Female Coaches on the Pro Circuit
My best coach ever was a woman! This means a great deal,…
Jelena Ostapenko
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Raducanu’s Long Awaited Comeback – How’s she doing
For almost a whole year, Emma Raducanu has been working to come back from injury. The last time she played was at the Stuttgart Open in April of 2023. At that tournament, she was crushed by Jelena Ostapenko in the first round 6-2, 6-1. Injuries have plagued the young British star throughout her short career, ... Read more
2022 WTA Recap
2022 will be remembered for Ash Barty’s retirement as much as for Iga Swiatek’s total dominance of the tour. Many will be left to wonder if there would have been an epic Swiatek vs. Barty rivalry similar to other great rivalries of the past. We’ll never know. What we do know is that as soon ... Read more
Race to the WTA Finals
There are just two tournaments left before the women of the WTA head to Fort Worth for the WTA Finals. This week the women are fighting it out at the San Diego Open with 500 ranking points at stake. Next week, the top women will head for Guadalajara where there will be 1000 points at ... Read more
Indian Wells 2022 – US Women to Watch
As always, there will be some very talented American women on display at Indian Wells. We have some youngsters as well as some veterans that are sure to make some noise. Let’s look at who they are. Coco Gauff (16) Due to Krejcikova pulling out of the tournament, the top half is now wide open. ... Read more
Is Raducanu a One Slam Wonder?
There seems to be a lot of hype around Emma Raducanu after her incredible run to the 2021 US Open title. As usual, the news media tend to exaggerate the moment with headlines like “A Star is Born” or “The Next Serena is Here.” However, people forget that we’ve been here before. This is not ... Read more
2020 US Open Women’s Preview and Predictions
Unlike the men’s field, which counts with the majority of the top men, the Women’s field is completely decimated. Unfortunately, six of the top ten players have decided to stay home for the coronavirus rendition of the US Open. The list includes: No. 1 Ashleigh Barty No. 2 Simona Halep No. 5. Elina Svitolina No. ... Read more
Female Coaches on the Pro Circuit
My best coach ever was a woman! This means a great deal, coming from someone in her fifties, who started playing tennis as an older teenager and has always had a coach. Since I picked up a racquet, I have had at least 10 private coaches and have taken lessons, at camps, clubs or with ... Read more
Mladenovic Regroups for 2019
There were lots of expectations on Kristina Mladenovic heading into 2018. She had a breakthrough year in 2017 and finished the year ranked number 11 in the world in singles. Not bad for someone that had primarily been thought of as a double’s specialist. Many people thought she’d continue to progress in 2018. She’s got ... Read more
Kontaveit is a player to watch
One of the great perks of being a member of XS Tennis in Chicago is the fact that one gets to run into Kamau Murray on occasion. Kamau is the founder of XS Tennis Foundation and the coach of Sloane Stephens. Kamau’s main mission at XS Tennis is developing young players from the south side. ... Read more
For Svitolina, a Salvaged year, for Stephens Momentum Into 2019
It’s been a solid year for Elina Svitolina and Sloane Stephens. That being said, I would imagine that both these players expected more this year. Especially Stephens, who broke out last year winning the 2017 US Open and was very close to capturing the French Open this year. Unfortunately, she fizzled in the third set ... Read more
Simona Halep: The New WTA No. 1
Simona’s rise to international tennis fame has certainly been a bumpy one. She started out 2017 with a handful of defeats and a recurring knee injuries that required her to withdraw from the 2017 St. Petersburg Ladies’ Trophy. Consequently, she also missed Romania’s Fed Cup. She lost the BNP Paribas Open to Kristina Mladenovic for ... Read more
Athlete Profile: Jelena Ostapenko
Age: 20 Weight: 150 lbs. Height: 5’10” Birthplace: Riga, Latvia Singles Ranking: 7 Plays: Right-handed Coach: Jelena Jakovleva Career Titles: 1 Known to her family and friends as Alona- an ethnic Ukrainian name, Jelena Ostapenko is a 20 year old tennis champion from Latvia. Known for her aggressive playing style and tendency to aim ... Read more