August 7, 2020

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

1.) 3 Racquet Specs Explained [Video]

Racquet weight, balance, and swingweight are handy specs that you can use to help guide your decision making when buying a new racquet, but they can be tricky to wrap your head around. In this video, I break them down, share how they relate, and impact performance.

2.) 1st Pro Tournament in 6 Months

After a six month hiatus, the WTA returned with the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy. Apart from a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent withdrawal of a player early, things appear to be going relatively smoothly. World #24, Donna Vekic, claimed the first win during the event over Arantxa Rus. Palermo wraps up this weekend with the Prague Open on its heels.

The first #PLO20 win is in the books ✅@DonnaVekic claims it, 6-1, 6-2. pic.twitter.com/qp6vBHfp9J

— wta (@WTA) August 3, 2020

3.) Rooftop Tennis in Italy [Round 2]

During Italy’s lockdown due to the pandemic, two young girls Vittoria and Carola went viral after playing rooftop tennis. They’ve gone viral once again with Roger Federer stopping by for a surprise visit thanks to Barilla.

4.) Ouch! Player Hit By Serve

During their World Team Tennis doubles match, Neal Skupski took a serve to his ear from partner Ulysses Blanch. I suppose the silver lining is he didn’t take a shot directly to his head, and he carried on to finish the set.

#WTT2020: Play of the Day!

Can you ear me now? @NealSkupski barely avoids a ball to the back of the head when @nyempiretennis teammate @ulisesblanch serves one off his right ear! But they’re built tough in Liverpool and the @LSUTennis star returned to finish the set. pic.twitter.com/GPjjuwTzeD

— World TeamTennis (@WorldTeamTennis) July 31, 2020

5.) Fake Shots That Worked

Fakeouts can make for entertaining points, but they don’t always go according to plan. In this highlight reel, you get to enjoy 39 that worked.

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.