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

In Ashton Politanoff’s new novel, a man defenseless against his repetition compulsion unravels in chiseled and unnerving prose.

One 37-year old former D3 player trying to stay fit while traveling with her husband and toddler gets carried away and enters a pro tournament at the encouragement of her hotel pro. What could go wrong?

The vibrant and idiosyncratic still lifes—often composed on hotel stationary—are the work of artist Michael McGregor, whose roots in a “huge tennis family” inform one of his favorite themes.

A by-no-means-exhaustive list of the names and neologisms that define a new(ish) sport

Many sports like to claim that they’re the fastest-growing, and they often have a legitimate claim to the title, depending on how you measure it. But, by almost any yardstick, pàdel really is the world’s fastest-growing sport.

The hottest clubs around the world don’t feature EDM dance floors or after-hours speakeasies. They’re racquet-centric, they’re wellness-affiliated, and they’re taking advantage of the fastest-growing sport on the planet. Welcome to the global network of pàdel.