Racquet Polaroids: U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship; Houston, Texas

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.

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.

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?!?

“To create one’s own world takes courage.” —Georgia O’Keefe

These days, American college tennis is barely that: American

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.