There were plenty of empty seats during Spain's quarter-final tie against Czechia in Bologna. (Photo: The First Serve) As the Italians conquered Austria, Belgium and Spain without dropping a match en route to their third successive Davis Cup title, the BolognaFiere stadium was rocking thanks to a football-like atmosphere that can only be replicated by a select handful of nations. But what did we actually expect? The Finals were held in Bologna at a 10,000-seat arena. Fans of

(Getty) Grace loves tennis. She loves to practice, compete and socialise with her friends. The only thing she loved more than tennis was her mum, and when she passed away suddenly, all of the love she had for tennis disappeared.  Grace and her two sisters grew up in Sri Lanka — a loving household that shared a love of family and tennis. The girls would have lessons and play with their friends during the week, and then the whole family would play together on the weekends. The

Team Australia celebrate after defeating Brazil and Portugal in the BJK Cup qualifiers. (Getty/William West) On a rainy Sunday morning, a spattering of fans made the steep journey up the hill from Hobart's CBD to the Domain Tennis Centre. The road up to the grounds may not look like much, but once fans arrive in the stadium, they are greeted by what is undoubtedly the most picturesque tennis arena in Australia. Framed by Mount Wellington and the ever-present cruise ships, the

(Getty/Clive Brunskill) Love it or hate it, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have become the present and future of men's tennis, as between them, they have won nine of the last 10 majors, including the last eight. The last three majors of 2025, being the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, saw the pair face off in the finals, and now we're at the stage where, barring injury, it feels as if these two will be in every final for the next decade. Some may find it boring, but

(Getty/Zhizhao Wu) Bernard Tomic is one of the most polarising players in Australian tennis history, but for some reason, I can't help rooting for him. Yes, he has endured his fair share of controversy over the years, whether it be his counting millions quotes or barbs at the hierarchy of the sport to bring the focus away from on-court results, but let's be honest, they have been nonexistent for a while now. It is hard to believe that 14 years have passed since his incredible

(Getty/Clive Brunskill) Season 2025 has come to an end for Alex de Minaur, and it comes with a taste of both familiarity and the new. A bold run to the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals ended with a 13 th consecutive defeat to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. In a match that had its moments for the Australian, break points early and strong serving, with an eye perhaps to what it might take to break through against what has been the great stumbling block for the nation's hi

(Getty) The packed schedule of professional tennis has been a hot topic among players, fans, and the media. Those finishing after the ATP Finals this week have around six weeks until the Australian summer, while those playing Davis Cup have just over a month. But there's one city in the world that has no concerns about a crowded calendar.  Since January 6, this location has had a men's professional tennis tournament every single week of 2025. Shop with a 15% storewide discoun

Holger Rune limps off court with an Achilles injury at the Stockholm Open. (Getty/Linnea Rheborg) A young aspiring tennis player starts making waves in the tennis world, only to get hit with a serious injury that brings them to a screeching halt. It's a tale as old as time, yet it seems to be happening more frequently. Why is this so?  Most recently, 22-year-old Holger Rune, who sits at No.15 in the ATP rankings, suffered a terrible Achilles injury during his semi-final at th

Cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rindekrnech produced one of tennis' greatest stories in Shanghai. (Getty/Lintao Zhang) Coming into the final tournaments on the tennis calendar, 2025 has been another memorable year on the ATP and WTA tours.  From one of the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time to the lowest-ranked player ever to win a Masters 1000 title, let's roll back the year as we revisit the best stories of the 2025 tennis season. Maddie's fairytale run The last ti

João Fonseca soaks in his maiden Basel 500 title. (Getty/Fabrice Coffrini) Brazilian teenager João Fonseca has concluded his first season on the ATP Tour. A season that was one of the most hyped in recent memory – thanks mainly to the way he finished off last season, and blasted out of the 2025 gates. He recently announced via social media: "Wrapping up the season incredibly proud of the work accomplished. So grateful for everything that happened this year, full of experience

