Lorenzo Musetti ended a four-year wait for an ATP Tour singles title on Sunday, defeating American Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4 to win the ATP 250 championship in Lyon, France.

The sixth-seeded Italian delivered an impressive performance in the final, controlling the match with his creative shot-making, varied spins and exceptional court coverage to secure his first tour-level trophy since winning in Naples in October 2022. The victory marked the third ATP Tour singles title of Musetti’s career. <Cite refs={[“turn835326search8”,“turn835326search12”]}/>

For Musetti, the triumph was particularly meaningful after a difficult stretch in which he had lost seven consecutive ATP Tour finals. His victory also made him the first Italian man to win the singles title in Lyon. <Cite refs={[“turn835326search8”,“turn835326search13”]}/>

Musetti Takes Control Against Fritz

Fritz entered the final in strong form, having won all 31 of his service games during the tournament before facing Musetti. The second-seeded American had defeated fellow American Tommy Paul in the semifinals, firing 15 aces and saving all nine break points he faced.

Musetti immediately disrupted that impressive run of serving. He broke Fritz in the American’s opening service game and raced to a 3-0 lead, using his ability to change pace and trajectory to prevent Fritz from settling into a rhythm.

The Italian maintained his advantage to claim the opening set 6-3.

Musetti continued to apply pressure in the second set, earning another break for a 2-1 lead. He remained composed on serve and never faced a break point throughout the match, eventually closing out the 6-4 second set to complete the victory in approximately 81 minutes.

Dramatic Comeback Sets Up Championship Run

Musetti’s championship run became even more remarkable because of his semifinal victory over top-seeded compatriot Flavio Cobolli.

After dropping the opening set 6-4, Musetti responded with a dominant 6-2 second set before overcoming Cobolli 7-5 in the decider. He saved four match points along the way, keeping his tournament alive in one of the week’s most dramatic matches.

The physical demands of the week were considerable. Musetti had also battled through a lengthy quarterfinal against Frenchman Luca Van Assche that finished after 1 a.m.

Despite those challenges, he produced his best tennis when it mattered most against Fritz.

“I think I played probably my best tennis, so I’m really happy and proud of this win,” Musetti said after the final, reflecting on the emotional journey to the championship.

A Major Boost for Musetti

The Lyon title represents an important milestone for Musetti, whose season had been disrupted by injuries and inconsistent results. After reaching a career-high ranking of No. 5 in January, he had slipped down the rankings before finding renewed form in France.

The victory provides a welcome confidence boost heading into the closing stages of the season and ends the frustration of repeated final defeats.

For Fritz, the loss was another disappointment indoors. The American was seeking his 12th career ATP Tour title but was unable to find answers to Musetti’s variety and precision.

For Musetti, however, Lyon will be remembered as the week he rediscovered his winning touch. After four years without a tour-level championship, the talented Italian once again stood atop an ATP Tour podium.

The post Lorenzo Musetti Ends Four-Year Title Drought With Win Over Taylor Fritz In Lyon appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

Elena Rybakina continued her remarkable 2026 season on Sunday, cruising past Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 to win the Ningbo Open in China and successfully defend her WTA 500 championship.

The top-seeded Rybakina needed just one hour and 16 minutes to defeat Fernandez in the October 25 final, delivering a commanding performance that underscored her status as the world’s top-ranked player. The victory gave the Kazakh star her fourth WTA Tour singles title of the season and the 15th of her career.

It was also Rybakina’s first tournament title since reaching world No. 1 following her triumph at the US Open, providing a timely boost as the women’s tennis season approaches its conclusion.

Rybakina takes control from the start

Rybakina established her dominance early against the 30th-ranked Fernandez, using her powerful groundstrokes and precise serving to dictate the pace of the match.

The defending champion broke Fernandez’s serve twice in the opening set, taking advantage of her opponent’s difficulties under pressure to build a 5-2 advantage. Rybakina then closed out the set without dropping a game on her own serve.

Fernandez attempted to mount a challenge in the second set, but Rybakina continued to apply pressure from the baseline. Another early break put the top seed in front, and she maintained the advantage despite facing a pair of break points in the fourth game.

Rybakina saved all four break points she faced throughout the match and broke Fernandez twice in each set. She ultimately sealed the championship on her first match point with a powerful forehand winner.

The result extended Rybakina’s winning streak at Ningbo to eight matches. She also captured the title in her previous appearance in 2025, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in that year’s final.

Four titles in a standout season

The Ningbo championship adds another major accomplishment to what has become a landmark year for Rybakina.

Her four titles in 2026 include the Australian Open, the Stuttgart tournament on clay, the US Open and now Ningbo. She leads the WTA Tour in titles this season and has recorded 53 match victories at tour level.

The victory also marked her seventh WTA 500 championship, further strengthening her record at that level of competition.

After moving past Aryna Sabalenka into the No. 1 position following the US Open, Rybakina experienced a difficult stretch in Asia. She suffered a surprising early defeat at the China Open and missed the Wuhan Open because of a foot injury.

Her commanding performance in Ningbo demonstrated that she has regained her winning form at a crucial point in the season.

Fernandez falls short in another strong run

Fernandez entered the final hoping to win her second title in as many months after capturing the Singapore Open in September.

The 23-year-old left-hander, who reached the US Open final in 2021, had enjoyed an encouraging tournament in Ningbo. However, Rybakina’s serving and baseline power proved too much to overcome.

Despite the defeat, Fernandez’s recent results have provided positive momentum as she looks to finish the year strongly.

