Peter Bodo
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It's a Horse, Ain't it?
Articles by Peter Bodo
The US Open, Hurtling Toward the Abyss
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A hinge point for U.S. men’s tennis: Paul, Shelton, Tiafoe, Fritz and Korda head overseas
Can the top Americans perform well enough on clay to carry over momentum to grass? Published Apr 24, 2026 Sometimes, it doesn’t “take a village” at all. Sometimes, it takes just one woman or, in the case of U.S. men’s tennis, one man. At the moment, that man just might be Ben Shelton. In winning the Munich ATP 500 event last week, the lefthander from Atlanta became the first American man to win a clay-court title above the 250 level since Andre Agassi won the Rome Masters in 2002.
Could the next installment of Sincaraz be decided at net?
Sinner is No. 1, but Alcaraz is the straw that stirs the drink—and that affects the entire tour. Published Apr 19, 2026 Carlos Alcaraz is almost single-handedly reshaping the way tennis is being played at the highest level—accomplishing a feat that many players, coaches and pundits have written off as impossible in an era defined by powerful racquets, synthetic strings and unrelenting baseline play.
Arthur Fils and coach Goran Ivanisevic could be a fit that brings out the best in each other
The Croatian's latest project follows short-lived stints with Rybakina and Tsitsipas. Published Mar 04, 2026 Goran Ivanisevic may have finally found the new tennis project that he deserves: the 21-year old Frenchman, Arthur Fils.
Is Carlos Alcaraz pulling away from Jannik Sinner?
Analysts Brad Gilbert, Jimmy Arias and Paul Annacone weigh in on tennis' biggest question ahead of Indian Wells. Published Mar 02, 2026 Major tournaments generally produce a feast of story lines. They stoke curiosity of fans, provide pundits with rocket fuel for speculations, and help keep the media machine click-clacking along. But it’s a little bit different this year at Indian Wells, where a single question dominates: Is Carlos Alcaraz pulling away from Jannik Sinner?
Jessica Pegula and new architects eye the WTA Tour structure | Tennis.com
This isn’t just a Middle East problem, or a February problem, or even a WTA problem. It’s a tennis problem. Published Feb 24, 2026 Over the years, Jessica Pegula has earned a reputation as a smart, articulate and hard-working tennis player. Those qualities have also helped land her the chair of a newly announced, 13-member WTA panel (the Tour Architecture Council) charged with reviewing the women’s tennis calendar and the tour rules that govern, among other things, mandatory participation.
Madison Keys is the Grand Slam champion we can all cheer for
Last year's Australian Open may have changed our perception of the American, but not her own. Published Jan 23, 2026 Madison Keys ended a sometimes agonizing decade of trying to win a Grand Slam singles title last year at the Australian Open. In the ensuing days, weeks and months, people of all stripes approached her to ask how the experience had changed her life. “It's funny, everyone keeps asking me that,” Keys told reporters a few days ago, before launching her campaign to defend the title.
Mirra Andreeva, Victoria Mboko, Iva Jovic: Making the cases for each top teen
After a trio of breakthrough seasons, they're all into the second round of the Australian Open. Published Jan 20, 2026 Remember how, not so many years ago, the great tradition of teenaged WTA prodigies seemed to have died on the vine, thanks to an increasing emphasis on size, strength and overall fitness—a trend that tipped the balance of power in favor of older, more mature competitors? In January 2000, at the height of the Prodigy Boom, there were 17 teenagers in the WTA Top 100.
Jannik Sinner acknowledged that his game isn’t good enough—a scary thought | Tennis.com
Carlos Alcaraz’s only true competitor recognizes the danger in complacency. Published Oct 03, 2025 Jannik Sinner may have failed to deliver on the expectations of many, including his own, in the recent US Open final. But in his post-final press briefing, he delivered a startlingly transparent—and completely unexpected—assessment of his shortcomings. This is something Grand Slam champions simply do not do when relegated to the co-pilot seat. And it speaks to the evolution of the game.
Laver Cup is the latest example of a doubles renaissance
Five reasons for the discipline’s heightened visibility and popularity. Published Sep 17, 2025 Team Europe was in big trouble in the Laver Cup last year in Berlin, Germany, trailing an on-fire Team World, 8-4. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the squad turned to its biggest star and asked if he was willing to stand in and play doubles.
