Tennis Lifestyle
Net worth, culture, rivalries, and stories from the world of professional tennis — 100 articles
Roland Garros Isn't Really About the Players. It's About Two Millimetres of Crushed Brick.
The famous red clay of Roland Garros is not really clay, and the part that gives it that burnt-orange colour — and decides who wins and who cramps off the court — is about two millimetres thick. A love letter to the terre battue: how it's built, why it breaks the favourites, why it lifts the specialists, and why it's the closest thing tennis has to a living thing.
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For Years He Was the Other Cerundolo. Then He Knocked the World No. 1 Out of Roland Garros.
Juan Manuel Cerundolo — ranked 56th, never past the third round of a major, the lesser-known brother in a family of champions — beat Jannik Sinner from two sets and 5-1 down. His father paced the stands. The kid did not flinch. Meet the clay-court Argentine who handed Roland Garros 2026 its biggest shock, and who has been quietly doing the impossible since he was a teenager.
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He Lost in Qualifying. Then Jesper de Jong Gave Roland Garros Its Best Story.
He lost a qualifying match and was packing for home. Then a phone rang. As a lucky loser, Dutch world No. 106 Jesper de Jong ended Stan Wawrinka's final Roland Garros, beat the No. 13 seed over four and a half hours, and became only the third lucky loser in the Open era to reach the men's last 16 here — before falling to Zverev on his 26th birthday. The best week of his life, from the worst starting position in tennis.
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The Men's Draw Burned Down. The Women Just Kept Winning.
While Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic all vanished from the men's draw, the women's biggest names strolled into the second week almost untouched. Sabalenka's 100th win as No. 1, Swiatek at home on her clay, Andreeva rising — and Naomi Osaka finally past the third round, straight into a last-16 test against the world No. 1.
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Both Favourites Are Gone. Roland Garros 2026 Just Guaranteed a First-Time Champion.
Carlos Alcaraz never made it to Paris. Jannik Sinner led 6-2, 6-2, 5-1 and then cramped his way out to the world No. 56. Joao Fonseca came from two sets down to send Djokovic home. For the first time since 1968, no former Grand Slam champion is left in the men's round of 16 — and somebody is about to win the first major of their life.
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Brazil Has Not Had a Tennis Star Since Guga Kuerten. Joao Fonseca Is About to Become One.
A 19-year-old from Rio with one of the biggest forehands in the men's game, the loudest crowd in tennis, and the weight of a country's only tennis legend on his back. Inside Joao Fonseca's arrival at Roland Garros 2026 as the first seeded Brazilian man since 2011 — the Guga Kuerten comparison, the Fonsecamania hype machine, and the gap between potential and Slam results.
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Oleksandra Oliynykova Won Her First Grand Slam Match. Her Press Conference Made It a Different Kind of Story.
A 24-year-old Ukrainian player beat a Russian qualifier 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of Roland Garros 2026 — and then walked into a press conference wearing a Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment patch and used the platform for almost twenty minutes. Inside her words, her father's attendance, the wider Ukrainian contingent in Paris, and the 'neutral' status framework the tennis tours have used for three years.
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Carlos Alcaraz Will Watch Roland Garros 2026 from Home. It Is Only the Second Slam He Has Missed in His Career.
The two-time defending Roland Garros champion is out of the 2026 edition with a right-wrist tenosynovitis. It is the second Grand Slam he has ever missed (the first was Australian Open 2023). He is also out of Queen's and Wimbledon. Inside what missing the Slam he had made his own actually costs him — the threepeat that would have matched Bjorn Borg, the rivalry timeline with Sinner, and the year he loses to recovery at 23.
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Daniil Medvedev Has Lost in the First Round of Roland Garros Six of Nine Times. 2026 Is the Cleanest Draw of His Career.
One Grand Slam title. Six Slam finals. Multiple weeks at world No. 1. Twenty ATP titles. And six first-round losses at Roland Garros across nine career appearances. Inside the cleanest non-Sinner men's draw Medvedev has ever entered — a new coaching team built specifically for clay, the Goetzke return-position adjustment that showed up at Rome, and the Slam Medvedev still has not solved.