The race to finish No. 1

Rybakina’s victory carries additional significance as she seeks to finish 2026 as the year-end world No. 1.

With the WTA Finals approaching, every title and ranking point could prove important in determining the final standings. Rybakina is scheduled to continue her Asian swing at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo before turning her attention to the season-ending championships.

The WTA Finals will bring together the leading players of the season, giving Rybakina another opportunity to cap her breakthrough year with a prestigious title.

For now, the Kazakh star can celebrate another successful title defense. By winning Ningbo for a second consecutive year, Rybakina has reinforced her position at the top of women’s tennis and added another milestone to a season already highlighted by two Grand Slam championships.

With four titles in 2026 and the year-end No. 1 ranking within reach, Rybakina has established herself as one of the defining players of the women’s tennis season.

The post Elena Rybakina Defends Ningbo Open Title To Strengthen Bid To Finish As Year-End No. 1 appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

Daniil Medvedev made history in Kazakhstan on Sunday, overcoming a first-set setback to defeat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3 and successfully defend his title at the Almaty Open.

The top-seeded Medvedev’s victory on October 25 marked the 25th ATP Tour singles title of his career and his fourth championship of the 2026 season. More significantly, the former world No. 1 finally accomplished something that had eluded him throughout his career: successfully defending a tour-level title.

Medvedev, 30, had previously won the Almaty championship in 2025, defeating France’s Corentin Moutet in the final. His return to Kazakhstan proved equally rewarding, as he became the first player to win the Almaty Open twice.

Medvedev turns the match around

The championship match against Georgian veteran Basilashvili was far from straightforward for Medvedev.

Basilashvili, a qualifier ranked outside the world’s top 100, matched the Russian’s power from the baseline in a competitive opening set. After Medvedev missed opportunities to close out the set, Basilashvili prevailed in the tiebreak to take the early advantage.

Medvedev responded emphatically in the second set, taking control of the rallies and putting increasing pressure on his opponent. The Russian broke Basilashvili twice and raced to a 6-1 victory to level the match.

The deciding set followed a similar pattern, with Medvedev using his consistency, court coverage and counterpunching ability to force errors from the Georgian. Basilashvili continued to fight, but Medvedev maintained control and secured the 6-3 set to complete the comeback.

“It was not easy, but I had my chances in the first set,” Medvedev said after the victory. He explained that he believed he would have opportunities to turn the match around, even after losing the opening set.

A milestone championship

The Almaty title represents another important achievement for Medvedev, who has enjoyed a productive 2026 campaign.

Before arriving in Kazakhstan, he captured titles in Brisbane, Dubai and Hangzhou. His victory in Almaty makes him one of only three men to win four ATP Tour singles titles this season, alongside Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton.

The championship also extended Medvedev’s winning streak at the Almaty tournament to eight matches, underscoring his comfort on the indoor hard courts.

His achievement is particularly notable given his previous struggles to defend titles. Despite winning major championships and reaching the top of the world rankings, Medvedev had never managed to win the same tour-level tournament in consecutive years before this week.

Basilashvili’s impressive run

Although he fell short in the final, Basilashvili enjoyed an outstanding week in Almaty.

The 34-year-old Georgian came through qualifying before advancing to the championship match. Along the way, he defeated several established tour players, including former world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals.

Basilashvili was seeking his first ATP Tour title since Munich in 2021 and his first tour-level final since 2022. His performance in Almaty demonstrated that he remains capable of challenging top-level opponents.

The run also helped restore his ranking momentum, with the Georgian set to return to the world’s top 100.

ATP Finals qualification in sight

Medvedev’s triumph has also strengthened his bid to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, where the season’s leading eight players compete for the year-end championship.

Medvedev, who won the ATP Finals in 2020, moved into fifth place in the live Race to Turin following his Almaty victory. With the season nearing its conclusion, the championship points could prove crucial in securing his return to the prestigious event.

He is scheduled to continue his late-season push at the Vienna Open before heading to the Paris Masters.

For Medvedev, however, the achievement in Kazakhstan goes beyond the race for Turin. After years of winning titles without successfully defending one, he has finally crossed that milestone off his career list.

And with four trophies already secured in 2026, the Russian has made a compelling statement as the ATP season enters its final stretch.

The post Daniil Medvedev Defends Almaty Open Title, Wins 25th Career ATP Trophy appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

Two places. That’s how far Alexander Zverev will have climbed in 2026, from No. 3 at the start of the season to the top of the PIF ATP Rankings. For a decade he knocked; this year, the door finally gave way.

2026 Belongs to Zverev

In Paris, he beat Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 to become the first German man to win a major since Boris Becker in 1996. Jannik Sinner had already lost in shocking fashion to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round, and Carlos Alcaraz was out with a wrist injury. Wimbledon ended in a final defeat by Sinner. Then, at Flushing Meadows, with Sinner absent and Alcaraz beaten by Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals, he beat Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to claim his second Slam title of the year.

Online betting sites had made Zverev a distinct outsider in both. The odds from the Sportaza online sports betting and casino site listed him as an 8/1 shot both in Paris and in the New York, but when Sinner was ousted early in the former and Alcaraz in the latter, he was immediately installed as an even-money favourite. And on both occasions, he would live up to the billing.

