is an important part of recovery and overall health.
