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.

The manner in which people watch and interact with sports through online channels has experienced quite a number of changes over the past ten years. Everyone, regardless of where they come from across the globe, is interested in participating in European leagues, international matches, and even local sports. There is an increased need for more interactive sports websites capable of providing real-time odds, fast bet settlement times, and a high level of online security. Choosing an online sportsbook is no longer a matter of offers alone but rather website stability, number of bets to place, and payment convenience.

When we look at modern online betting systems, platforms like kupu178.com show how easy-to-use screens and fast money transfers help make playing better for everyone. To see why UFABET is still on top for football fans all over the world, we have to look at the strong points, money benefits, and new tech that make it different from most other online bookmakers.

The Evolution of Online Football Wagering

Sports betting has moved from betting shops and easy computer sites to new digital spaces that change all the time. Now, football fans do much more than just watch games on the weekend. They read real-time data about players, follow expected goals (xG), check who has the ball, and react fast when the game turns.

As stated in many well-known articles, the use of digital tools and real-time sports numbers has changed how people feel about sports all over the world. Today, sportsbooks have to handle thousands of small actions every second without slow system response or changes in odds.

Also, new market trends that can be seen in financial reporting show that over 70% of people around the world now place sports bets on their phones while games are happening. Football fans need a platform that keeps their connection solid, even when many people use it at the same time, like during big games such as the UEFA Champions League finals or World Cup matches. There should be no server crashes or long waits for bet confirmation.

Reason 1: Industry-Leading Odds and Ultra-Low Commission Rates

The primary factor that influences the amount of profit made by a sports gambler in the long run is vigorish. Sometimes it is referred to as the house edge, juice, or overround. Vigorish is the charge paid by a punter to a bookie in case he places a bet. Margins of online gambling websites usually range between 5% and 8%.

UFABET is known for giving some of the lowest fees in sports betting. Many times, they work with just a 4-cent house margin, which is a 0.04 fee on Asian Handicap markets.

How Low Margins Direct Impact Bettor Returns

To see how smaller margins can help in math, look at a normal game. Here, you have two teams that are close in skill. Each result gets a price made by two different vigorish types:

• Standard Bookmaker ( Margin): Team A Odds: 1.90 | Team B Odds: 1.90
• UFABET Low Fee Model ( Margin): Team A Odds: 1.96 | Team B Odds: 1.96

If a bettor makes 100 winning bets of 100 units each during a season on a 1.96 line instead of a 1.90 line, the total amount won is much higher.

StandardReturn=100(1001.90)=19,000units

UFABETReturn=100(1001.96)=19,600units

That 600-unit gap is all money the player keeps. The bookmaker does not take it. Over hundreds of matches in a full home season, low commission rates can really help. They make your plan’s expected value (EV) much better.

Reason 2: Comprehensive Football Market Depth and Coverage

Many small sportsbooks only offer top leagues, such as the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. UFABET is different, as it has a broad range of options and covers all levels of professional football worldwide.

Specialised Bet Types Appeal to Football Fans

●        Asian Handicap Betting : This innovative approach to football betting neutralises the draw by giving the underdog a virtual starting goal advantage. Asian handicaps balance the odds for each outcome to remove bias in the market.

●        In-Play Micro-Markets: Football fans do not only have the opportunity to wager on the simple outcome of a match; they can wager on an event that will almost certainly happen in a brief period of time in the game, for example, whether there will be a corner within the next five minutes.

●        Flexible Mix Parlays : Multiple outcomes across different leagues can be combined in one betting slip with no risk of over-rounding, while a small stake can generate big returns.

Corner and Booking Markets : Appeal to tactical minds looking to back a particular style of play, and reward those who analyse the likely influence of the referee. In-play corner markets can also be combined with traditional booking markets.

Reason 3: Ultra-Fast Real-Time Live Betting Engine with Integrated Streaming

Live betting (in-play wagering) needs very fast technology to work well. Even a small delay of 5 seconds can make you miss a good chance to bet. This can happen if there is a red card, a VAR review, or a sudden goal during a counter-attack.

UFABET uses new, fast data connections that link right to tracking systems inside the stadium. This helps make sure the odds change right away when things happen during a match.

Benefits of Integrated Live HD Match Streaming

Zero-Lag Visualization: Gamblers can see the actual game directly within the betting portal. It eliminates the customary lag, which occurs when playing the game via TV or other websites apart from the betting website.

One-Click Bet Execution: One click is sufficient for executing bets in the software. This will help gamblers to place bets before bookmakers halt bets in a major attack towards the goal.

Reason 4: Automated Financial Transactions and Ironclad Security

A sports betting site can only be called great if the way it handles money is as good as its betting choices. People who love to bet on sports need to put in money fast. This helps them get in on games right away when there is breaking news about a team. They also want to take out their winnings quickly when they win.

