Tom Perrotta

Tom Perrotta on the Serbian star’s Wimbledon comeback.

At the Masters, the former great struggled against golfers who grew up watching him.

Only tennis die-hards pay attention to “Next Gen” tournaments—ATP events specifically for under-21 players—but if you had been at the Next Gen finals in Milan last November, you might have noticed something unusual: There was no one making line calls during points; the only official on court was…

To someone watching snowboarding for the first time, it might look like a mix of skiing, surfing, and skateboarding. Some competitive snowboarding events are races and feature obstacles or emphasize speed; others award higher scores for better tricks. They are fairly recent additions to the Winter…

To someone watching snowboarding for the first time, it might look like a mix of skiing, surfing, and skateboarding. Some competitive snowboarding events are races and feature obstacles or emphasize speed; others award higher scores for better tricks. They are fairly recent additions to the Winter…

Roger Federer has a wonderful serve and all the strokes. He’s the right height, 6-foot-1, and the right weight, 187 pounds. He’s fast and light on his feet. On the court, he no longer has a weakness, now that he slugs one-handed backhands rather than slicing most of them. There’s one more essential…

Here’s an embarrassing admission from a longtime Patriots football fan: My childhood team was the Miami Dolphins.

Roger Federer, 36 years old, looked worried. After having a big lead—just three games away from winning the Australian Open—he slipped, and slipped badly. First he was tied up. Then he fell behind. Then, improbably, Marin Cilic won the fourth set.

Simona Halep, the #1 player in women’s tennis, sat on her Australian Open bench late in her semifinal match against Angelique Kerber and smiled. It wasn’t a good smile. It was a look of irony and extreme frustration. Halep’s serve had just been broken and she now trailed 6-5 in the third set, one…

Last fall, the most talented young men in tennis gathered for a competition in Milan. There were no ranking points at stake—just money. It was a way to relax and show off your skills, and not worry about being upset. Turns out this was the perfect stage for Hyeon Chung, a 21-year-old from South…

In last year’s U.S. Open final, Madison Keys couldn’t sprint, or bend properly, or swing her racket without feeling pain. Her upper leg injury slowed her and frustrated her, and eventually left her in tears after a 6-3, 6-0 defeat against Sloane Stephens. Keys says the sadness lasted a while, for…

Speaking last year to Louisa Thomas, a writer for the New Yorker, Nick Kyrgios summed up his complicated life as a tennis pro: “I like going out on the practice court and training with my mates,” he said. “But I don’t know about fully engaging and giving everything to it. It’s just a game. It’s…

After nearly six months and lots of frustration, Novak Djokovic has returned to tennis. For now. For the best he can do. And what that is? No one knows—not even him.

The Australian Open, like the rest of the Slams, has its own character. The temperatures often transition rapidly from hot days to cool nights. The fans are festive and loud, and cheer from close seats in tight stadiums that are even noisier if the roof closes. And then there’s the attitude of the…

The Australian Open starts on Monday and we’ll have coverage of the tournament throughout the fortnight from my favorite tennis writer, Tom Perrotta.

No matter what happened Wednesday night, this was a World Series for the ages.

This summer, the Cleveland Indians won 22 consecutive baseball games—a seemingly impossible streak that elated fans of the team and captivated non-fans. The Indians won large and they won small. They won the 22nd game in a comeback, getting a hit with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the…

This summer, the Cleveland Indians won 22 consecutive baseball games—a seemingly impossible streak that elated fans of the team and captivated non-fans. The Indians won large and they won small. They won the 22nd game in a comeback, getting a hit with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the…

On September 9, at the beginning of the women’s final of the U.S. Open, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys walked onto the court carrying flowers. The rest isn’t worth overanalyzing: Stephens won the match in a rout as Keys struggled with her nerves and her mobility. It’s that they were both there…

On September 9, at the beginning of the women’s final of the U.S. Open, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys walked onto the court carrying flowers. The rest isn’t worth overanalyzing: Stephens won the match in a rout as Keys struggled with her nerves and her mobility. It’s that they were both there…

I’ve accepted it—it’s not going to happen at the U.S. Open. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will never meet in the final there. I had hoped there would be a chance this season, but now that the draw is out, the best they can do is the semifinals.

Okay, maybe I’m soft. Maybe I (stupidly) believe that some drugs are not the same as others, and shouldn’t be treated with as much contempt in sports. And yes, I feel it’s unfair when an athlete pays the full price for a mistake she made because she wasn’t paying attention, rather than trying to…

It’s a fallacy that young professional tennis talents struggle with pressure and nerves more than experienced players. Most of the gifted teens have mental advantages. They have skills and power, and know that they no one expects them to beat high-ranked players in top tournaments. Rather than…

Montreal

In July 2016, Roger Federer looked like he might be calling time on his illustrious career. He was 34, old for an athlete and especially so for tennis, a game in which Federer was at his best in his mid- to late 20s. His knee gave out on him in the semifinals of Wimbledon, and he announced that he…

In July 2016, Roger Federer looked like he might be calling time on his illustrious career. He was 34, old for an athlete and especially so for tennis, a game in which Federer was at his best in his mid- to late 20s. His knee gave out on him in the semifinals of Wimbledon, and he announced that he…

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Don't blame Roger Federer for being nervous on Tuesday against Dusan Lajovic, a low-ranked player. This was week one at Wimbledon, a period that usually feels like a vacation for Federer, who has won this title seven times, tied for the most in history. Not this year. Federer, who has lost just two…

Wimbledon, England

Wimbledon, England

Victoria Azarenka shouldn’t be at Wimbledon. She shouldn't have won a tricky first round match and then suddenly pummeled Elena Vesnina, one of last year's semifinalists, in the second round. Azarenka has a 6-month-old son and hasn't played Grand Slam tennis since last year's French Open. Before…

In men’s tennis, Russia is coming.

Novak Djokovic is not playing terrible tennis. He’s not thinking about retirement, or wondering, “Why bother? I never win!” He’s not about to collapse, or quit, or become a television host about cooking in Serbia, where he grew up and now owns a restaurant chain. Yes, Djokovic has lost far more…

After a few months off and a shaky start, Roger Federer looks ready to swing and glide on the grass courts of Wimbledon. He’ll need every talent he can muster to win a title that almost always makes a veteran fail.

Four years ago, Wimbledon's lawns were seen as a problem. "The U.S. Open and Australian Open championships get the best games, you get a better standard of tennis at those," David Lloyd, a former British Davis Cup captain, told the Times of London in 2005. "The grass will eventually go." Grass…