Beyond The Champions: 2025 US Open Winners and Losers
The highs and lows of a three-week tennis extravaganza in Flushing Meadows. Published Sep 10, 2025 NEW YORK—There are many winners and losers at a Grand Slam beyond the finalists, too many to single out without omissions. So we’ll take an impressionistic approach to evaluating some of the more noteworthy developments or results as we close the book on the US Open of 2025.
Naomi Osaka is in the semifinals of a Slam for the first time since 2022. Watch out, WTA
“I learned I loved tennis way more than I thought I did,” said the 27-year-old, “and that I actually really love challenges.” Published Sep 04, 2025 NEW YORK—The results have been as spotty as a leopard’s coat, alternately encouraging and dispiriting, an endless trip up and down the psychic elevator.
Felix Auger-Aliassime cleared for takeoff in airport-laden Queens
The Canadian was 1-7 against the Russian. Didn't matter in the slightest on Monday. Published Sep 02, 2025 NEW YORK—As exciting as it is to watch two wonderful, near-perfect players square off against each other on a grand occasion, there’s also a lot to be said for matches featuring have-nots—struggling or flawed players hoping to right a listing ship, or a career that has hit some obstacle and ground to a halt.
Taylor Townsend, doubles No. 1, proves herself a tennis player in full
She is diligent, tough, resilient, frank, empathetic and fair. All of that has been in evidence at this US Open. Published Sep 01, 2025 NEW YORK—Sometimes, the best role models are hiding in plain sight. Take Taylor Townsend. She doesn’t have the gaudy record of Iga Swiatek. Unlike her friend Frances Tiafoe, who hasn’t won a major singles title either, she isn’t on the Forbes list of Top 10 earners in tennis.
Coco Gauff faces Naomi Osaka in a US Open that “will stick for me the rest of my career”
The young American is going where no great player has gone before. Published Aug 31, 2025 NEW YORK—Novak Djokovic never did this. Nor did Serena Williams. Not Roger Federer, nor Iga Swiatek nor Rafael Nadal. None of those Grand Slam champions—in fact, not many pros, period—have done what Coco Gauff is trying to do here at the US Open.
The unquenchable fire in Novak Djokovic—and Venus Williams | Tennis.com
For both champions, it’s no longer about the Ws—they just love to play. Published Aug 28, 2025 NEW YORK—Novak Djokovic looked as if he were wading rather than walking through the still air in the bowl of Arthur Ashe Stadium. He was in the midst of his second-round match at the US Open, not long after noon on Wednesday. The sun was overly bright, the crowd listless, and Zachary Svajda, a 22-year-old American qualifier, was giving the 38-year-old icon a load of trouble.
Amanda Anisimova has “experienced a lot,” but is happy to be where she is today | Tennis.com
The former US Open junior champion has endured tremendous loss, on and off the court. But she isn't going anywhere. Published Aug 27, 2025 NEW YORK—It’s popular these days to tout the concept of “leaning in”—embracing the moment with full engagement, meeting the challenges of life head-on. But there’s also a lot to be said for stepping away. Amanda Anisimova, the Wimbledon runner-up and No. 8 seed at the US Open, can tell you all about that.
U.S. Men's Report: Frances Tiafoe “plays the best tennis of the year” in Flushing, Queens
It’s almost as if the US Open is the embodiment of something grander for Tiafoe, his version of that proverbial shining city on the hill. Published Aug 26, 2025 NEW YORK—Frances Tiafoe has never hoisted the singles champion’s hardware at the US Open, and he’s seeded a modest No. 17 this year.
U.S. Women's Report: Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula take first steps to save their summers
It's been a brutal stretch since Wimbledon for these American stars. Can they find salvation at the US Open? Published Aug 25, 2025 NEW YORK—It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Not at the US Open, your home tournament, on the first opening Sunday in the event’s history. Not when you were a semifinalist here just last year. Not when your opponent, Yafan Wang, is ranked No. 170 in the world.
Beating the heat: a necessity, a goal, and a challenge in tennis today
Even warm-weather warriors have a limit. Let’s hope we don’t discover what that limit is in the coming weeks.
