Category Archives: WTA

Humid or Heavy?: How Air Really Affects Tennis

Posted on June 5, 2014 by

Cool temperatures and showers during the first week of Roland Garros this year have had a mass of pundits and players talking about the “heavy” playing conditions. Some said those conditions favored players who hit the ball especially hard, or … Continue reading →

Posted in ATP, Physics, WTA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Physics and Perception of Court Speed

Posted on April 11, 2014 by

What’s big, flat, never moves, and yet has a speed debated hotly by thousands of people? Tennis fans know the answer to the riddle is a court surface. Fans, players, coaches, and pundits often have strong opinions about court speed. … Continue reading →

Posted in ATP, Physics, Statistics, WTA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fed Cup Round 1 Preview

Posted on February 4, 2014 by

Olympics Schmolympics. This week’s Fed Cup ties feature enough star players, close matchups, and interesting storylines to deserve tennis fans’ attention. Even some countries still looking for a way into the elite World Groups are fielding high-powered teams—most notably in … Continue reading →

Posted in Injuries, Predictions, Previews, WTA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Australian Open Women’s Draw Analysis

Posted on January 12, 2014 by

It’s slam time again, and while on-site reporters are badgering players for their inevitably subjective impressions of court speed (a subject I’ll address another time), hardcore fans are poring over drawsheets. As usual, I analyze the women’s draw by focusing … Continue reading →

Posted in Injuries, Predictions, Previews, Statistics, WTA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

WTA Players to Watch in 2014

Posted on December 27, 2013 by

A year ago I started this blog by introducing a way to quantify which players are playing better or worse than their rankings would lead us to expect, based on their results over the previous 15 weeks. Players whose resulting … Continue reading →

Posted in Injuries, Predictions, Statistics, WTA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Preseason Preview

Posted on December 7, 2013 by

It’s been only a month since the ATP World Tour Finals, the last event of the season for the sport’s top two professional tours. It’s been only two weeks since the last ATP Challenger and women’s ITF tournaments above the … Continue reading →

Posted in ATP, Injuries, Previews, WTA | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Llagostera Vives Suspended for Positive Test

Posted on November 11, 2013 by

The International Tennis Federation announced today that doubles specialist Nuria Llagostera Vives has been suspended from the sport for two years after testing positive for d-methamphetamine during the Stanford tournament on July 23. The suspension is backdated to begin on … Continue reading →

Posted in Doping, WTA | Tagged | Leave a comment