Let’s be honest: both majors came with a rival missing, and both were entirely earned. Sinner has ended his season with a knee injury, and the ATP’s live rankings put Zverev 1,230 points behind him on 9,720. Zverev clinched year-end No. 1 on October 12 when Zizou Bergs beat Alcaraz 7-5, 7-6(4) in Shanghai, and he called it “just a dream come true.” He’ll become the 30th different world No. 1 and only the second German after Becker in 1991. That could come as early as November 2 if he wins in Shanghai and reaches the Vienna semi-finals, or reaches the Shanghai final and wins Vienna.

What does it say about Zverev’s year that climbing two places matters more than anyone else’s jump? Simply that the ladder is steepest near the top. Lower down, four recognizable names have climbed much further, albeit without grabbing the same headlines.

Rafael Jodar: No. 168 to No. 13

2024 US Open boys’ champion Rafael Jodar began his first full professional season at No. 168 in the world and within eight months, he had reached a career-high No. 11. He won his first tour-level title in Marrakech, his first tour event on clay. He then reached the Barcelona semi-finals and Madrid quarter-finals, joining Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz as the only Spanish teenagers to manage both in a season.

A Roland Garros quarter-final followed, then the Washington final and a Montreal semi-final that made him the first man born in 2006 or later to reach the last four at a Masters 1000. Shanghai has revived him after a first-round US Open exit. A 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 win over Jiri Lehecka made him the youngest man since Novak Djokovic in 2007 to reach the fourth round at five consecutive Masters 1000 events.

Arthur Fery: No. 185 to No. 37

How does a wild card ranked 114th end up in a Wimbledon semi-final? Ask the former Stanford player who had beaten Alexei Popyrin at SW19 in 2025 while ranked 461st.

Arthur Fery began 2026 at a career-high No. 185. He came through qualifying in Melbourne and beat a stomach-troubled Cobolli, then the 20th seed, 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-1. But Wimbledon was something else entirely.

He came from behind in each of his first four wins and edged Zizou Bergs and Grigor Dimitrov in fifth-set tie-breaks. Then he dismissed Cobolli 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 to become only the second wild card to reach the men’s semi-finals there, after Goran Ivanisevic in 2001, where Zverev ultimately ended the run in straight sets.

Since then, Fery has become British No. 1, reached his first ATP final in Winston-Salem and lost to Lorenzo Musetti in the US Open first round. Ranked 37th on October 5th, he lost to Karen Khachanov in three tie-break sets in Shanghai’s second round. Turin is out of reach, and next summer, he defends those Wimbledon points.

Flavio Cobolli: No. 22 to No. 7

Rarely has a season started worse and turned so sharply. Cobolli entered 2026 at No. 22 after a 2025 that brought titles in Bucharest and Hamburg, a Wimbledon quarter-final, and a third straight Davis Cup for Italy. Then he lost to Fery in Melbourne while unwell.

The Acapulco title in February, won against Frances Tiafoe, steadied him. In April, he beat Zverev 6-3, 6-3 in Munich before losing the final to Shelton. In Paris, he dragged Zverev to five sets in his first Grand Slam final, chasing Italy’s first Roland Garros men’s title since Adriano Panatta. A second straight Wimbledon quarter-final followed, and a career-high No. 6 on August 24.

The autumn has been thinner — a first-round loss in Beijing and a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 defeat by Adrian Mannarino in Shanghai. Even so, he was fifth in the Race when Shanghai began, with a home debut in Turin in view. Which of these four is best placed to go deep at a major in 2027? Cobolli, on clay.

Arthur Fils: No. 42 to No. 11

A lower-back stress fracture suffered at Roland Garros in 2025 kept Frenchman Arthur Fils away for around eight months. He returned in Montpellier in February ranked 42nd and reached the Doha final, where he lost to Alcaraz. With Goran Ivanisevic now in his team, he won Barcelona after saving two match points in the first round, beating Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6(2) in the final. Masters 1000 semi-finals in Miami and Madrid followed; the latter ended by Sinner, before a hip problem cost him Roland Garros.

In August, he beat Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 for the Cincinnati title, becoming the youngest French Masters 1000 champion in the series’ history. A first-round US Open loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas stung. Even so, he made his top-ten debut at No. 9 on September 28. He’d slipped to No. 11 by October 5, and a 7-5, 6-4 loss to van de Zandschulp in Shanghai left him seventh in the Race. Fitness comes first in 2027, but his Masters results suggest another deep major run isn’t far away.

The post Biggest Climbers in the ATP Rankings in 2026 appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

The Hungarian team has nominated world singles No. 75 Ana Bondar, No. 153 Dalma Galfi, No. 445 Amarissa Toth, doubles No. 60 Fanny Stollar and doubles No. 187 Adrienn Nagy.

Billie Jean King Cup is the World Cup of Women’s Tennis. The Playoff is a best-of-five match series between the U.S. and Hungary played over Saturday and Sunday, with the winner returning to the Qualifying pool and having the chance to compete for the BJK Cup championship in 2027. Two-day ticket packages are on sale via Ticketmaster.com and are available for $50. Single-day tickets for Saturday or Sunday are on sale for $35. Visit usta.com/billiejeankingcup for more information.

Matches will start at 1:30 p.m. ET both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s schedule will feature two singles matches between each country’s top two nominated players. Sunday’s schedule will feature a doubles match, then two more singles matches to decide the tie. The first nation between the USA and Hungary to win three out of those five matches wins the Playoff, with an amended Sunday schedule possible if either nation clinches victory in the third or fourth match of the weekend. Tennis Channel will carry coverage in the U.S.