UFABET uses systems that handle money by themselves. This means when you put in cash or take it out, it works on its own for normal transactions. No need for people to step in for these jobs.

Security Architecture Breakdown

By cutting out manual delays that are not needed, football fans can keep full control of their money all the time. This lets them get their funds any time an important game is about to start.

Reason 5: Intuitive Mobile Optimization and Dedicated Cross-Platform Support

Today’s football bettors need to get everything on their phones, tablets, and computers. UFABET’s software is built to work well on many devices. It uses a design that fits each screen, whether big or small. The wagering platform looks good, and all important tools are still there when the screen gets smaller.

When you want to find a trusted place, you should use networks that people have checked before. Starting at places like kupu178 helps you connect right to safe and real servers. This means you do not have to worry about fake links or people trying to trick you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What makes UFABET’s odds more favorable than traditional bookmakers?

UFABET runs with a model where it does not try to make a lot of money on each bet. Instead, it lowers its fees, so people get better odds on football games. This way, more value goes to the people who play.

Can I place in-play wagers on minor global football leagues?

Yes. UFABET shows live betting lines right away. You can bet on main European tournaments, smaller regional divisions, youth leagues, and friendly matches from around the world.

How quickly are withdrawal requests processed?

Thanks to automated banking links and direct payment tools, most normal withdrawal requests go through in a few minutes after your identity is checked.

Is mobile betting secure on public networks?

Yes. Mobile connections use end-to-end 256-bit TLS data encryption. This helps keep your information, balances, and banking commands safe. You can feel safe even when you use the platform on your phone network.

Conclusion

Choosing an online sportsbook means you have to look at the base setup, how open things are, the prices, and how the website works. UFABET stays at the top of football betting around the world. It does this by offering low house cuts, lots of games to bet on, live streaming, and quick, automatic money moves.

If you love football and care about getting the most value fast, you will like to bet on a site made for live sports. A platform like this gives you a good way to act fast. UFABET puts together fair odds and strong security for your data. This makes it a good place for people who love sports and want something up-to-date.

The post Five Reasons UFABET Is Ranked Among the Best Online Betting Sites for Football Fans 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.

The post Ash Barty Leads International Tennis Hall of Fame Ballot for Class of 2027 appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

              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.

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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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Maja Chwalińska has reached the summit of women’s tennis, capturing the biggest title of her career with a thrilling comeback victory over Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal in the final of the 2026 Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open in China.

The 25-year-old Pole overcame a difficult start to defeat Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday, October 18, earning her first WTA Tour singles title at one of the sport’s premier events. The championship capped an extraordinary week for Chwalińska, who demonstrated resilience, tactical intelligence and the ability to raise her game against elite competition.

Winning a WTA 1000 tournament is a major achievement for any player. Doing so while claiming a maiden tour-level title makes Chwalińska’s triumph even more remarkable.

Chwalińska Turns the Final Around

Kartal came out firing in the championship match, using her aggressive forehand and powerful baseline game to take the opening set 6-2. Chwalińska struggled to find her rhythm early, with her drop shots and slices failing to consistently trouble the British player.

But the Polish left-hander refused to let the match slip away.

Chwalińska began extending rallies, changing the direction of the ball and using clever variations to disrupt Kartal’s momentum. Her persistence paid off in the second set, when she earned multiple breaks of serve to level the match at one set apiece.

With the championship hanging in the balance, Chwalińska took control in the deciding set. Kartal began making more errors under pressure, while the Pole grew increasingly confident. Chwalińska won four consecutive games during her decisive surge and closed out the 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.

It was a comeback built on patience and intelligent shot selection rather than simply overpowering an opponent.

A Semifinal Victory Over Iga Świątek

Chwalińska’s run to the championship had already produced one of the tournament’s most compelling storylines.

In Saturday’s all-Polish semifinal, she defeated former world No. 1 and fellow countrywoman Iga Świątek 7-5, 6-1. The victory marked a significant milestone, as the two Polish players became participants in the first all-Polish semifinal in WTA Tour history.

Chwalińska showed tremendous composure in the opening set, recovering from a 5-3 deficit and saving two set points before taking the set 7-5. She then won 10 of the next 11 games to complete the upset.

The semifinal victory gave Chwalińska the confidence and momentum she needed heading into the final, where she once again showed she could adjust her tactics and withstand pressure against a formidable opponent.

Sonay Kartal’s Impressive Run

Although Kartal fell short of the title, the British player’s performance in Wuhan was a significant achievement in its own right.

Ranked No. 170 entering the tournament, Kartal reached her first WTA 1000 final after defeating several highly ranked opponents. Her victories included wins over Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini and Elina Svitolina.

