(Getty/Francois Nel) Carlos Alcaraz sprinting full speed into the doubles alley, sliding into the advertising boards before somehow flicking a forehand winner back into play, has become one of the defining images of modern tennis. It truly is breathtaking to watch. But with the Spaniard sidelined since April, it also raises an important question. Has professional tennis reached the point where the human body is struggling to keep up? The game has never been faster, stronger

The state-of-the-art Jim Elphick Tennis Centre in Wagga Wagga. The 2026 NSW Country Closed Open and Junior Championships produced some incredible tennis and crowned new champions across a variety of singles, doubles and mixed doubles events. The Open events featured an increased total prize pool of over $17,000. “The 2026 NSW Country Championships have once again showcased everything that makes country tennis so special – exceptional competition, outstanding sportsmanship a

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten lift the 2025 ATP Finals trophy. (Getty/Jon Buckle) The ATP Tour's proposed changes to doubles have sparked one of tennis' biggest debates in years. Much of the discussion has focused on reported plans to reduce draw sizes and prize money from 2028. But throughout the debate, another criticism has repeatedly emerged from players and coaches: the ATP simply does not do enough to promote doubles. To examine those claims, The First Serve has ana

(Getty/Owen Hammond) As the second week of Wimbledon commences, a tournament so sacred and rich in Australian tennis history, the same story has repeated itself — Alex de Minaur flying the Aussie flag solo at a Grand Slam. Entering the All England Club as the fifth seed, de Minaur's run to the quarter-finals is expected of him at this stage of his career, despite the 27-year-old experiencing an uncharacteristic dip in form ever since winning the Rotterdam title in February. B

As many focus on Wimbledon and the World Cup, another large international sporting event is quietly bringing together athletes from around the globe. The 2026 Gay Games are taking place in Valencia, Spain, with more than 10,000 athletes from 81 nationalities competing across 38 sports. Australia has sent one of the largest overseas contingents, with more than 600 competitors making the journey. Among them are 37 Australian tennis players, taking part in a tournament featuring

(Tennis NSW) Regional tennis communities in Australia, and particularly New South Wales, are receiving much-deserved improvements to facilities and opportunities to pave the way for many more Australian players to develop and hone their games on home turf. It is no secret that Australian players face constant disadvantages due to numerous factors, from geographical location to international playing opportunities. This increased pressure to travel internationally to train, pl

(Getty/Patrick Smith) Since he burst onto the professional scene in 2013, Nick Kyrgios' career has been far from smooth sailing. But that's also the reason why he has forged a successful career (however you deem to define successful), whether it be a former world No.13, Wimbledon finalist, total career prize money or his impressive record against the 'big four'. His personality has driven him to compete with the sport's elite. If you were to describe the Canberrean's career i

The path to success as a sportsperson comes in many different forms. The definition of success for an athlete is subjective. It is a chapter of your working life, but a long way from identifying you as a person over a lifetime. Ash Barty’s philosophy that “tennis does not define me” is a core pillar of her legacy. She consistently separated her athletic achievements from her personal worth, famously stating after tough losses that the “sun’s still going to come up t

(Getty/Luke Walker) With the recent announcement that Italy would host a lead-in tournament to Wimbledon in 2028, it seems like the perfect time to reopen the debate about adding a grass court Masters event. There is still no ATP or WTA 1000 event on grass, despite every other surface having them, usually leading into a Grand Slam. On the men's side, there are three events on clay and six on hard court, while on the women's side, there are two on clay and eight on hard court

(Daria Saville/Instagram) Luke Saville has been one of the most well-liked players from Australia over the last 15 years, and since his retirement, he has made the transition into coaching and, of course, fatherhood. The former Australian Open doubles finalist’s wife, Dasha, gave birth to their son, Louie, earlier this year. The 32-year-old says that despite the gargantuan shift with a newborn, their lives have definitely changed for the better. "Fatherhood, we've just had Lo