Captains may make up to three changes to their nominated rosters by November 20. The U.S. is captained by International Tennis Hall of Famer and U.S. Billie Jean Cup legend Lindsay Davenport, who captained the American side to the BJK Cup final in 2025. Hungary is captained by Kornel Bardoczky.

Gauff, 22, led the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team to a 4-0 sweep of Austria the last time the U.S. women played in her native Delray Beach, in 2023. Since then, she’s won both the US Open and French Open titles and has gone 47-15 in singles this year, including semifinal appearances at both the US Open and Wimbledon.

Keys, 31, is coming off a year in which she won her 11th career WTA title and went 35-15 in singles. The 2025 Australian Open singles champion has represented the U.S. in Billie Jean King Cup eight times since debuting in 2014. This would mark her competitive debut at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.

Li, 26, is ranked a career-high No. 25 in singles on the heels of beating Aryna Sabalenka to reach the W1000 quarterfinals in Wuhan, China, last week. A Philadelphia-area native, Li won her second career WTA singles title last year on hard courts in Guangzhou before breaking into the Top 30 for the first time this year. This is her debut Billie Jean King Cup nomination. 

Townsend, 30, is ranked No. 2 in doubles and has a 39-4 doubles record in 2026. This year she also completed the doubles Career Grand Slam by winning the French Open and US Open. Townsend is 6-2 all-time in Billie Jean King Cup competition since debuting in 2015.

Melichar-Martinez, 33, is ranked No. 9 in doubles and has won two of her 20 career doubles titles in 2026. She represented the U.S. in its Billie Jean King Cup Qualifying competition earlier this year in Belgium and won, partnering with Caty McNally.

Delray Beach has historically provided a veritable home-court advantage for the USA in international team tennis competition. The U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team is 4-0 all-time when competing at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, the last such victory coming in 2023, when Gauff and Jessica Pegula led a sweep of Austria in front of near sell-out crowds.

Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup events have also been a boon to their host communities. Delray Beach hosted a Davis Cup qualifying competition between the U.S. and Czechia last September, which generated more than $2 million for the local economy.

Wilson is the official ball of all U.S. Billie Jean King Cup home ties. 

The post Madison Keys Joins Coco Gauff On U.S. Billie Jean King Cup Team To Play Hungary In Delray Beach appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

[★ FILL: How many years have you been playing, what surfaces do you usually play on, and roughly how many times a week? Write it in your own words; one or two sentences is plenty.]

There’s one thing about tennis that people outside the sport consistently underestimate: it has no off-season.

Football has breaks. Basketball has a defined season and a defined summer. Tennis or golf plays all year. For recreational players it’s even more obvious: indoor courts in winter, outdoor courts in summer, amateur tournaments threaded through the gaps. Which creates a very practical problem: there’s no natural window in which you can just stop for a while. So looking after your body has to happen in the hours outside the court.

This isn’t a piece about technique. It’s about the work that never gets photographed and decides whether you’re still playing next year.

What the load actually looks like

Before deciding what to do, it helps to know what you’re dealing with, otherwise everything below is guesswork.

Tennis differs from most sports in being one-sided. Forehand, serve: nearly every repeated action runs through the same side. Over years, the strength and stability gap between the two sides becomes significant, and that gap is itself a source of trouble.

The second characteristic is the sheer amount of stopping and changing direction. A single match contains hundreds of accelerations, decelerations and lateral movements, and every deceleration has to be absorbed by the lower body. That load doesn’t announce itself, because it doesn’t hurt, until the day it does.

The third is the serve itself. It’s a high-speed release through a full-body kinetic chain, and the shoulder joint takes a concentrated share of that load. An amateur service motion that isn’t mechanically clean effectively gathers load that should have been distributed and concentrates it in the shoulder.

Put those three together and it’s clear why the two trouble spots in tennis are the lower body and the shoulder: one absorbs repeated deceleration, the other absorbs repeated high-speed release. And both are places where off-court work genuinely helps.

Off-court work has three layers, and the order matters

I’ve watched a lot of people get the order wrong: buying all the gear while their sleep is a mess. So let me set the layers out first.

The first layer is the foundation: sleep and general activity. No piece of equipment substitutes for this one. If this layer is broken, the two above it are wasted effort.

The second layer is targeted preparation work: time spent specifically on the lower body and shoulder, outside of playing. The point of this layer is “getting the right things trained without getting hurt”, and the emphasis is usually on eccentric control and rotator cuff stability.

The third layer is tools and equipment. Its job is optimisation: making the first two layers work better and easier to sustain. It doesn’t replace them.

For a long stretch of my own playing, I was a negative example of even the first layer: [★ FILL: Write about one specific physical problem: which part, what brought it on, and what you did about it. Real detail, even something as simple as “one morning I woke up and couldn’t lift my shoulder”.]

That was the point at which I started taking the second and third layers seriously. It’s also why I stay fairly restrained about what equipment can do. It helps with the second layer, and it can’t patch a hole in the first.

Lower body: the issue is deceleration, not strength

Most people start with squats. Squats are fine, but what tennis demands more is the ability to decelerate: whether the muscle can stay stable while it’s being lengthened.

The reason is the one above: lower-body load in tennis comes mainly from braking and changing direction, and the key to those actions is eccentric control. So what belongs at the top of the list is single-leg, slow, controlled work, not chasing weight.

Where I put it in the week: I do lower-body work the day after I play. Adding load on the day itself eats into recovery space, and by the following day the body is past its most fatigued point and can do something of quality.

