Jake Rowland 
A junior can be 14 years old, staring down a packed stadium at a Grand Slam, and still have to solve the same big-match puzzle as the pros: how to win six rounds, handle pressure, and make smart decisions when the match gets tight. But the junior draw has its own rules. Who can enter? … Read more
You land after an overnight flight, haul your racket bag through a crowded terminal, and discover the “tennis camp near the airport” is still a two-hour drive away. Then you arrive to find four hours of drills on a court surface you barely play on—and a group moving at a completely different level. That is … Read more
It’s 5–5 in the third set, the rally has been a thriller, and then—wait a second. The chair umpire’s score doesn’t match what you remember. Did that last point make it 30–30 or 40–15? And if the players have already played another point, does it count? Here’s the reassuring answer: in tennis, a mistaken score … Read more
One week, a player is cashing a prize-money cheque in London. The next, they are chasing ranking points in New York, then hopping to Asia while a coach, physio, and accountant try to keep the paperwork from piling up. The tennis is global. Tax rules? Very much not one-size-fits-all. For professional players, the question is … Read more
A high ball lands in your strike zone—or so you think. You swing hard, the ball sails long, and your racket finishes somewhere near your ear while your feet are still scrambling. Sound familiar? The buggy-whip forehand can turn that awkward shoulder-high ball into a heavy, aggressive shot, but the secret isn’t whipping your wrist. … Read more
A serve can crack past 220 km/h, make the radar gun blink—and still come back. Meanwhile, a slower delivery that lands wide, skids off the court and leaves the returner reaching can win the point just as cleanly. That’s the great serve-speed mystery: pace matters, but the court beneath the ball changes how much that … Read more
One court can turn a serve into a starting gun. On another, the same delivery gives the returner enough time to take a full swing, send the ball dipping at the server’s feet, and make the trip to the net feel like a bad idea. That’s court pace in action—and it helps explain why serve-and-volley … Read more
Your long-haul trip has a six-hour stop, the sun is out, and a tennis court is somewhere nearby. Suddenly, sitting under fluorescent airport lights feels like a missed opportunity. A layover hit can be brilliant: stretch your legs, shake off the cabin stiffness, and get a little tennis in before the next flight. But there’s … Read more
Watch Evonne Goolagong Cawley move and tennis seems to loosen its rules. A ball pulls her wide? She glides after it. The obvious reply is a safe shot back down the middle? She slips in a feather-light drop shot, a sharp angle, or a clean strike that sends her forward instead. Her game had the … Read more
The ball is coming fast, you’re still facing the net, and your racket is somewhere behind the play. Sound familiar? That split-second scramble is often not a swing problem—it’s a preparation problem. A crisp unit turn can buy you time before the ball reaches you, helping your forehand and backhand feel calmer, cleaner, and far … Read more