“Home-court advantage” and more takeaways from Washington D.C., Montreal and Toronto
On the tune-ups and predictors for the last leg of the summer hunt, which culminates at the US Open. Published Aug 04, 2025 HIGHLIGHTS: Victoria Mboko stuns top seed Gauff | Montreal 4R The two 1000-level tournaments currently taking place in Canada—ATP in Toronto, WTA in Montreal—are the hinge point of the North American hard court season. They are tune-ups and predictors for the last leg of the summer hunt, which culminates at the US Open.
Venus Williams in Washington: A Queen Returns to Her Court
The 45-year-old's decision to return was bold, but it wasn’t rash. Published Jul 25, 2025 The way Venus Williams tells it, she was blindsided by her own desire to resume her singles career, at the unlikely age 45, during a one-day visit to Wimbledon a few weeks ago.
Therapy and Tennis: Madison Keys cracks open a door players have historically preferred to keep shut
Alexander Zverev's admission shed a light on mental health issues in tennis—exacerbated by the growing threat of burnout. Published Jul 16, 2025 It is said that “sunlight is the best disinfectant.” If so, the sobering issue of poor mental health in tour-level tennis is becoming toxin-free, thanks to the courage and sensitivity of Madison Keys.
Joy to the World: What Carlos Alcaraz has, and what we are enjoying
The 22-year-old playing for his third consecutive Wimbledon has so many admirable qualities, but they are all subordinate to joy.
The Sorcerer and His Apprentice: Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner meet again
Looking back at their rivalry, and ahead to their latest collision, in the Wimbledon semifinals. Published Jul 10, 2025 Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic could be forgiven if, during their upcoming Wimbledon semifinal, either man glanced across the net and felt as if he were peering into a mirror held up by Father Time. As if the image therein was of the same man, during different stages of his career.
Two Carlos Alcaraz tennis cards sold for $222,000 and $237,907. Wait, what?
“The adage is, whatever the collector will pay”: A special look into the history of sports cards, and where tennis’ are going today. Published Jul 10, 2025 Go ahead, Nole fan. Pick up that trading card packed safely in its slim and durable transparent case. Note that it is from 2007, the year of your idol’s breakthrough, and that it depicts Djokovic lunging for a backhand—what would soon be celebrated as his trademark aggression. Note, too, that the card is autographed by Novak himself.
Wimbledon is burning: 23 seeded players lose in the first round
Thirteen men's seeds and 10 women's seeds are out before round two, including four of each tour's Top 10. How much can be chalked up to burnout? Published Jul 02, 2025 It wasn’t so long ago that the buzz in tennis was that, age-wise, “30 is the new 20.” Led by the Big Three, but including players like Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez and even “Dr. Ivo” Karlovic, these veterans were still belting out winners in their late 30s.
Joao Fonseca is following the Roland Garros trail blazed by Gustavo Kuerten
The elder Brazilian forged a deep connection with the Parisian faithful, and the surging 18-year-old may be doing the same. Published May 30, 2025 The No. 1 Read is TENNIS.com's lead story for the day—look for more of them throughout Roland Garros. In the waning days of Roland Garros in 1997, a festival took place the likes of which Paris had rarely, if ever, before seen. The ivy-covered walls of the stadium reverberated to the sound of drumming, chants and tin horns.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and the twilight of the Next Gen titans
There's still time for these two win big, and for Daniil Medvedev to win again. But new developments have changed the timeline. Published May 28, 2025 Stefanos Tsitsipas feeling 'blessed' to be a Slam finalist | 2025 Roland Garros Interview The No. 1 Read is TENNIS.com's lead story for the day—look for more of them throughout Roland Garros.
Don’t worry about Rome: Jannik Sinner is back—already—and just in time for Paris | Tennis.com
The world No. 1 will be vying to lock down his third consecutive Grand Slam title, something only one man has achieved since 2011. Published May 20, 2025 The No. 1 Read is TENNIS.com's lead story for the day—look for more of them throughout Roland Garros. Over the past three months, fresh new faces joined some familiar ones to exploit Jannik Sinner’s absence from tennis, leaving us to speculate about how the long layoff—triggered by a doping infraction)—would impact the idle No. 1-ranked player.
The Boom in the Boot: How Italian tennis continues to rise
Jannik Sinner's ascent to No. 1 is the zenith of his country's professional and recreational obsession with the sport. Published May 08, 2025 As the Italian Open begins in Rome, native son Jannik Sinner is being welcomed back like a king returning from exile—specifically, a controversial three-month suspension for an unintentional doping violation. However, “emperor” might be a better, if more fanciful, description of Sinner's role in his sport.