Shoulder: stability before strength

The shoulder is almost the inverse of the lower body. The lower body handles deceleration inside big movements, while the shoulder handles stability inside fast ones.

The rotator cuff’s job is holding the head of the humerus in the socket. During a serve the shoulder goes from high-speed external rotation into internal rotation, and if stability is insufficient the load lands on passive structures instead. So shoulder work should prioritise low load, high control rather than pushing heavy weight.

The other point that gets missed is thoracic mobility. A lot of people can’t lift their arm overhead, and the problem isn’t the shoulder, it’s the thoracic spine. If the upper back can’t rotate, the shoulder joint compensates, and over time the load concentrates. Mobility deserves its own time.

The sensor side: why I wear a ring during sessions

Now the equipment layer, and it connects to the order above: it’s for optimising the second layer, not replacing it.

I use UniShape’s system. Let me set out its structure first, because there’s one thing here that’s easy to mix up: there is exactly one sensing device in this system, and it’s the 4.2-gram ring. Neither the generator nor the garment measures anything. Every physiological reading, whether heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, blood pressure trends, sleep or temperature, comes from that one ring.

Why a ring rather than a watch? Two practical reasons. First, blood flow signal is stronger at the finger than at the wrist, so an optical sensor reads a cleaner pulse there, and the difference is most obvious during movement. Second, 4.2 grams is imperceptible and doesn’t get in the wrist’s way. For a sport where every point involves the wrist, that matters more than a number on a spec sheet.

The ring reads heart rate continuously through a session, the app works out which phase the session has reached, and then proposes a matching stimulation mode. And then the part worth noticing: it waits. If I don’t confirm in the app, nothing changes. I found that mildly annoying at first, then understood it. Optical heart rate is noisy during a swinging motion, and a system that changes settings on its own is more dangerous than one that asks me.

Session modes also step through three phases automatically (warm-up, working, cool-down), each with a different pattern. But this should be clear: the progression runs on a fixed timer and doesn’t read my heart rate. Given how unreliable a heart rate signal is mid-swing, a timer actually reassures me. I know when it’s going to change.

One more thing needs stating outright, because the misunderstanding is so common: the ring does not control stimulation intensity. It’s a pure sensing device, not a remote control. To change intensity, I do it in the app. Adjusting it from the ring is future work; it isn’t there now.

What I pay attention to in practice

Washing, because it’s the most practical problem with electronics in clothig. The garments are machine washable, with three conditions attached: a laundry bag, low-temperature water, and nothing above 50 °C, plus no tumble drying. Those are hard limits, because heat damages conductive fabric and electrodes. [★ FILL: How many times have you washed it? Any shrinkage, distortion, or change in how the electrodes perform? One sentence of real experience.]

Battery: the UniShape smart EMS generator is 30 grams and rated at about three hours of continuous use; the ring runs about seven days. At two or three sessions a week, I charge the case roughly every two weeks and the generator about once a week. That isn’t a burden. A device you have to think about charging every day is a device you stop wearing.

The energy figures: the app gives me two numbers: what the stimulation itself is estimated to account for, and the estimate for the period afterwards (EPOC, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). I look at them, and I know they’re inferred from heart rate rather than measured; real energy expenditure takes a laboratory and gas exchange. So I use them exactly one way: today against last Tuesday.

How the year should break down

On rhythm, because recreational players usually get this backwards.

Most people train harder when a tournament is coming and stop when there isn’t one, which is the reverse of what works. The smoother approach is: build capacity in the periods without competition, then reduce volume and sharpen as competition approaches.

For me, a year looks roughly like this: [★ FILL: Your own season rhythm: when tournaments cluster, when things quiet down, and how you plan around it. A sentence or two.]

The reason for splitting it that way: capacity is built during low-pressure periods, and form shows up after volume comes down. Run it the other way, adding load during the tournament period, and the extra load collides with the extra recovery demand. You usually lose both ends.

Where the boundary is

Having written all of the above, one thing has to be stated plainly: everything here belongs to training and recovery routines. It isn’t medical advice.

If something genuinely hurts, not post-training soreness but pain that affects how you move and is still there after several days of rest, the correct move is a doctor or a qualified sports clinician, not more intensity or more training. Equipment can help you organise training better. It doesn’t diagnose anything and it doesn’t treat anything.

And to be unambiguous about the category: this is a fitness and training product, not a medical device. It doesn’t treat anything and doesn’t diagnose anything, and no FDA clearance or approval has been obtained. The ring’s readings are training data, not clinical readings. For those, you want a validated device and a doctor. I worked all that out before I started using it, and I’ve been more comfortable with it since.

Finally

Tennis is a long-horizon sport. Its returns come from accumulating year after year, not from any single session. So what decides how long you get to play is usually not your best years; it’s how the unphotographed hours were spent.

The players still on court five years from now tend to be the ones who treated the off-court hours as part of the training, rather than as the absence of it.

[★ FILL: Close with your own conclusion: whether this was worth it for you, and whether you would recommend it. Not advertising copy; write what you would actually say to someone you play with.]

The post The Off-Court Work That Keeps Players on Court appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

The road to tennis immortality has begun for a new group of champions, with former world No. 1 Ash Barty leading the nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027.

The Australian star headlines a ballot that also features Argentine fan favorite Juan Martín del Potro and Russian four-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Player Category. Meanwhile, Japanese wheelchair tennis legend Shingo Kunieda has been nominated in the Wheelchair Tennis Category, adding another historic name to an impressive group of candidates.

