Stan Wawrinka holds the 2016 US Open trophy. (Getty/Elsa) After days of rumours and guesses, former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka requested a wildcard into the final Grand Slam of the year. Wawrinka, 41, is playing his final season on Tour and previously received wildcards into the other three Grand Slams, where his best performance was the Australian Open, reaching the third round. However, despite eight wildcards available, the Swiss star has been rejected by the United St

(Getty/Bradley Kanaris) Nick Kyrgios deserves some compassion as he confronts another difficult period in his life. But after years spent passing unforgiving judgment on other players, he cannot expect the tennis world to ignore the hypocrisy. There is something extremely ironic about the possibility that Nick Kyrgios' professional career may end this way. Not with one final night match out on John Cain Arena at the Australian Open. Not with another on-court blow-up at Wimble

US Open's Arthur Ashe Stadium. (Getty/Elsa) In a tennis first, players will have a voice in decisions by the sport's four Grand Slam events, amid a Player Advisory Council. On Thursday, a media release sent by representatives of the four majors detailed the move, hailing it as a "significant milestone". "The Australian Open, Roland-Garros, The Championships, Wimbledon, and US Open today announced the formation of a Grand Slam Player Advisory Council to serve as the forum for

Alexei Popyrin and Dane Sweeny. (Getty) A wildcard is a noun meaning an unpredictable factor, a special tournament spot, a flexible playing card, or a computer search symbol. That is the dictionary definition of a wildcard. In tennis terms, it allows a player to enter a tournament without meeting standard qualification rules. Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in its 18th year on the SEN Network/App, Australia's only dedicated weekly tennis program on com

(Getty/Ben Whitley) The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has provisionally suspended former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios after violating the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. During an ATP 250 event in Mallorca back in June, Kyrgios' drug test returned positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in its 18th year on the SEN Network/App, Australia's only dedicated weekly tennis program on commercial r

(Getty) Aussies Alexei Popyrin and Taylah Preston have been awarded US Open reciprocal wildcards in agreement with Tennis Australia. Preston, 20, sits one place outside the top 100, but is nonetheless excited to compete on one of tennis' biggest stages. "I'm extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to compete in the main draw in New York," said Preston, who recently won the WTA 125 Vancouver title against Maddison Inglis in the final. "It means so much to me – I've put

(Getty/Emmanuele Ciancagliani) Reputable Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reports that world No.1 Jannik Sinner is preparing for a fitness test in the coming days to determine whether he will enter the upcoming US Open. Sinner, who turned 25 this week, withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters due to a knee injury. "My right knee has been bothering me, and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I'm not ready to compete yet," he said

At 31, Jeremy Beale stood behind the baseline at an ITF tournament in Brisbane, preparing to serve. His hands were trembling. It had been almost three years since his last professional tournament, and now he was back. But there was no protected ranking, guaranteed main draw, or shortcut back to where he had once been. Beale was starting again in qualifying. Comebacks are nothing new in tennis. At the top of the sport, established players can return in their 30s with the rank

(Getty/Matthias Hangst) For decades, the formula for following professional tennis was simple. Fans tuned into live broadcasts, read newspaper reports the following morning and perhaps caught a highlights package on television. The biggest tournaments dominated the conversation, while everything in between largely passed by unnoticed. Today, that model has been turned on its head. A growing number of fans are discovering the sport through YouTube creators, podcasts, social me

(Getty/Matthew Stockman) New Toronto champion Iga Świątek made sure to put a few people in their place following consistent criticism. The 25-year-old dropped only five games in Canada's WTA 1000 final against Elena Rybakina, winning 6-2, 6-3 in a dominant display. "The journey has been bumpy this season," admitted Świątek. "To be here and to hold the trophy… means a lot, and I'm just proud of myself and super-happy." Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in