Novak Djokovic deserves a Jimmy Connors moment
Can the Serbian, like the American at the 1991 US Open, record a rare win over Father Time? Published May 02, 2025 These are the days that try Novak Djokovic’s soul, no easy feat considering the Serbian trooper’s trademark stoicism. Djokovic hasn’t won a singles title since the Paris Olympics last summer. He lost his first match in his two most recent tournaments, both important Masters events/Grand Slam tune-ups.
Can Fritz, Shelton and other American men go from “good clay-court players” to great ones?
Taylor's semifinal run in Madrid last year, and Ben's runner-up finish in Munich last week, offer hope. Published Apr 28, 2025 Here we are, in the gut of the clay-court season, and it seems that the gloom that has lingered over the clay-court fortunes of American men like a cold and wet spring for a long period may be yielding to sunnier times.
Carlos Alcaraz, tennis’ happy warrior, brings a unique approach to Monte Carlo and clay
There are many questions about the 21-year-old’s form. He’s already defused them all. Published Apr 08, 2025 Carlos Alcaraz is still just 21, but he’s already challenging some of the received wisdom about a champion’s mentality—how a great one approaches the game, deals with adversity and views rivals. The No. 3-ranked Spaniard faced a slew of questions from reporters when he met with them before the start of this week’s Monte Carlo Masters.
Does title 100 for Novak Djokovic lie in red clay?
The 37-year-old leaves a hardcourt swing with some hard thinking. Published Apr 01, 2025 Novak Djokovic’s quest to win his 100th ATP Tour title, a self-avowed mission, took a sharp, unexpected turn in the Miami Open final, denying the 37-year old Serbian a historic moment just as the window closed on the hard courts where he finds his greatest success. The story of what transpired in the cloying, post-deluge humidity of Sunday evening is one of the oldest in the book.
Emma Raducanu just wants to have fun
It appears that the former US Open champion is more artist than warrior, and that bit of self-knowledge is just one more thing she will take home from Miami. Published Mar 27, 2025 Emma Raducanu Reaches first WTA 1000s quarterfinal at the Miami Open Emma Raducanu will be leaving the Miami Open without the crystal singles trophy, or the check for $1.1 million that comes with it.
The Professional Tennis Players Association drops a bombshell
The player-driven organization has filed a series of legal actions against a “cartel” of tennis-governing bodies, accusing the ITF, ATP, WTA and ITIA of operating a “Corrupt, Illegal and Abusive System.” Published Mar 18, 2025 The Professional Tennis Players Association issued a press release this morning to announce that it has filed a series of legal actions against a “cartel” of tennis-governing bodies that stand accused of operating a “Corrupt, Illegal and Abusive System” that amounts to...
Madison Keys and her inspirational 16-year journey through professional tennis
To really savor Keys' achievements as of late, we venture back to the lovely early fall evening of Sept. 9, 2017, where she played Sloane Stephens in the US Open women’s singles final. Published Mar 14, 2025 MATCH POINT: Madison Keys dominates Belinda Bencic in Indian Wells quarterfinal Madison Keys, already up a break, had Belinda Bencic pinned at deuce on Thursday in their Indian Wells quarterfinal.
Ben Shelton leads emerging American men's players by 'letting it all hang out'
He just doesn’t seem to sweat the small stuff, like those pesky unforced errors. There’s always another ball to clobber. Published Mar 10, 2025 INTERVIEW: Ben Shelton after reaching his second Grand Slam semifinal at 22 Tennis these days is all about hairline margins, precise technique, a degree of consistency in which each point is gold not to be frittered away. It’s about economy of motion and in thrall to the general embrace throughout sports of data and statistics.
'Big Brother' is watching ... tennis: Many eyes, in many ways are on the sport in 2025
The ongoing push to feed tennis players to the public is not without consequences. Published Feb 13, 2025 TENNIS CHANNEL LIVE: Danielle Collins got lost (again) on grounds of 2025 Australian Open Australian tennis officials are over the moon about the success of their recent Grand Slam, which became something like “The Happy Slam” on steroids. Attendance records were shattered.