Announced by the International Tennis Hall of Fame on October 18, the nominations recognize players whose achievements have left a lasting mark on the sport. Fan voting is open through Sunday, October 25, giving tennis supporters an opportunity to help influence the selection process.

Barty’s nomination is especially compelling because of the remarkable combination of achievement, versatility and brevity that defined her career.

The Australian won three Grand Slam singles championships on three different surfaces: the 2019 French Open on clay, Wimbledon in 2021 on grass and the 2022 Australian Open on hard courts. She also captured the 2018 U.S. Open women’s doubles title with American CoCo Vandeweghe.

Barty reached world No. 1 in 2019 and spent 121 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings, including 114 consecutive weeks. She won 15 WTA singles titles and 12 doubles titles, earned WTA Player of the Year honors in 2019 and 2021, and collected a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics.

Then came one of the most surprising announcements in modern tennis.

In March 2022, just weeks after winning her home-country Grand Slam at the Australian Open, Barty announced her retirement at age 25 while still ranked No. 1 in the world.

Her decision stunned the tennis community. Rather than pursuing additional Grand Slam titles and extending her time at the top, Barty chose to leave professional tennis on her own terms.

Her final singles record stood at 305 wins and 102 losses. Her ability to combine an outstanding serve, clever slice backhand, tactical intelligence and exceptional court coverage made her one of the most distinctive players of her generation.

Barty’s Hall of Fame candidacy reflects a career that accomplished an extraordinary amount in a relatively short period.

Del Potro brings a different kind of legacy to the ballot: a career defined by power, perseverance and unforgettable victories over some of the greatest players in tennis history. His biography called “The Gentle Giant” (for sale and download here .https://a.co/d/0isI2WO8) documents his life, career and struggles with injuries.

The Argentine’s defining moment came at the 2009 U.S. Open, when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals before rallying from two sets to one down to beat Roger Federer in a five-set final.

Federer had won the previous five U.S. Open men’s singles titles, making del Potro’s breakthrough victory all the more remarkable.

Del Potro won 22 ATP singles titles during his career. He also played a pivotal role in Argentina’s historic 2016 Davis Cup triumph, helping his country capture its first championship in the competition. That same year, he earned an Olympic silver medal in singles at the Rio Games.

His career was repeatedly interrupted by injuries, making his greatest achievements even more impressive. For many fans, del Potro remains one of the sport’s most popular champions, remembered not only for his powerful forehand but also for his sportsmanship and resilience.

Del Potro returns to the ballot after being nominated previously, giving voters another opportunity to recognize his contributions to tennis.

Kuznetsova is another accomplished candidate returning to the ballot.

The Russian won two Grand Slam singles titles, capturing the 2004 U.S. Open and the 2009 French Open. She also won two Australian Open women’s doubles championships, in 2005 and 2012.

Over a 15-year career, Kuznetsova collected 18 WTA singles titles and 16 doubles titles. She reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 2 and was ranked as high as No. 3 in doubles.

Her achievements extended beyond individual competition. Kuznetsova also helped Russia win three Billie Jean King Cup team championships.

Her ability to excel in both singles and doubles underscores the breadth of her accomplishments and makes her a significant contender on the 2027 ballot.

The wheelchair tennis category features one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the sport.

Kunieda captured 28 major singles titles and 22 major doubles titles, giving him an extraordinary total of 50 major championships. He won four Paralympic gold medals and spent a record 582 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world.

Kunieda also became the first man in wheelchair tennis to complete a career Golden Slam, winning the sport’s four major tournaments and Paralympic singles gold during his career.

He retired in 2023 while still holding the world No. 1 ranking, capping a remarkable run that helped elevate wheelchair tennis on the international stage.

The Hall of Fame considers wheelchair tennis nominations every four years, making Kunieda’s candidacy a particularly important moment for recognition of the sport’s greatest competitors.

How Does Hall of Fame Voting Work?

The International Tennis Hall of Fame combines fan participation with voting by its Official Voting Group, which includes tennis journalists, historians and Hall of Famers.

Fans can select the candidates they believe deserve induction. The top three finishers in the fan vote receive bonus percentage points added to their Official Voting Group results: three points for first place, two for second and one for third.

A candidate must receive an affirmative vote of at least 75 percent of the combined total to be elected.

Fans can participate through the official Hall of Fame voting website at vote.tennisfame.com. Voting closes Sunday, October 25, 2026, with the results of the fan vote expected shortly afterward. The Hall of Fame plans to announce the Class of 2027 later this fall.

A Ballot Filled With Tennis History

The 2027 ballot presents voters with four remarkable stories: Barty’s decision to retire at the height of her powers, del Potro’s unforgettable triumph over Federer, Kuznetsova’s sustained success across singles and doubles, and Kunieda’s extraordinary achievements in wheelchair tennis.

Barty may attract the most attention because of her status as a former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam singles champion. Yet each nominee has a compelling case for recognition.

For tennis fans, the ballot is also a reminder that greatness can take many forms. It can be measured in major titles, weeks at No. 1, international team victories, resilience through injury or the ability to transform a sport.

The Class of 2027 will add another chapter to the history of the International Tennis Hall of Fame—and tennis fans now have a chance to help shape that decision.

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              Santa Fe, N.M. — A group of International Tennis Hall of Fame members and tennis legends with a combined 152 overall major titles were on hand this past weekend in Santa Fe to help net $1.5 million in proceeds for the First Serve New Mexico Foundation.