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How Italy Built a Tennis Empire While No One Was Watching
Jannik Sinner is the men's world No. 1 with six consecutive Masters 1000 titles. Jasmine Paolini reached the 2024 Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals in the same year. Sara Errani won an Olympic doubles gold that completed her career Golden Slam. Eight Italian men are inside the ATP top 60. Inside the most successful national tennis program of the 2020s — the one most coverage is still treating as 'Jannik Sinner and friends'.
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Tennis Used to Lose Its Stars to Family Life. The 2026 Generation Is Bringing the Family to the Tour.
In May 2026 the WTA Top 10 contained two active mothers — Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina — for the first time in tour history. Casper Ruud reached the Rome final with a two-week-old daughter at the academy. Naomi Osaka's daughter walks the corridors at Roland Garros. The eight tennis mothers and ten tennis fathers reshaping how the sport treats parenthood — and what they all got right.
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Casper Ruud Has Reached the Final of All Four Big Clay Tournaments. Roland Garros 2026 Is the Year the Field Finally Cleared.
Two Roland Garros finals lost to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. A US Open final lost to Carlos Alcaraz. A Madrid 2025 title that became his first Masters 1000 trophy. A Rome 2026 final lost to Jannik Sinner ten days ago. With Nadal retired, Djokovic skipping clay and Alcaraz out injured, the Norwegian is suddenly the only active player with this much clay-court CV and this clean a path. Inside the quietest serious title bid of his career.
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How can an adult learn to play tennis from scratch?
Start with 4-6 weeks of group lessons at a local club (typically $20-$40 per session) to learn fundamentals: grip, forehand, backhand, serve, and basic footwork. Practice 2-3 times per week for at least 30 minutes. Most adults reach a recreational rally level (USTA 2.5-3.0) within 3-6 months. Equipment-wise, a $80-$120 beginner racket and tennis-specific court shoes are enough to start.
Is tennis a good workout for losing weight?
Yes — an hour of singles tennis burns approximately 400-600 calories for a 70 kg adult, comparable to running or cycling. Tennis combines cardiovascular intensity (interval-based bursts) with strength work (rotational movements) and balance training. Studies link regular tennis play to reduced cardiovascular mortality risk and improved bone density.
What do professional tennis players eat?
Pros typically follow a high-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet to fuel 3-5 hour matches. Common pre-match foods include oatmeal, pasta, rice, and bananas. During matches: bananas, energy gels, and electrolyte drinks. Sinner is known for a high-pasta Italian diet; Djokovic follows a strict gluten-free, mostly plant-based regimen; Nadal eats Mediterranean (fish, olive oil, pasta).
How much do tennis players make from sponsorships?
Top players earn $20M-$50M+ annually from endorsements alone — far more than prize money. Federer earned ~$90M/year at peak from Uniqlo, Rolex, Mercedes, Wilson, and others. Sinner signed with Nike, Head, and Rolex deals worth a combined ~$30M annually. Mid-tier ATP/WTA players (top 50) typically earn $200K-$2M from sponsors depending on profile.
What's the difference between tennis and padel?
Padel is played on a smaller (20×10m) walled court with solid stringless paddles and a depressurized ball; points often involve playing the ball off the walls (like squash). Tennis uses a larger court (23.77×8.23m for singles), strung rackets, and standard balls. Padel is easier to pick up, more social (always doubles), and faster-growing globally, especially in Spain, Italy, and Sweden.
How do you watch tennis tournaments online?
Tennis broadcast rights vary by region. In the US, Tennis Channel, ESPN, and ESPN+ cover most events. In the UK, Sky Sports and BBC iPlayer (Wimbledon free). Tennis TV (atptour.com subscription) streams every ATP match globally for ~$120/year. WTA matches are on WTA TV (~$100/year). Grand Slams are typically free on national broadcasters in the host country.