Latest story / Player development
GEN Tennis / EditorialThe game,
The game,
explained.
Players, ideas and the questions that shape tennis.
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LTA Youth explained: what children learn beyond ball colors
A parent’s guide to Britain’s junior coaching stages, the skills they connect and the questions to ask before changing groups or entering competition.
How precise can your tennis become?
Playing with margin is sound advice. Developing more accurate shots deserves a place in practice too. The question is how to build control that holds up when the ball, movement and pressure change.
How to warm up for tennis: prepare for the first point
An hour can make sense for a competitive player’s complete preparation. Learn what belongs in that window, and how juniors and recreational players can adapt it.
What really creates topspin?
Swing path, face angle and the incoming ball work together. Understand the collision before trying to fix a forehand by closing the strings.
Building confidence in junior tennis
Young players need honest feedback, clear boundaries and ways to handle pressure. How adults deliver those lessons matters.
How to practice returns with a partner
Give the server a placement task, give the receiver a purpose, then take away the advance notice and play points.
Your child’s forehand doesn’t need to look like a pro’s
Daniel Spatz’s coaching post offers a useful starting point: make the task manageable, then choose a technical change that helps the child play the ball.
Junior team tennis: find the right team
How USTA JTT and junior competitions in Britain, France and Australia work—and what parents should ask about playing time, level and commitment.
Federer’s backhand slice: when a slower ball helps you attack
A slice can change the opponent’s contact and create a next-ball opportunity. Learn when the variation helps—and when it simply gives away time.
Dominant eye in tennis: before you copy a pro’s stance
Patrick Mouratoglou recently posted on Instagram about eye dominance and serving stance, raising a useful question for players and parents: does the position you are copying actually help you see and play the ball?
How to return a drop shot without rushing the reply
Reaching the ball is the first problem. Contact height, balance and the opponent’s position decide what you can do with it—and what comes next.
Why Świątek moved back to return Rybakina’s serve
A specific adjustment at Roland-Garros shows why taking the ball earlier is not always the useful choice. Test the time you gain against the space you give away.
How to choose a tennis academy: beyond the famous name
A school-year move, a junior camp and an adult tennis trip are different purchases. Compare the actual teaching, daily schedule and full commitment before choosing a campus.
How to win in tennis: the match today and the player you’re becoming
Start with FLOW’s distinction between development and results, compare Gilbert, Gallwey, Loehr and four champions, then build a match plan you can actually use.
Carlos Alcaraz’s drop shot: when should you play it?
Learn what makes a drop shot worth trying: the opponent’s position, the contact you can control and the reply you need to cover.
How do you move from the baseline to the net without rushing?
Treat the transition as a sequence: recognize the short ball, organize the approach, read the opponent’s contact, split and play a controlled first volley.
How do you know if independent tennis practice is working?
Do not judge a session by the cleanest repetition or the longest streak. Establish a baseline, change one condition and retest the same task before deciding what to practice next.
Your child’s UTR: how to use it without letting it run their tennis
What the rating measures, how to choose useful matches, and how to approach high school and college tennis without a rating-by-age timetable.
How federations develop tennis players: from first lessons to performance
A parent’s guide to the teaching behind the pathway: how movement, technique and decisions become a game—and what to ask your local coach.
When should you hit down the line in singles?
An open corner is not enough. Read the incoming ball, make room for contact and plan for the reply before changing direction.
Underarm serve or practice feed? How to start a tennis point
An underarm serve is legal. A bounce-and-hit feed starts a different kind of game. Here is how to choose a useful start, agree on the rules and keep learning.
Who gets a place in college tennis? The international-player debate, explained
A proposed 20% cap raises a real question about opportunity. Nationality, professional experience and the number of funded places each need their own answer.
Can you learn tennis in 20 minutes? What the Inner Game story really shows
Tim Gallwey’s bounce–hit exercise gives attention a useful job. His famous first lesson also raises a harder coaching question: what remains when the conditions change?
Not selected: what a junior tennis decision can tell you
A squad place changes a young player’s opportunities. It cannot settle their future. How parents can interpret selection, ask for useful feedback and build the next stage.
Ben Shelton’s college-to-pro route was built on readiness, not a timetable
Before the 2026 US Open final, Shelton moved from the fifth spot in Florida’s lineup to NCAA champion and professional in two seasons. The useful story is how each stage earned the next decision.
Timing, spacing and rhythm in tennis: move into the shot, not into the ball
Reaching the ball is only part of the job. Learn to leave room for contact, prepare while moving and use the bounce as an adjustment checkpoint.
Where should your doubles return go?
Crosscourt is a useful starting plan. The server’s movement, the net player and the quality of your contact tell you when to change it.
Laver Cup 2026: Europe wins in London, and a young tradition grows
Zverev closed out a 13–5 victory, but Saturday told a tighter story. The turning points, the unusual scoring and the history behind tennis’s Europe-versus-World weekend.
Your child’s first tennis tournament: a parent’s practical guide
Choose an event that fits, turn the tournament page into a day plan, and help your child handle scoring, check-in and the moments when they need help.
What should you write down after tennis practice?
Record the task, the conditions, one observable result and the next adjustment. A useful note helps you design the next session instead of grading the last one.
Open or neutral stance: why did two coaches teach me differently?
Understand where your feet go, why the incoming ball changes the answer, and how to practice both without rebuilding your forehand.
Why your tennis rally keeps breaking down—and what to change
Before rebuilding your swing, give the rally a clearer task. Use a generous crosscourt target, notice the miss and change one condition at a time.
Zverev’s US Open win and the tennis family advantage
Sascha’s title puts two generations of tennis experience in focus. What can a family pass on beyond physical gifts, and where does that advantage have limits?
New to tennis? Start with a slower ball and a shorter court
Lower-compression balls and a smaller playing area can help adults rally and play points sooner. Here is how to set up a first game without starting at the baseline.
Coming Back to Tennis? Make the First 45 Minutes About Rhythm, Not Results
A low-pressure first session can rebuild timing, confidence and enjoyment without pretending you are ready for match play on day one.
Your Child's Tennis Pathway Is Not a Ladder
The most prestigious-looking event is not always the event that answers the player's next development question.
Getting better when you only play twice a week
A match and a purposeful practice can ask different things of your game. Give each session a job before you step on court.
Your first month back on court
The racket may feel familiar. Give yourself room to find a routine that fits your life now.
Before you change coaches
For a junior family, a better decision starts with specific questions about the player’s daily experience.
What does your tennis year actually cost?
Put coaching, competition, travel and equipment into the same calculation before committing to the calendar.