WTA Tour

Podoroska Beats Serena: ‘It’s A Special Win’

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 13, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) Throughout their nearly-two-hour match, Nadia Podoroska looked comfortable on the red clay of Foro Italico’s Center Court. Serena Williams did not. Although the 23-time Grand Slam champion has thrice won titles on clay […]

When Djokovic Traded Tennis For Family Time

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 12, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) World No. 1 Novak Djokovic loves to hike, loves to spend as much time as possible in nature – forests, lakes, mountains, rivers. “You know, I try to be, whether it’s with my […]

Williams May Skip Tokyo Summer Olympics

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 11, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) As Serena Williams sat for her first of what could be many virtual press conferences this week in Rome, Italy’s capital city and site of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, on Monday, the 23-time […]

Sabalenka Dances With Power, Wins Madrid Title

MADRID/WASHINGTON, May 8, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) In the end, Aryna Sabalenka celebrated her Mutua Madrid Open title inside La Caja Mágica with a smile, a stylish power pop dance move and a new career-high ranking. What will the Belarusian […]

For World No. 1 Barty, The Growth Never Stops

MADRID/WASHINGTON, May 8, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) Saturday evening’s Mutua Madrid Open women’s singles final between World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and World No. 7 and Aryna Sabalenka marks this third time in the last five weeks that the two […]

Sweet 16th Straight Victory On Red Clay For Barty

MADRID/WASHINGTON, May 6, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) As Spanish wild card Paula Badosa‘s wonderful run in Madrid came to a close, another remarkable run continued. Thursday afternoon at the Mutua Madrid Open. World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty ran her winning […]

Kissing Clay Is Sweet Taste Of Victory For Badosa

MADRID/WASHINGTON, May 5, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) Paula Badosa‘s second victory over Belinda Bencic in a month was sealed by the Spaniard spontaneously getting down on her hands and knees and kissing the red clay. The taste of dirt never […]

Pavlyuchenkova Wants Badly To Win Every Time

MADRID/WASHINGTON, May 5, 2021 (by Michael Dickens) Over the course of unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova‘s two-hour and 44-minute third-round slugfest against Jennifer Brady at the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open Tuesday evening, there were plenty of peaks and valleys, moments in which […]