Week 32, 2025

AuthorAuthor

Gill Gross & Ben Ornstein
August 12, 2025

ATP Events This Week: Cincinnati 1000 Week 1

WTA Events This Week: Cincinnati 1000 Week 1

  • Roger Federer Exhibition Set

    More: The “Roger Federer and Friends” celebrity doubles match will be his first since the Laver Cup sendoff of 2022.

  • The Cincinnati Open’s $260M Tennis Bet

    Why It’s Interesting: While other big tournaments chase global cities, the Cincinnati Open just invested $260M to stay in a small Ohio town.

The Cincinnati Open’s $260M tennis bet on the future of a format under fire

Mason, Ohio is not Miami or Madrid. But the Cincinnati Open is betting on a history that goes back to 1899 in the face of tennis change.

www.nytimes.com./athletic/6539391/2025/08/07/tennis-cincinnati-open-venue-expansion-masters-1000

‘People see themselves in me’: Frances Tiafoe on being a tennis trailbazer in a mainly white sport

Michelle Obama is a fan of the world No 14 and, he tells Tumaini Carayol, he is a proud supporter of women’s sport, especially basketball

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/aug/09/frances-tiafoe-interview-trailbazer-life-tennis

  • One Of The Most Interesting Risers Of 2025

    Why It’s Interesting: Aoi Ito is the Hsieh Su-Wei heir apparent.

Drawing inspiration: Aoi Ito's creative mind fuels her tennis success

With her unique playstyle and breakout performances, Aoi Ito is emerging as a player to watch in 2025.

www.wtatennis.com/news/4336434/drawing-inspiration-aoi-itos-creative-mind-fuels-her-tennis-success

  • The Rise Of Sports Getaways

    Why It’s Interesting: Racket sports are at the forefront of a boom in sports-focused travel.

Pickleball cruises to tennis retreats: Why everyone's travelling to hit a ball

Racket sports are going global – and travellers are following. From padel in Spain to Caribbean pickleball retreats, here's why the court is the new destination.

www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250804-pickleball-to-tennis-why-everyones-travelling-to-hit-a-ball

  • College Tennis At A Crossroads

    Why It’s Interesting: College tennis is producing more professional success than ever, yet the sport is shrinking at the collegiate level as programs are cut due to financial pressures.

College tennis facing threats of cuts at same time many of its alums are starring in pro ranks

This should be an exhilarating moment for college tennis. Wimbledon featured a record 26 current or former college players in men’s singles and nine more in the women’s draw.

apnews.com/article/ncaa-tennis-c32f7dafef6a06e8327ad1d952c1017b

  • Petko On Youth, Nerves, And Mboko’s Montreal Magic

    Why It’s Interesting: Andrea Petkovic is at her best philosophical self talking about Victoria Mboko’s fearless breakout at the expense of Naomi Osaka.

It was the best of times

...it was the worst of times

andreapetkovic.substack.com/p/it-was-the-best-of-times

  • Leaving You With Heartwarming Cincinnati Open Content

On Monday Match Analysis, Gill breaks down Ben Shelton's first Masters 1000 win over Karen Khachanov in Toronto. He also previews the newly-renovated Cincinnati men's singles draw quarter-by-quarter with dark horses, upset alerts, popcorn matchups and predictions. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz are the top seeds.

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Hey everyone, Gill Gross here. While I’m grateful for any amount of success I’ve had talking tennis on the internet for the past half decade, I believe we should all be doing better in this sport as creators and as fans. The tennis content economy is far behind other sports by metrics of engagement and popularity. This newsletter is our effort to DRAW the great things we find in tennis every week- we search for content that teaches us, makes us think, makes us laugh and ultimately makes loving this sport the best possible experience. Our vision is to speed up the growth of a robust content economy in tennis, for the benefit of fans, players and creators alike.