Jake Rowland 
A tennis ball can go from bright yellow to sadly flat in a handful of matches. Then it lands in a basket, a garage, or the trash—and millions of balls face that same dead-ball ending. The good news: you may be able to give yours another job. The tricky part is that tennis balls usually … Read more
A tennis rally can change in the few inches between waist height and shoulder height. One ball arrives in your strike zone, inviting a bold drive; the next kicks up near your ear, and suddenly the same swing is a gamble. That difference isn’t just about comfort. The height at which your opponent contacts the … Read more
A rally can look perfectly safe—crosscourt, crosscourt, crosscourt—until someone snaps a ball down the line and suddenly the whole court feels too small. That direction change is one of tennis’s most thrilling tactical moves. It can win a point outright. It can also turn a comfortable rally into a rushed forehand, a late contact, and … Read more
A fast first serve can make your backhand feel like it has about half a second to solve a very loud problem. The good news: you don’t need a giant swing, a perfect contact point, or a highlight-reel winner. You need a compact preparation, a racket face that stays steady through contact, and a clear … Read more
January in Melbourne means blazing sunshine, packed summer terraces, and tennis players trying to slide, sprint, and serve their way through the first major test of a new season. The Australian Open feels as if it has always opened the tennis year—but it hasn’t. Its calendar journey included November finals, a brief experiment that produced … Read more
You hit a big serve, charge forward, and suddenly the return is coming back at your shoelaces. You lunge, poke the volley straight back to the returner, and watch them pass you down the line. Sound familiar? The fix isn’t simply “run faster.” It’s arriving balanced, split-stepping as the returner strikes, and choosing a first … Read more
Your opponent has dragged you so wide that the singles sideline is practically under your feet. You’re off balance, the ball is dropping, and a full-blooded forehand would send it sailing into the next court. This is exactly when a tennis squash-shot forehand can save the rally. With a firm outside-leg plant, a compact swing … Read more
A five-set thriller, a packed stadium, a match pushed back by rain—and cramps that arrive right on cue. For professional women tennis players, managing a menstrual cycle during a tournament can mean thinking about far more than the score: pain, energy, bathroom access, travel, heat, and the very practical question of what to pack in … Read more
Imagine standing on grass in the 1960s, watching a serve land, a player charge forward, and the next shot arrive before you have time to settle into your seat. That was Roy Emerson’s world: fast, fearless tennis built on a big first strike, quick feet, and a volley that could turn a rally into a … Read more
Your tennis week shouldn’t feel like a second job—or leave your family wondering where you’ve disappeared to. But between meetings, school pickups, dinner, court bookings, and the occasional sore shoulder, it can seem as if there’s no room for one more thing. The fix isn’t to squeeze tennis into every spare minute. It’s to give … Read more