#real-tennis

#real-tennis

According to the Lawn Tennis Association, only 15,000 British players picked up a padel racket in 2019 but by the end of 2024, that figure was more than 400,000. Of those, about 399,000 are probably mispronouncing it: think pah-dell rather than paddle.

Set in the scenic California desert in Indian Wells, with top-notch facilities, the tournament has been voted the tennis players' favorite of the year. It is often referred to as the "fifth slam" for being the biggest tournament outside the four majors. The intimate, more laid-back experience is unique, with fans able to get within shouting distance of Naomi Osaka or Aryna Sabalenka as they practice or stretch out on the idyllic grass lawn.

I think she's coming back. I don't know. I haven't spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she's coming back. Where and how, singles, doubles, we don't know, and if I'm in her position, I would hide it too. Yeah, everybody is excited, and it's definitely something that's very highly anticipated.

On a Wednesday in the desert last March, Reilly Opelka, the American with a cannon of a serve, was grinding out a tough match against French number one Arthur Rinderknech. Nearby, former US Open men's finalist Kei Nishikori beat Luca Nardi, part of the new wave of Italian talent, while Brazilian phenom Joao Fonseca closed out Pavel Kotov, who reached number 50 in the world in 2024.

There are 10 matches at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on February 17, highlighted by No. 1-ranked Carlos Alcaraz against No. 28 Arthur Rinderknech. The Tennis Channel provides live coverage and highlights of all the major moments across tournaments during Center Court and Center Court Live, so tune in! Watch tennis, other live sports and more on Fubo. Use our link to sign up!

Sabalenka came from a set down then to win her first grand slam, and has gone on to not only become a four-time major champion and undisputed world No 1 but accumulate serious numbers on hard courts that have surpassed even some of Serena's stats. This is Sabalenka's seventh consecutive major final on the surface something matched only by Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf in the open era and victory would secure her third Australian Open title in four years.