For those of us raised on the mythologies of tennis—the cathedral of Wimbledon’s Centre Court, the late-night giddiness of Arthur Ashe and the chic red clay backdrop of the European swing—the emphasis on professional singles can outshine other constellations. But at Racquet, we proudly celebrate tennis in all its forms, from the public court rec league to the super seniors battling it out in the ‘80s divisions. As the best athletes in the world gather at the slams, all the professional divisions—doubles and mixed, legends and juniors, and especially this year wheelchair tennis—draw much of our fascination. In 2025, as the US Open celebrates two decades of wheelchair competition, we spent a week in New York listening to legends and upstarts alike, festival-goers and family, tournament directors and kids peering through the gates, finding that for many the heart of the tournament beats strongest where the wheels spin fastest.
For quad athlete Andy Lapthorne, it’s no surprise that the US Open is the slam to break new gound: “It feels like the working-class slam,” he tells me. The Knicks are his team and the Open is his home away from his London-based training center. “I’ve hustled, I’ve fought for everything. This place suits me down to the ground.”