Jake Rowland

There’s nothing quite like watching a tennis pusher turn your big forehand into one more ball to hit. You swing harder, they send it back. You go for the line, you miss. Suddenly you’re down a break, wondering how a player who barely seems to attack has taken over the match. Here’s the reset: you … Read more

A tennis player can win a match on Centre Court, collect a cheque worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and still have a very expensive month. The prize money looks enormous—until the coach, flights, hotel, physio, taxes and next week’s tournament have all had their turn. And unlike a regular salary, tennis income can swing … Read more

Your serve keeps floating gently into the net, and your volleys feel like you’re trying to catch a fast-moving frying pan. Sound familiar? The fix may be hiding in the way you hold the racket. The continental grip can make both shots feel more natural—but at first, it may also feel awkward. Stick with it. … Read more

A two-handed backhand can feel like a brick wall—or like two arms arguing over one racket. The difference is rarely brute strength. It’s usually a few small things: a grip that lets both hands work together, contact made out in front instead of beside your hip, and a finish that lets the racket travel through … Read more

Imagine being Rod Laver in 1963: you’re one of the best tennis players on Earth, but the sport’s biggest stages—the Grand Slams—are closed to you because you’ve turned professional. Then, in 1968, that wall finally cracks. Professionals walk into major tournaments, amateurs meet them across the net, and tennis begins its transformation from a divided … Read more

The ball is already flying, your opponent has cracked it crosscourt, and your feet are still glued to the court. Sound familiar? A well-timed split step can turn that half-second of panic into a sharp first move—and help you arrive balanced enough to hit a real shot instead of just poking the ball back. The … Read more

A glossy website, a trophy-lined lobby, and a coach who promises “rapid improvement” can make almost any tennis academy look like a winner. The real test comes when your player steps onto court: Does the coach know how to teach their level? Will they get enough individual attention? And can they actually get on court … Read more

One serve cracks off the strings, skids through the court, and suddenly the returner is scrambling just to keep the point alive. That’s the US Open hard court in a nutshell: quick enough to reward bold tennis, grippy enough to make heavy spin bite, and unforgiving enough that one mistimed step can put you on … Read more

One Australian Open rally can look like a rocket launch: a serve skids through the court, the return comes back just as fast, and suddenly both players are scrambling to turn defense into attack. Then the next exchange tells a different story—the ball jumps up around shoulder height, and the hitter has to manufacture the … Read more

For one electric night in Houston, a tennis match became a referendum on who deserved respect, money, and a place in sport. Billie Jean King walked onto the court facing Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon champion who had spent months declaring that women’s tennis was inferior. The crowd was roaring, the cameras were rolling, and … Read more