Tennis
The Sporting Scene
What Qinwen Zheng Could Mean for Tennis, and for China
The player known as Queenwen won Olympic Gold, and is moving through the early rounds of the U.S. Open.
By Louisa Thomas
The Sporting Scene
The Italian Renaissance in Men’s Tennis
Italy boasts the No. 1 player in the world, and has as many players in the Top Forty as the United States. It’s not an accident.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
The Upstarts at Wimbledon
Despite a run of stability at the top of the game, women’s tennis is still open to surprise.
By Louisa Thomas
The Sporting Scene
Saying Farewell to Rafael Nadal
The tennis champion, who is likely in his last year on the tour, brought an unusually considerate—and hugely endearing—ferocity to the game.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Front Row
How Does “Challengers” Make a Love Triangle Feel So Empty?
The fussy structure of Luca Guadagnino’s film dissipates the erotic charge on which the drama relies.
By Richard Brody
Critics at Large
Why the Sports Movie Always Wins
Films like Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” and last year’s “The Iron Claw” offer Zeitgeisty takes on masculinity. Do they signal a shift in the storied genre?
Cultural Comment
“Challengers” Is Essentially a Well-Shot Commercial
Because the film has so little to say, viewers are free to simply focus on the vibes—which happen to be the area where Luca Guadagnino, its director, has most distinguished himself.
By Tyler Foggatt
The Sporting Scene
The Next Great Tennis Rivalry May Be Here
Evert-Navratilova, Borg-McEnroe, Federer-Nadal . . . Sinner-Alcaraz?
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
Jannik Sinner Soars with Courage at the Australian Open
In Sunday’s final, the champion waited out Daniil Medvedev’s unplayable hot streak, then took control.
By Louisa Thomas
The Sporting Scene
At the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka Offers a Master Class in Power Tennis
The champion had overwhelmed nearly everyone she’d faced in the past two weeks. Saturday’s final, against Qinwen Zheng, was no different.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
Naomi Osaka Is Returning to Tennis Right When the Game Needs Her
No player on the women’s tour now has Osaka’s star power. Whether she can win a major again is anyone’s guess.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
With Novak Djokovic, It Is Always a Struggle
In the U.S. Open final, against Daniil Medvedev, he battled and even seemed to tire before, as usual, emerging victorious.
By Louisa Thomas
The Sporting Scene
How Coco Gauff Flipped Her Game to Win the U.S. Open
In Saturday’s final, the champion overcame Aryna Sabalenka’s formidable power with indefatigable defense.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
Ben Shelton’s Spectacular Serves
The young American player has inherited the mantle of the big servers of the past—and it’s thrilling to watch.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
Coco Gauff’s Glorious Progress
Gauff has the charisma and talent to be not just a champion but a star, and this summer she has played better than ever before.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
At Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz Defeated Novak Djokovic by Being Himself
In the most absorbing Grand Slam championship match on the men’s side in years, what mattered most was in-the-moment decision-making.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
Markéta Vondroušová Flips the Script at Wimbledon
Consistent in her game and steady in her victory, against Ons Jabeur, Vondroušová was never meant to be a footnote in someone else’s storybook ending.
By Louisa Thomas
The Sporting Scene
Novak Djokovic Is Making His Own History Now
By winning the French Open again, he broke a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most career Grand Slam titles on the men’s side—and he isn’t done.
By Gerald Marzorati
The Sporting Scene
Iga Świątek Triumphs at the French Open with Power and Grace
In the final moments of her match against Karolína Muchová, the defending champion regained control of the points, using speed to cover the court.
By Louisa Thomas
The Weekend Essay
Notes on Losing
Nearly every time I play tennis, I melt down spectacularly. Why do I keep coming back for more?
By Jay Caspian Kang