Tennis Spin

A casual player and full-time fan's take on the competitors, the tournaments and the business of tennis

[The Tennis Letter @TheTennisLetter]

The court in the Rafa Jodar and Luciano Darderi match in Rome is covered in a fog of smoke from the fireworks that went off at the football stadium next door.

Very tough to see… ELC can’t track the ball… so the match is delayed.

Wow.

Never seen a smoke like this on a tennis court before.

[Tennis TV @TennisTV]

Escape artist 🎨

HOW has Ignacio Buse won this point 🙌

#IBI26

[Carlos Alcaraz @carlosalcaraz]

Después de los resultados de las pruebas realizadas hoy, hemos decidido que lo más prudente es ser cautos y no participar en Roma y Roland Garros, a la espera de valorar la evolución para decidir cuándo volveremos a la pista. Es un momento complicado para mí, pero estoy seguro de que saldremos más fuertes de aquí ❤️

[The Tennis Letter @TheTennisLetter]

Baby Rafa Nadal playing tennis is a sight to see.

Hitting the ball so well at only 3 years old.

I hear it runs in the family 🇪🇸🥹

[José Morgado @josemorgado]

Netflix announces the debut of a Nadal documentary during Roland Garros.

The trailer is amazing!

[wta @WTA]

Unstoppable 🤩

@AnisimovaAmanda defeats multiple Grand Slam champions at a single event for the third time in her career, after Doha and the US Open this season

#WTAFinalsRiyadh

[Tennis Spin @TennisSpin]

Anyone else see these scores and wonder what happened in the second set?

[José Morgado @josemorgado]

Valentin Vacherot just keeps winning, defeats Cam Norrie 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the QFs in Paris.

He will be seeded at the Australian Open 😳

[Bastien Fachan @BastienFachan]

This is awesome

[Tennis Spin @TennisSpin]

Long read 💓
https://t.co/n8nLswEtNY

[ATP Tour @atptour]

MILESTONE UNLOCKED 🔓

@DjokerNole joins Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109) as the only men to record 100 or more ATP Tour titles across their careers in the Open Era 🤩

#ItAllAddsUp

[Roland-Garros @rolandgarros]

IDEM100 🗣️🇷🇸

[The New York Times @nytimes]

Breaking News from @TheAthletic: Jannik Sinner, the world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, accepted a three-month ban after an anti-doping rule violation. https://t.co/tm8yz1BE0W

[US Open Tennis @usopen]

Simona Halep has announced her retirement.

Best wishes in the next chapter, @Simona_Halep! 💙

[Tennis Spin @TennisSpin]

This was a great match

[Tennis Channel @TennisChannel]

WHAT A WAY TO END IT 🤯

Defending champion @TommyPaul1 defeats Jenson Brooksby 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-4 👏

#DALOpen

[#AusOpen @AustralianOpen]

Learner becomes the teacher 📖

At 3:00am, 19-year-old qualifier Learner Tien stuns three-time finalist Medvedev!

#AusOpen • #AO2025

[#AusOpen @AustralianOpen]

This is cool 😎

Novak Djokovic hitting with coach Andy Murray at Melbourne Park ahead of #AO2025 😍

[José Morgado @josemorgado]

Reilly Opelka is the first player from the United States of America to beat Novak Djokovic since Sam Querrey at Wimnbledon 2016.

Also the only active US player to currently have a win over Nole.

[Roger Federer @rogerfederer]

Vamos, @RafaelNadal!

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.

Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.

I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you.

And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more. 

OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype.

We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud.

I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.

I’m still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didn’t want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies. They had a blast and learned so much—like thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.

And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.

Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.

Rafa that!

Best always, your fan, 

Roger

[The Tennis Letter @TheTennisLetter]

BREAKING:

Elena Rybakina’s new coach will be Goran Ivanisevic.

Incredible choice.

(via @ReemAbulleil)