August 11, 2023

Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week in tennis.

1.) Wilson Shift 99 & 99 Pro

These past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to playtest the Wilson Shift 99 300 and 99 Pro 315. In my latest review, I cover everything you need to know about this new racquet line, including its design and construction, ideal string setup, and on-court performance. I also compare these models to help players decide which is best for their needs.

2.) Wozniacki Back With Win

After three and a half years away from the tour and giving birth to her two children, Olivia and James, Caroline Wozniacki competed in her first WTA tournament in Montreal and defeated qualifier Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2. Although she couldn’t follow up the performance, falling to Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round, she’ll continue her return at Cincy and the US Open.

3.) Raonic Making Moves

After an injury forced him off the court nearly two years ago, Milos Raonic competed in his fifth ATP match at the Roger’s Cup, defeating world No. 10 Frances Tiafoe, 6-7 (12), 7-6 (4), 6-3. He followed that win up with a straight-sets victory over No. 115 Taro Daniel to set up a match with No. 59 Mackenzie McDonald, which was suspended at the time of writing. Regardless of the outcome, it’s an exciting return for the Canadian playing in front of his home crowd.

4.) WTA Earnings & Prize Money

Posting on TikTok, world no. 227, Gabriela Knutson recorded a few WTA players sharing how much they earned and spent this year. As likely isn’t a surprise, the situation is bleak, with everyone spending far more to compete than what they’ve made.

@gabriknutson How much female tennis players have EARNED and SPENT so far this year … PART ✌🏻 Money Series: Edition #3 💰💸💵💷 #tennis #tennisplayer #tenniscourt #tennislove #tennislife #tennisfan #tennismatch #tennisworld #tennistraining #tenniscoach #tennisplayers #tennisvideo #tennisfun #tennisislife #tennislife #tennismatch #tennistour ♬ original sound – Gabriela Knutson

5.) Ump Clarifies Rule Debate

Playing for set point in a tiebreaker, Milos Raonic clipped the net, causing Frances Tiafoe to run down a ball and subsequently into the net. However, to the surprise of fans, the umpire awarded Tiafoe the point and set, calmly explaining the rules to the players.

THE DRAMA!!! 😱

Have you EVER seen anything like this?#NBO23 pic.twitter.com/dQhM1VXqJS

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 8, 2023

If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?

Share your thoughts in the comments below, and have a great weekend.