It was only a year ago when French Open victories by American men matched the number of Sponge Bob sightings at the Louvre.

American men were shut out of the 2007 Roland Garros as nine Americans — Andy Roddick, James Blake, Amer Delic, Justin Gimelstob, Robby Ginepri, Robert Kendrick, Sam Querrey, Michael Russell and Vince Spadea — bit the dust in the opening round of the 2007 French Open collectively combining to create a piece of ignominius history: it was the worst Grand Slam performance by American men in 34 years. (more…)

Teaching tennis in Manhattan was the credit course that helped put Claude Okin through college and now Okin is part of a group trying to put public tennis back on the map for recreational players in an island adjacent to Manhattan. 

Though New York City is the home to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center — one of the world’s largest public tennis facilities and site of the U.S. Open — middle and lower-income recreational players in the city can find themselves increasingly squeezed out of court space in Manhattan. (more…)

Even by today’s “hello, I must be going” atmosphere on the pro tour where tennis is too often viewed as transportation toward some other career track, Justine Henin’s retirement from the circuit a little more than two weeks shy of her 26th birthday was surprisingly swift. (more…)

Andrea Jaeger spent her childhood chasing the bouncing ball on courts around the world and her gift for the game carried her to 10 career titles, the 1982 Roland Garros final and the 1983 Wimbledon final as she was hailed as one of tennis’ brightest teenage stars.

Tennis was her career, but wasn’t her calling. (more…)

John McEnroe never got under Bjorn Borg’s skin, but he has been known to step in the stoic Swede’s underwear — and found it to be a fulfilling experience.

Soon, you’ll be able to step into the shorts of the six-time French Open champion too without sneaking into the senior tour’s  locker room. (more…)

The USTA is in the mood to party this month and you’re invited to the baseline bash.

May is national tennis month and the USTA is planning to host more than 200 tennis block parties to celebrate (if you think the words “USTA” and “party” coexist about as comfortably as a seance during Cinco de Mayo then you probably didn’t witness the celebration in Portland last December after the U.S. Davis Cup team captured its first Davis Cup championship in 12 years then you know their world-class celebratory skills can be as big as a Blake forehand). (more…)