Kartal was competing in only her 10th tour-level match following a six-month absence caused by a back injury. Her run to the final demonstrated both her competitive ability and her determination to return to the highest level of the game.

Despite the disappointment of losing the final, Kartal’s performance established her as a player capable of challenging the world’s best.

A Breakthrough Championship for Polish Tennis

For Chwalińska, the Wuhan title represents more than a single tournament victory. It confirms her arrival as a major force on the WTA Tour and provides a tremendous reward for the work required to compete at the highest level.

Her path to the trophy featured a victory over a former world No. 1, a dramatic comeback in the final and the ability to overcome adversity when her game was not clicking early in a match.

The championship also puts Chwalińska in an exclusive category of players who have won their first WTA Tour-level singles title at a WTA 1000 event, joining the likes of Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu.

The Wuhan Open has long attracted the biggest names in women’s tennis, and Chwalińska’s triumph adds another unexpected chapter to the tournament’s history.

For Polish tennis fans, the victory is another reason to celebrate the country’s growing presence among the elite of the women’s game.

For Chwalińska, it is a career-defining moment — and potentially the beginning of an even bigger chapter.

Maja Chwalińska is a WTA 1000 champion. And she earned it the hard way.

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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has turned one of tennis’ most familiar storylines into one of its most rewarding transformations, emerging from the ranks of the best players without an ATP title to becoming a champion on the sport’s biggest stages.

For years, the Spanish star was frequently mentioned whenever tennis fans debated the best players who had yet to win an ATP Tour singles title. Davidovich Fokina possessed the athleticism, shot-making ability and competitive fire to trouble the best players in the world, but converting that talent into trophies proved elusive.

That narrative has now changed dramatically. Davidovich Fokina has not only broken through to win ATP titles, but has also reached the summit of his career with a triumph at the Shanghai Masters, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the ATP Tour.

The Masters 1000 crown represents the biggest title of his career and a remarkable milestone for a player whose journey has been defined by both immense potential and the challenge of turning that potential into championship success.

From promising contender to champion

Davidovich Fokina has long been one of the most entertaining and unpredictable competitors in men’s tennis. His explosive movement, willingness to attack and ability to produce spectacular shots have made him a dangerous opponent, particularly when he finds his rhythm.

He announced himself to a wider audience with his run to the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2021. Two years later, he reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, demonstrating that he could compete deep into major tournaments and challenge elite opposition on the biggest stages.

Yet the final step — winning titles — remained difficult.

For a player capable of beating top-ranked opponents, the absence of a trophy became an increasingly prominent part of his story. Davidovich Fokina was often regarded as a player whose talent exceeded his résumé, someone who seemed capable of a breakthrough but needed to put everything together when the stakes were highest.

His subsequent title successes have changed that perception. Rather than simply threatening to win major tournaments, he has demonstrated that he can finish the job.

Shanghai: the biggest breakthrough of all

Winning a Masters 1000 tournament elevates a player’s career to another level. These events sit just below the four Grand Slam championships in prestige and ranking-point value, attracting the world’s best players and offering a demanding test across multiple rounds.

For Davidovich Fokina, lifting the Shanghai trophy represents more than another addition to his list of achievements. It is evidence of how far he has progressed from the days when his first ATP title seemed like the missing piece of an otherwise impressive career.

The significance of a Masters 1000 championship is difficult to overstate. It requires sustained excellence against high-level opposition, with little room for an off day. Winning one places a player among a select group who have managed to conquer one of the ATP Tour’s premier events.

For Davidovich Fokina, Shanghai is the biggest prize of his career and a defining moment in his evolution as a professional.

A new chapter for Davidovich Fokina

There is something especially satisfying about seeing a player shed a long-standing label. Tennis history is full of talented competitors who spend years searching for their first title, only to discover that winning can become a habit once the breakthrough finally arrives.

Davidovich Fokina’s journey offers a reminder that a player’s career cannot be judged by a single statistic or by the length of time it takes to win a first championship. Development is rarely linear, and the experience gained through difficult losses can eventually become the foundation for major victories.

The Spaniard’s success also makes him a more intriguing figure moving forward. With a Masters 1000 title now part of his résumé, the conversation is no longer about whether he can win on the ATP Tour. It is about how much further he can go.

Could this be the beginning of an even more successful period? Can he build on the confidence gained in Shanghai and become a regular contender at the biggest tournaments?

Those questions will make his next chapter particularly compelling.

For a player once known as one of the best in the world without an ATP title, the transformation is extraordinary. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has moved beyond the promise of what he might accomplish and into the reality of what he has achieved.

And with a Masters 1000 championship now in his collection, his career has reached an entirely new level.

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