Italy celebrate back-to-back Davis Cup titles (Getty/Clive Brunskill) The Davis Cup has long been a vexed topic amongst tennis fans. After Switzerland's 2014 triumph in the competition, the 'Big Three' were rarely seen, leading to a push for change to make the event more manageable for players amidst an increasingly demanding tennis season.   This led to a format change, removing home and away ties in the World Group and adopting a neutral round-robin format, much to the cons

Rafael Nadal was celebrated on Court Philippe-Chatrier with a permanent plaque. (Getty/Clive Brunskill) When sports teams lift the championship trophy, immediately, even before the last piece of confetti can hit the ground, we start talking about the D word. No, not that D word, I'm talking about 'Dynasty'. It's as if we can't allow the team to enjoy the moment before we start discussing the future. We essentially dismiss the notion that winning one title is an accomplishment

(Getty Images - Max Slovencik) Despite remaining winless in 12 attempts against Jannik Sinner after his latest defeat in Vienna, how fortunate is Australian tennis to have Alex de Minaur. My year travelling the globe from Melbourne following the tour for The First Serve has coincided with the 26-year-old Aussie having the most match wins (54) in all formats combined since he turned pro back in 2015. I have been up close and personal with the Demon more than any other year, be

(Getty) "I don't need you anymore!" That was the greeting I received last month from a young student whom I had worked with for around three months. "OK, no problem. You have it all worked out?' I replied: "Yes, dad and I bought a ball machine and realised we don't need to spend all this money on lessons when I can just use the ball machine any time I want for as long as I want". I filled that spot the next day and did not give it another thought. I did, however, think about

(Getty/Minas Panagiotakis) In August 2024, Australia's Alexei Popyrin produced a stunning result that surprised many in the tennis world when he claimed the Montreal Masters, a 1000-level event, despite his modest world ranking of No.62 at the time. The win catapulted him to No. 23 and secured his seeding for this year's Australian Open. The shockwaves of that win were twofold. It got people thinking about the path of the next generation, and just how open it might be (seemin

Dane Sweeny at the 2024 Australian Open. (Getty/Martin Keep) The first month of the Australian Pro Tour has concluded across four cities around the country, establishing some stellar results for both homegrown talent and players from abroad.   Having been involved in the commentary for Tennis Australia on beIN Sports across the opening month in 2025, the grit and determination on show have been exemplary.   Players fight tooth and nail for any ranking point they can get their

(Getty/Mustafa Yalcin) The path for a newcomer on the WTA tour today looks very different from a decade ago. The trajectory of a tennis player to the pro tour has changed exponentially, not to mention the tour and everything that comes along with it. So just how different was the circuit for a WTA newcomer 10 years ago?  Back then, the typical trajectory for a pro WTA player included progressing through the junior ITF level, then onto the professional ITF circuit, and working

Naomi Osaka interacts with the Wuhan crowd with a selfie. (Getty/Wang He) As the tennis world chases new riches in the Middle East, it's the rest of Asia that deserves attention. The men's circuit has just wrapped up its annual swing through Asia and is already heading back to its comfort zone: Europe.  Across three short weeks (an extended one for Shanghai), we saw five tournaments — two 250s, two 500s, and a single Masters 1000.  All but one were held in mainland China, wit

(Getty/Hector Retamal) Valentin Vacherot's victory at the Shanghai Masters is the story of the tennis season — a true underdog triumph that defied every expectation. The 26-year-old Monegasque, ranked outside the world's top 200 at the start of the tournament, stunned the tennis world by winning his first career title. By entering the code TFS2025, you will receive 15% off the RRP on all non-sale items when you shop online at  www.racquetworld.com.au On his way to lifting the

Craig Tiley addresses the audience at the 2026 Australian Open launch. (Daniel Pockett/Getty) Australian Open and innovation. The two...