Did you know tennis is one of the best activities for your children?

If you’re a parent interested in helping your child stay in shape, improve their eye-hand coordination, and develop social skills, you should take a serious look at the benefits of tennis.

Download our 45-minute lesson plan designed for anyone to “teach”—not just tennis professionals. 

Why […]

Every racket serves a purpose. Maybe it helped you win a league match? Lose weight? Make new friends? Pasta strainer?

Share what your racket does for you on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or simply upload your photo here. Make sure to use the hashtag #MyRacket to be entered in a weekly drawing to win a $25 Tennis […]

Superstitions and rituals are very prevalent in modern day sports. Athletes believe that their repetitive actions have some power in controlling luck or the outcome of their matches. They are often deep-rooted in big wins or big losses the athlete has experienced. “You’re looking to recreate your good performances,” said Tracy Austin, a two-time United States Open champion and now an analyst for the Tennis Channel.

Despite all the sports science out there, athletes, especially tennis players, swear by their superstitions, or “routines” (according to Djokovic).

Perhaps it’s because tennis walks a thin line where the outcome of a match can be dictated by as much luck as actual play. For instance, dead net cords (when a ball hits the upper net cord and rolls over to the other side) are as much inevitable as they are avoidable. Or perhaps it’s because tennis is a high-pressured, individual sport. “Tennis breeds this,” the ESPN analyst Pam Shriver said, noting that athletes in other sports often have teammates and a coaching staff to help them relax. Whatever the reason, players try to find something consistent in a world of so many unknowns.

Read the superstitions of some of your beloved tennis players. And share with us any superstitions you have on (or off) the court.

Serena Williams

If Serena is on a winning streak, she will wear the same socks throughout the entire tournament–without washing them! She also brings her shower sandals on court and has a particular way of tying her shoes.

Jack Sock

Sock wants each ball boy on his side of the court to have three balls. “At one point one had four and the other had two, and I got broken in that game,” Sock said after a first-round win at the US Open. “So I talked to them to make sure they knew to keep it at three and three.”

Dominika Cibulkova

People thought she was kissing the tennis ball, but she actually smells them. “I don’t kiss the balls but I smell them. I love their smell, the smell of new balls. And then I think that it’ll bring me luck.”

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Even though the kids are back in school, parents are looking to keep their kids busy with after school activities. Beyond keeping them active and out of trouble, parents want their children to build an array of skills, stay in shape, and be social.

There’s only one activity that touches on all of the above: tennis.

There Is No “I” In Team

It’s a cliche, but its’ true. Tennis is unique in that it’s predominantly an individual sport, but it can also be a team sport. Organized sports like tennis teach children the essential life skill of getting along with teammates and working as a team. They also encourage friendship and empathy for fellow teammates.

Improve Hand-Eye Coordination

Tennis involves several skills that all attribute to hand-eye coordination, such as agility, balance, coordination, and speed and reaction time. Read more about the benefit of tennis and hand-eye coordination in our article, “Help, My Kid is a Klutz”.

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1. The US Open takes place in Flushing Meadows, Queens

For two weeks, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is the tennis capital of the world. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is famous for the site of two twentieth century World’s Fairs attended by millions of people. While Wimbledon has its all-white attire and quiet crowds, New Yorkers bring the party to Flushing Meadows with its rowdy crowds and celebrity sightings.

2. The US Open offers the most prize money of any tournament

The men’s and women’s singles champions at the 2014 US Open will receive a record $3 million, up from $2.6 million a year ago and double what Roger Federer and Serena Williams earned for their championship victories in 2008.

The total prize money awarded at this year’s US Open will be $38.3 million, an 11.7 percent increase over a year ago and a nearly 65 percent increase over three years ago. The total main draw prize money – which includes the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles – has increased by 12.5 percent from 2013.

3. The US Open was the first Grand Slam tournament to award equal prize money to men and women

The 1973 US Open that took place on the outdoor grass courts at Westside Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, New York was the first tournament to offer equal prize money to men and women with that year’s singles champions John Newcombe and Margaret Court both receiving $25,000. The last Grand Slam that followed suit was Wimbledon in 2007.

In the 40 years since Billie-Jean King’s historic victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” which expanded women’s tennis globally, the game has become the most popular women’s sport, with the top stars of the game being household names.

The topic of equal prize money has been a huge debate in the tennis community even in recent times. The controversy doesn’t necessarily stem from gender but from the fact that men play best-of-five sets whereas the women play just best-of-three.

The discrepancy between the time spent on court was highlighted during the 2013 U.S. Open when Serena Williams walked away with the title after just 9 hours and 54 minutes on court, as opposed to Rafael Nadal who took 16 hours and 19 minutes to claim the same honor—and the same prize money.

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