Sisyphus, Paganini and One Heckuva Livestock Auction

Australian Open Buzz: Day 12

MURRAY AS SYSYPHUS: SI.com’s Jon Wertheim said that Andy Murray remains “the tennis Sisyphus. He’s long past the point of moral victories and consolation prizes, but he ought to leave Melbourne with immense confidence in his fitness level, his improved aggression, his choice of coach, his willingness to fight.”

Raonic: ‘There’s Room Among the Big 4′

Canadian Poised to Challenge Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Murray

It’s rare to see a player leap from well outside the ATP Tour’s top 100 into the top 25 in a matter of one year.  But that’s just how special a player Milos Raonic is.  In an era of big-boy tennis, the 6-foot-5, 198-pound Montenegrin-turned-Canuck has all the tools — big serve, big groundies, an [...]

The Best Surfer In Iowa

Australian Open Buzz: Day 10

GOODBYE, NO. 1: Caroline Wozniacki may have surrendered her No. 1 ranking, but the 5-foot-10 Dane says she has little doubt that she’ll win it back.  “I finished No. 1 two years in a row.  In the end of the year we will see who played the best.  We are just in January.  In the [...]

All About Adam and Eve (Not Adam and Steve)

Australian Open Buzz: Day 9

Lleyton Hewitt was never the most popular player in the locker room or the press room.  His repeated shouts of “C’MON!” haven’t always endeared himself to opponents.  The ultra-competitive Aussie has been an unwitting recipient of the Prix Citron at Roland Garros, the dubious annual award that is presented to the tour’s No. 1 sourpuss.  [...]

Tennis and the Meaning of Life

Let’s get one thing straight. It’s just a game, no big deal. Tennis is as simple as pie. Yellow ball and nifty racket: hit it over that net and into the rectangle and you’re home free. Win two or three sets, and you’re a hero. Gotta love it. “If you really think about it,” says Maria [...]

Sharapova Shocked; Murray, Young Survive

U.S. Open Buzz Day 6

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — The luck of the draw.  Heading into a Grand Slam, all a player can do is cross their fingers and hope things roll out well when it’s all said and done.  But these days, with the looming presence of The Big Four — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy [...]

Life In a Golden Cage

U.S. Open Buzz Day 2

MYSTERY ILLNESS REMAINS JUST THAT — A MYSTERY: Venus Williams wouldn’t reveal the diagnosis of the mystery illness that’s limited her playing time (“It’s outside of the pressroom, that name,” she said), but the No. 36-ranked American did discuss its symptoms: “It was just energy-sucking and I just couldn’t play pro tennis,” she said.  “It [...]

Russian Soul, Tennis Icon

What makes Maria Sharapova tick? Is she more Russian or American? What about her toughness, her doubts and, yes, her grunts? An interview.

QUESTION: You’ve said you’re not the most gifted athlete, yet you’ve had such success. How did you pull that off? MARIA SHARAPOVA: I have no idea. My mom was never an athlete. She was more of a dancer. My dad, he played hockey, but when I saw him ski, I’d say, “I don’t know how [...]

Sugarpova

Beauty and Brains, Swagger and Sweat, Glory and Grunts — Maria Sharapova Has It All

My goodness, she even has a song named after her. Maria — that would be Lady Sharapova — has everything. A name with an “ova,” a bank account with a bundle, a backhand with depth and precision, endless legs, a pretty face, three Slams and that grunt; oh, that world-class, decibel-blasting, almost-as-loud-as-Azarenka‘s grunt.

‘Psycho’ Serena Takes Down ‘Ultimate Enemy’

BOW Classic: Williams Maintains Dominance of Sharapova

STANFORD, CALIF. — It was akin to Ali lauding Frazier.  McEnroe endorsing Connors.  Tony Stewart ushering Kurt Busch to the checkered flag. Tracing a compelling rivalry that reaches all the way back to 2004, when a then 17-year-old Maria Sharapova outmuscled Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final, the relationship between the Russo-American tandem hasn’t exactly [...]