Ben Shelton’s killer serve—and improving return—are representative of this moment in tennis | Tennis.com
Great servers have realized that power and pace are not the end-all and be-all, and that their killer shots must be backed up with a solid return game. Published Feb 05, 2025 One of the more significant storylines at this year’s Australian Open was the effort Carlos Alcaraz made in the off-season to improve his serve.
This past Australian Open reinforced one of tennis' unwritten rules
No player ever wins a war with the fans. Published Jan 28, 2025 Tennis players, especially great ones, very quickly learn that while it’s okay to berate chair umpires, denigrate journalists and trash-talk feisty rivals, the one line you do not under any circumstances cross is the one where the court ends and the seats begin. Lest we forget, this year’s Australian Open has reminded us of those unwritten rules. No player ever wins a war with the fans.
Alexander Zverev must elevate his game when it most counts—and keep it there | Tennis.com
“He completely outplayed me,” Zverev said of Jannik Sinner after their Australian Open final. “I’m serving better than him, but that’s it.” Published Jan 27, 2025 Any chance that the Australian Open men’s final would produce a fairytale ending to match the one spun by Madison Keys just 24 hours earlier evaporated almost immediately, after defending champion Jannik Sinner and ATP No. 2 Alexander Zverev began firing away at each other on Sunday evening in Melbourne.
The mild-mannered Tyrolean Terror Jannik Sinner has been steely at the Australian Open
Sinner's remarkable on-court ability to block out any distraction from his mission has been on full display as he seeks to defend his Melbourne title. Published Jan 22, 2025 After his first-round win over Nicolas Jarry at the Australian Open a little over a week ago, Jannik Sinner was asked if he was nervous about how the crowd would greet him, given his ongoing doping controversy and the way local star Nick Kyrigos was exploiting, trolling Sinner on social media.
The older folks at the Australian Open are also doing quite well, thanks
The kids are alright, but the adults—we’ll call them the 25-and-overs—are better. Published Jan 17, 2025 Youth have been gobbling up headlines at this Australian Open as if they were slices of the celebratory pepperoni pizza—with extra cheese—that 19-year Learner Tien wolfed down after his sensational upset of No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev.
Powered by Borscht: Gael Monfils is living his best life, on and off the court, at 38
When it comes to tennis, time may not be on the Frenchman’s side, but the hard courts of Melbourne Park are. Published Jan 15, 2025 There must be something in the borscht. How else can you explain the way Gael Monfils, a 38-year old, beloved and battle-scarred veteran, has powered his way into the history books and, in recent weeks, outdueled both seasoned veterans and promising youngsters nearly half his age?
Is tennis in a golden age of congeniality? | Tennis.com
The Novak Djokovic-Jannik Sinner tempest in a teacup is a pretty good indicator of what a lousy time it is for controversy. Published Jan 14, 2025 Novak Djokovic had plenty to think about as he began the quest for his 25th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open this week. He’s 37 years old. He’s short on match play. He’s coming off a year in which he won but one title (granted, it was a doozy: Olympic gold).
Will Naomi Osaka find her inner Andre Agassi?
Each of them had a mid-career encounter with the familiar warning, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” Published Jan 11, 2025 In a press conference the day before Naomi Osaka kickstarted her 2025 WTA campaign in Auckland, the 27-year-old former No. 1 told journalists: “I've been playing tennis since I was three, and a huge part of that I owe to my parents, but I never really saw my life doing anything else.
For Carlos Alcaraz and other top seeds, the Australian Open is the Happy and Scary Slam | Tennis.com
Tennis’ great annual reset takes place in Melbourne, and in one way the game’s haves should be thankful that the sport’s much-debated off-season is so fleeting. Published Jan 07, 2025 Tennis Australia is proud of its flagship tournament, the Australian Open, and delighted with the way it is often called “The Happy Slam.” But for elite players embarking on a new year with much to protect in the way of rep and ranking, the event also qualifies as The Scary Slam.
Ben Shelton: A happy warrior’s year of learning
The showman looks to break away from a 'servebot' label come 2025. Published Dec 25, 2024 Ben Shelton's on the Nice (Wrapping) List Some tennis pros love the job for reasons beyond the pure joy of winning. It may be the independence of the globetrotting life. The pure adrenalin rush of competition. The fame. The money. . . The thing that gets Ben Shelton most righteously stoked is that he gets to strut his stuff before large, animated—and frequently lubricated—crowds.
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