              The superstar line-up included Hall of Famers and Grand Slam tournament champions Martina Navratilova, Stefanie Graf, Andre Agassi, Mats Wilander, Tracy Austin, and Bob and Mike Bryan. Other former Grand Slam winners were Luke and Murphy Jensen and Mark Knowles.

               Former ATP Tour pros Jan-Michael Gambill, Brad Gilbert, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Brian MacPhie, T.J. Middleton, Nick Monroe, Sam Querrey,  along with Christina and Lauren McHale, and others were also on hand to hit and offer tennis tips to kids at the Forked Lightning Racquet Club on Saturday.

              After a morning session with kids from First Serve New Mexico, an entertaining team event followed for over 500 club members.

              In the evening, the Legendary Gala was sold out with 700 sponsor and VIP guests attending. The live and silent auctions along with generous donors netted $1.5 million for First Serve New Mexico. Agassi also made a personal donation of $100,000.

              “FSNM exceeded their goal this year at our gala and these numbers tell a larger story,” said First Serve New Mexico president Angelique Cook Lowry. “Our mission is to help every student reach their full potential, creating champions on and off the court. With students taking their first steps into competitive tennis, preparing for college, building confidence through mentorship, and discovering opportunities to support with classroom tutoring. This allows us to open up our PE pilot program and our facility program serving more students in the Santa Fe Public Schools.”

              Agassi and his wife, Stefanie Graf, were thrilled to be on-hand again in Santa Fe for the second straight year.

              “It’s been wonderful and we came here last year and kind of got introduced to the community,” said Graf.  “Andre and I are both involved in different charities and we have our own foundation so we know how important it is to help the younger generation. They are doing it through tennis and with all the incredible players here and we try to encourage them to stay with the sport.”

              Agassi praised philanthropists and FSNM board members Scott and Kimberley Sheffield. “This is just so cool and I look at what Scott and Kimberley have done with their lives in order to put themselves in this position to do all this for these kids. Racquet sports not only add a great deal of health and sort of benefit to your life in the short term but it’s proven to extend your life, proven to build self-confidence. It’s a gift to these kids that otherwise wouldn’t have this opportunity, this whole facility, hard not to come support it.”

              First-time participant Martina Navratilova, who was given a surprise early birthday greeting from the Bryan Brothers Band, said, “It’s great to see the kids hitting tennis balls and shows how much they love the sport. The program is fantastic and gives kids something to focus on, gives them positive reinforcement and learn lessons from tennis that applies to life. It puts kids on a better path and they also see that people care about them.”

              Another first-time event attendee, Mats Wilander, enjoyed seeing the local youth involved in the sport and said it’s important to start at a young age.

              “Obviously to see that tennis could make a big impact on kids’ lives, whether they are good players or not, just the fact you learn the etiquette, respect the rules and have a lot of fun,” said Wilander. “This is a sport for a lifetime so you could pick up tennis when you’re young and you could play it until you’re very, very old. Good technique is really hard to come by when you get older but if you learn it as a kid, you’re golden.”

First Serve New Mexico provides an after-school program and summer camp to Santa Fe Public School (SFPS) students, homeschooled students, and charter school students in grades 3-12 across Santa Fe. The programs are at no cost to students or their families thanks to immense organizational fundraising efforts and the generosity of private donors and grantors who support the mission.

Tutoring and tennis instruction is conducted primarily out of the Forked Lightning Racquet Club. Elementary-aged students attend a two-day-per-week program while middle school and high school students attend a four-day-per-week program during the school year.  The unique program combines academic tutoring, life skills coaching, and tennis instruction to create a robust curriculum that prepares the young student athletes for the world.    

              First Serve New Mexico was founded in 2003 by philanthropists Eleanor & Richard Brenner. First Serve’s mission is to transform Santa Fe’s students into champions both on and off the court by empowering them to reach their full potential and become lifelong learners and leaders.

First Serve New Mexico video:   First Serve New Mexico 2026

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Svitolina, 32, described the announcement as “the most difficult thing I have ever had to share,” explaining that years of emotional strain had led her to recognize the need to rediscover herself outside her marriage.

The former world No. 3 and Monfils, 40, married in July 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Skai. Their relationship has been one of professional tennis’s most celebrated partnerships, bringing together two charismatic competitors whose personalities and affection for one another made them fan favorites around the world.

In her statement, Svitolina made clear that the decision was deeply personal and not an attempt to assign blame to either partner.

Svitolina reveals the emotional toll of the war in Ukraine

In her message, Svitolina described the private struggles that accompanied her public career, including sleepless nights, self-doubt and the feeling that she was gradually losing herself.

“Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me,” she wrote, explaining that the war had affected her in ways she had rarely discussed publicly.

She also acknowledged Monfils’ support throughout those difficult periods, making clear that he had stood by her as she struggled with the emotional consequences of the conflict.

However, Svitolina said she ultimately realized that she needed to find her own path forward and could no longer do so within their marriage.

Her statement offered a deeply personal perspective on the challenges faced by an athlete who has continued to compete internationally while carrying the emotional burden of a war affecting her homeland.

Their daughter remains their priority

Despite the end of their marriage, Svitolina emphasized that their daughter would remain the central priority in both of their lives.

“Skai will always come first,” she wrote, adding that although their marriage was ending, their family was not.

The couple intends to remain united as parents, with Svitolina stressing that there was no one to blame for their separation.

“There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape,” she said.

The message was a reminder that the end of a relationship does not necessarily erase the love, experiences and family that two people have built together.

