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

Novak Djokovic couldn't hold back the tears in an emotional moment in Athens. (ATP) It was more than an ordinary victory for Novak Djokovic in Athens, as the 24-time major winner paid tribute to his former coach Nikola Pilic, who passed away earlier this year. Djokovic, 38, eventually ran away with a straight sets win in his first round encounter at the Athens 250 event, downing Alejandro Tabilo 7-6(3), 6-1. Shop with a 15% storewide discount code: SERVE15 - excludes clearanc

(Getty/Julian Finney) Jannik Sinner has capitalised on Carlos Alcaraz's slip-up by winning the Paris Masters to reclaim the world No.1 ranking. It was another comfortable win for the 24-year-old Italian, who prevailed 6-4, 7-6(4) against a resurgent Felix Auger-Aliassime. Sinner didn't drop a set all tournament in the French capital, and was broken only three times throughout the week, with his most convincing victory coming against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals (6-0, 6

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

Alexander Bublik completely ignores Alexei Popyrin after winning his match at the Paris Masters (ATP). Alexei Popyrin suffered his fourth consecutive defeat overnight, as he bowed out in the first round of the Paris Masters to Alexander Bublik. Popyrin, who hasn't registered a win since the opening round of the US Open at the end of August, was outclassed 4-6, 3-6 in the French capital. By entering the code TFS2025, you will receive 15% off the RRP on all non-sale items when

(Getty/Koji Watanabe) At the start of 2025, Belinda Bencic had a mountain to climb with a ranking of No.421 following her stint on the sidelines due to maternity leave. Fast forward to October, the 28-year-old has captured her 10th WTA title after defeating Czechia's Linda Nosková 6-2, 6-3 at the Japan Open. Shop with a 15% storewide discount code: SERVE15 - excludes clearance items, machines, court equipment and gift cards at  www.tennisdirect.com.au It was a contest filled

(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

Jannik Sinner celebrates Italy's 2024 Davis Cup victory. (Clive Brunskill/Getty) Italy's chances of achieving a Davis Cup three-peat have taken a massive hit following Jannik Sinner's decision to skip the event, as one former Italian player labelled the decision a "slap in the face". Sinner, who guided Italy to back-to-back Davis Cup titles in 2023 and 2024, was not included in captain Filippo Volandri's squad list for November's tournament. The 24-year-old's last event for t

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

Holger Rune requires assistance as he limps off court. (Getty/Linnea Rheborg) World No.11 Holger Rune has had his 2025 season cut short in the cruellest way possible after an Achilles injury forced him into retirement mid-match. Rune, who has been ranked as high as No.4, clawed back from 2-4 down to win four straight games in the first set against Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the Stockholm Open semi-finals. By entering the code TFS2025, you will receive 15% off the RRP on all non

(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/Clive Brunskill) Three-time major finalist Alexander Zverev has suffered heartbreak on multiple occasions, but his latest loss won't impact him after checking his bank balance. Zverev, 28, participated in the first round of Saudi Arabia's Six Kings Slam — the second edition of the exhibition tournament. Shop with a 15% storewide discount code: SERVE15 - excludes clearance items, machines, court equipment and gift cards at  www.tennisdirect.com.au The world No.3 suffer

(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

(Getty/Lintao Zhang) Alex de Minaur has been hit with an injury concern just a few weeks out from the end of the season. Last week, the...

A stunned Valentin Vacherot after toppling Novak Djokovic. (Getty/Hector Retamal) Arriving at the Shanghai Masters as the ninth...

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