(Getty/Minas Panagiotakis) Brazil has a long and proud tennis history, with Gustavo Kuerten and Maria Bueno carrying the torch for many years amidst passionate Brazilian fandom at the tournament in Rio and other events around Brazil and many a parochial Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup atmosphere. However, in recent years there has been somewhat of a singles drought, with the main stalwarts being Thiago Monteiro on the men's side and Beatriz Haddad Maia on the women's side,

(Getty/Kelly Defina) Former world No.33 John Millman believes that there's "not the volume of players coming through" in the Australian tennis system despite the rise of Cruz Hewitt. Millman, who retired in 2024, shared his thoughts on Cruz, son of former world No.1 Lleyton, after reaching the Wimbledon Boys' final and earning his maiden ATP Tour victory. "For me, Cruz is very, very talented. Sometimes when I watch him play, and when I was with him, his biggest opponent at ti

(Getty/Brendon Thorne) You don't usually think of 'team' when you think of tennis, do you? Well, that's because tennis has always been known as an individual sport. Even though doubles utilises a pair, singles and the heightened individuality of the tennis environment have always been evident. But over the years, we have seen a variety of formats, leagues, and organisations embrace a team environment in tennis. From the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup to college tennis to

Carlos Alcaraz in the stands to watch his brother, Jaime. (Getty/Europa Press) The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) have launched a scathing reality check following the concerning number of player withdrawals, linking injuries to a demanding schedule. The men's field has been more open in recent months since Carlos Alcaraz's absence dating back to April (wrist injury), and just recently, world No.1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters due to a knee

Bernard Tomic in action at the Los Cabos Open. (Getty/Matthew Stockman) For anyone newly exposed to tennis, it can be somewhat confusing to learn the counterintuitive rules and bizarre traditions. There's the '99 per cent in' rule, where any microscopic part of the ball touching the white line is considered 100 per cent in, losing a point for a hat falling off, the Wimbledon all-white dress code, among others that make the sport unique in its own right. Even the scoring syste

Following a hugely successful 2026 tournament, the Kooyong Classic has continued its momentum into 2027, today announcing Australian star Nick Kyrgios and former World No. 2 Paula Badosa as the first players to join the 2027 tournament. Returning to the spiritual home of Australian tennis from 12–14 January 2027, former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios is one of the world’s biggest drawcards, renowned for his shot-making, creativity and ability to entertain crowds whenever he

Cruz Hewitt at the Washington Open. (Getty/ Emilee Chinn) Days after 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt took a massive step in his pro tennis career, a healthy discussion has materialised about his junior environment and the lessons Tennis Australia can take away from it. Hewitt, who qualified as a wildcard for his first-ever Tour-level main draw at the ATP 500 Washington Open, won his first Tour-level match against world No.85 Marcos Giron before falling to 2025 champion and mentor Ale

Players react in shock during the AO 1 Point Slam. (Getty/David Gray) As expected off the back of huge success, the AO 1 Point Slam will be making another appearance at Rod Laver Arena for the 2027 Australian Open. The event was played during January's Opening Week, where a knockout format saw amateurs take on pros, with the first player to win a point progressing to the next round. NSW State Champion Jordan Smith won the inaugural AO 1 Point Slam, defeating world No.1 Jannik

(Photo credits: Tennis Australia, Getty/Tim Clayton) John McEnroe once told a story about what it is like to be a famous parent. Sitting in the stands watching one of his sons play basketball, he was quiet, a surprise to those who had spotted him there and who no doubt expected him to behave as he occasionally did on the tennis court. Instead, he was calm, trying to be supportive without getting too involved. "I get bottled up in a way," McEnroe told a small group of British

(Getty/Clive Brunskill) Former Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová has learnt the full findings of the tribunal report following her four-year ban. Vondroušová, 27, was handed the ban in June after the Czech star denied a doping officer entry to her home to conduct a routine doping test, arguing that the officer failed to follow "protocol". She was fearful of a similar incident occurring to that of fellow Czech, Petra Kvitová, who was stabbed in her apartment in 2016, addi