From tennis power couple to a new chapter

Svitolina and Monfils began their relationship in 2019, became engaged in April 2021 and married in July of that year. Their daughter was born in October 2022.

They became popular figures among tennis fans not only because of their achievements but also because of their playful personalities and public displays of affection. They frequently supported one another at tournaments and even competed together in mixed doubles at the 2026 US Open.

On the court, both built distinguished careers. Svitolina has reached four Grand Slam singles semifinals and remains one of the leading players on the WTA Tour. Monfils, a former world No. 6, won 13 ATP singles titles and became one of the sport’s most entertaining and recognizable performers.

Monfils’ retirement from professional tennis was officially recorded effective October 5, 2026, earlier than the farewell at the Paris Masters that many fans had anticipated. The timing of the couple’s announcement has prompted questions about the changes taking place in their lives, but neither has established that the separation caused his retirement.

A difficult announcement for the tennis world

Svitolina’s announcement is a deeply personal moment for two athletes whose relationship has been followed by tennis fans around the globe.

Her words also highlight the reality that professional success does not shield people from emotional struggles, particularly when personal challenges intersect with events as devastating as war.

Rather than pointing fingers or offering accusations, Svitolina chose to speak about healing, self-discovery and the importance of protecting their daughter as they enter a new phase of their lives.

For Monfils and Svitolina, the competitive chapters of their tennis careers have unfolded in different ways. Now, their shared story is changing once again.

Their marriage may be ending, but Svitolina’s message made one thing clear: their commitment to their daughter will continue.

The post Elina Svitolina Announces End of Marriage to Gaël Monfils in Emotional Statement appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

France’s latest wave of street violence has created an unwelcome backdrop for professional tennis this week, as Lyon prepares to host the inaugural Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, an ATP 250 tournament featuring an impressive international field.

The tournament, scheduled for October 18–25 at the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines, is intended to mark a major return of top-level tennis to the Lyon region. However, violent demonstrations, looting and property damage across France have raised questions about public safety, transportation and the atmosphere surrounding major sporting events.

The important distinction is that there has been no verified announcement in the available reporting that the Lyon tennis tournament has been canceled or that matches have been suspended because of the unrest. The potential impact on players, spectators and tournament operations must therefore be separated from the confirmed incidents occurring elsewhere in the city.

Lyon among the cities hit by violence

The unrest intensified over the weekend of October 17–18, as demonstrations over the cost of living, education and public services spread across France. Although many people participated peacefully, some groups engaged in looting, arson and clashes with police.

Lyon was among the affected cities. According to reporting by Reuters and Le Monde, violence included damage to public and commercial property, with Lyon’s tourist office at Place Bellecour set on fire.

The incidents have put local authorities under pressure to restore order and improve security. For a major international sporting event, the concern is whether any further unrest could affect access to the venue or create problems for spectators moving around the metropolitan area.

Can the unrest affect the tennis tournament?

The tournament is being held at the LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon, rather than at an outdoor venue in the city center. That distinction could be important: the arena provides a controlled environment for tennis, although spectators and staff still need to travel to and from the facility.

There are three main areas to watch.

Security around the venue: Organizers and local authorities may need to assess crowd management, entry procedures and any additional security precautions if demonstrations continue.

Transportation and spectator access: Road closures, demonstrations or disruptions to public transportation could complicate journeys to the arena, even if matches proceed as scheduled.

Players and tournament operations: Players, coaches, officials and broadcasters need reliable transportation and a secure environment. Any disruption could affect their schedules, but there is no verified report at this time confirming that players have been directly affected.

These are potential consequences, not confirmed disruptions to the tournament.

A major week for French tennis

The timing is particularly significant because the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is making its debut as an ATP 250 event. The tournament’s inaugural edition is scheduled for October 18–25, with a field that includes prominent names such as Gaël Monfils, Stan Wawrinka, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Ugo Humbert.

The event is designed to bring elite tennis back to the Lyon region while combining professional competition with entertainment at one of France’s major indoor arenas.

A successful opening edition would give the tournament a strong foundation for future years. Conversely, significant security or transportation problems could overshadow the tennis and create challenges for organizers seeking to establish the event as a regular stop on the ATP Tour.

The tournament also has a special attraction for French fans: an exhibition featuring former French stars Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gaël Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, alongside the tournament’s semifinals.

Will the matches go ahead as scheduled?

As of Monday, October 19, the tournament’s official website lists qualifying matches in progress and maintains its published schedule for the coming days. That indicates competition is proceeding, rather than having been publicly suspended because of the unrest.

However, the situation remains fluid. French authorities are facing renewed pressure following the weekend’s violence, and European governments have advised travelers to avoid large crowds and exercise caution.

Spectators planning to attend should monitor the tournament’s official announcements and local transportation and public-safety guidance before traveling.

Tennis tries to remain the main attraction

For now, the story in Lyon is one of a major new tennis tournament unfolding amid an unsettled national situation. The unrest has created legitimate concerns about safety and access, but it would be premature to suggest that it has already disrupted the competition itself.

The coming days will reveal whether the violence remains largely separate from the sporting event or begins to affect attendance, transportation and tournament operations.

For players and fans, the hope is that the attention returns to the tennis court—and that Lyon’s first ATP 250 tournament can establish itself through its matches rather than through the turmoil taking place elsewhere in France.

Editorial note: This article distinguishes confirmed unrest in Lyon from potential effects on the tournament. No direct match disruption has been verified in the sources reviewed.

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