(Getty/Markhanna) June on the tennis calendar means one thing: grasscourt season. The ATP, WTA, broadcasters, and media sites promote the few weeks each year when pristine green courts take centre stage. Players swap clay for grass as they chase titles at Queen's, Halle, Berlin, and Eastbourne before tennis' most famous tournament, Wimbledon. At the top of the game, grass remains healthy. The ATP and WTA Tours each feature six grasscourt tournaments over three weeks before Wi

(Getty/Paul Harding) For Serena Williams and her legion of fans all over the world, June 17 is D-Day. That's the day everyone will find out whether she has been given a wildcard into this year's Wimbledon, which begins on June 29. After making an impressive comeback in the HSBC Championships, albeit in just one doubles match as it turned out, it seems inevitable that the 44-year-old will be on the list. The big question now is whether that will be just in doubles or whether s

(Getty/Virginie Lefour) Before August last year, Raphael Collignon might not have been a name that was too familiar to many in the tennis world. But in August, he launched himself onto the world stage with a stunning upset of Casper Ruud at the US Open last year, winning in five sets over the former runner-up. Then, in September, the Belgian star really made a name for himself with a victory in Sydney over Alex de Minaur while cramping during Davis Cup qualifying before back

If you spend enough time around tennis today, you'll hear the same message repeated: data is the future. Most players and coaches want it. Parents ask for it. Technology companies are racing to provide it. The assumption seems to be that more data automatically leads to better decisions. Unfortunately, that's often not the case. The biggest problem in tennis isn't a lack of data. It's a lack of scrutiny around the data we produce. During a recent interview on The First Serve,

For many talented, young Aussie tennis players, going to college has become the "next step" after their junior career. But what happens next? These players are going from having four or more years of high-level competition, travel, and training to, all of a sudden, being all alone when it comes to what's next. And it is such a shame considering there is an incredible pool of talent in this post-collegiate squad that could seriously boost the level of professional Australian

Stan Wawrinka farewells the Roland Garros crowd. (Getty/Dimitar Dilkoff) There seems to be an influx of players retiring in 2026. From a three-time Grand Slam champion to one of the most entertaining players to grace a tennis court, the class of 2026 features a tall order of talent stretching back over 20 years. To help celebrate their careers, The First Serve spoke with long time tournament director Peter Johnston, who shared his experiences and memories of each retiring p

(Getty/Matthew Stockman) When controversy erupts off-court, it usually gets forgotten about once the actual tennis begins. Think back to the loud calls to strip Saudi Arabia of hosting the WTA Finals because of human rights issues and gender inequality, and Alex Zverev's court case regarding domestic violence allegations. When the tournament commences, that noise softens as the tennis played on the court offers that distraction. The same could be said at this year's Roland Ga

"We don't use data enough in the development of players. I don't blame coaches for that, or parents for that or even players for that, and the reason I don't is that the data that traditionally has been provided for those sections of tennis isn't great." The words of Nicholas Scott, CEO of 135 Tennis Intelligence, who joined The First Serve Live on SEN on Monday Night for an expanded chat. Scott is an expert in the field of tennis data and its use to develop players, from j

Wynee Warden Tennis Centre at Florida Southern College. Transferring in college has become a controversial topic of discourse in the collegiate tennis world. But the question of transferring for a player is never an easy one. So, how does a collegiate tennis player know it is time to hit the portal due to the coach, team, surroundings, or circumstances at their current program? Any collegiate athletic program, but especially a collegiate tennis team, is essentially a puzzle.

(Getty/Daniel Kopatsch) The start of this year's Roland Garros has been dominated by two things: unprecedented heat, which is stifling, and a debate about prize money, which caused almost as much fuss. Unhappy about the cash on offer, players staged a mini-revolt on media day, two days before the start of the tournament, fulfilling only 15 minutes of their usual press time. When the protest was announced, my first thought was that 15 minutes is an improvement - most pressers