10 Burning Questions For Tennis In 2011

1 Can new boss-of-the-bench Jim Courier continue to curry fraternal favor with Roddick & Co. the way outgoing U.S. Davis Cup captain/pledge master Patrick McEnroe did for the past decade? Aside from returning the Cup to American soil in ’07 after a dozen-year absence, PMac’s tenure will be best remembered for its esprit de corps. [...]

The Buzz: 2010 In Review

'If You Play Like You're Broke and Hungry, You'll Never Be Either'

UMBRELLA PAYMENT: Margaret Court won an umbrella for winning the Australian Open in 1960. When Serena Williams won last year, she pocketed $2.1 million.

Intro to ‘Rafa-ology’ 101

Incredibly, last spring, analysts were asking whether Rafael Nadal‘s career was wobbling. He hadn’t won a tournament in 11 months. One heard whispers: would Rafa again be a major force? Then tennis got to its annual spring rite — the clay-court circuit — and voila, Nadal morphed into a victory machine. He became the first [...]

Rafa Reigns: Nadal Gains Career Grand Slam

Spaniard On Path to Be Greatest Of All Time?

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — He did it!  Rafael Nadal, the fierce gentleman loved by so many, won the U.S. Open, the one major that had eluded his considerable grasp. He became just the seventh man to win all four Slams — the career Slam and the only man who has ever won majors on clay, [...]

U.S. Open: Nadal and the Face of Victory

Exclusive: Toni Nadal and Novak Djokovic Speak With Inside Tennis

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — Inside Tennis: Congratulations, Toni, what a triumph, job well done. What are you feeling at this very special moment? Toni Nadal: I am feeling very happy now. IT: What has made playing the Open in New York so tough for Rafa in the past?

Nadal One Step Closer to Career Slam

Spaniard Dominates Youzhny 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 to Reach First U.S. Open Final

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — Only moments after his nephew had dispatched Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny in the U.S. Open semifinals in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, taking one step closer to his career Slam dream, Toni Nadal headed through the Ashe Stadium hallways, navigating a throng of well wishers.

Bach On Moog Synthesizer, Joyce On iPhone

MYER-ED IN HUMOR: Of the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut Wimbledon marathon, ESPYS host Seth Myers said, “No one has spent that much time on grass since Cheech and Chong.”  Added the SNL funnyman, “By the time the match ended, the ball boys were ball men.” AND THEY SAY WE AMERICANS ARE A LITIGIOUS BUNCH: Lleyton Hewitt [...]

Somersault!

Rise and Fall, Reemergence and Redemption, the Roger-Rafa Rivalry Sizzles With Compelling Storylines

Like Bjorn Borg, Rafa Nadal has, more than once, achieved what’s said to be the greatest back-to-back achievement in tennis — winning the French Open and Wimbledon within weeks.

What, No Rattles, Klaxons or Vuvuzelas?

SAY IT AIN’T SO: The All England Club has banned vuvuzelas (those renowned World Cup noisemakers) from Wimbledon.  Said Ian Ritchie, “Rattles, klaxons and vuvuzelas all fall into that category.  Our message is do not bring them in the first place.”…For the first time in its 133-year history, there will be no English players in [...]

Muster On Comeback Trail; No DC for Murray

SOMETHING’S FISHY HERE: Is it just us, or is it a tad ironic that Boris Becker‘s son has a goldfish named Sushi?  After all, it was at the trendy London sushi joint Nobu where the German superstar infamously connected with Russian model Angela Ermakova — an encounter that destroyed his marriage to then-wife Barbara Feltus. [...]