A tennis community for the recreational player
Here it is, a glorious September Sunday, and where am I? Out hiking? Apple picking? Playing tennis? Nope. Just sitting here in front of my damn laptop. The weather’s been too nice for staring at screens, but it’s past time to show my blog a little love…and these ugly clothes a little hate.
Continue reading “Fashion Face-Off: Worst-Dressed Player at US Open 2025”
Did you guys see the women’s semifinals yesterday? What a treat! Only a few weeks ago I was railing about all the choking in the women’s game, with three of these four semifinalists serving as my examples. Yesterday, to quote Patrick McEnroe, they stepped up and delivered, including Amanda Anisimova, bouncing back from that humiliating double bagel in the Wimbledon final. The only possible explanation for this dramatic turnaround? These ladies are reading LittleYellowBall! (Hey, guys!)
Seriously, I couldn’t be happier to eat my words.
Of course, another treat has been all the stellar fashion on display. I had a tough time winnowing the field to only three, and I expect I’ll get an earful about who got left off the podium. Bring it on, people. I can take it.
Continue reading “Friday Fashion Face-Off: Best-Dressed Woman at the 2025 US Open”
Happy Labor Day, everyone! After the barbeques and holiday sale shopping, it’s time to kick back with some tennis fashion fun. Or, if not fun — it is the men, after all — at least fashion frivolity.
I take my job as self-appointed fashion arbiter pretty seriously, so last Tuesday I traveled to Flushing Meadows to inspect this year’s getups first-hand, bringing along my trusty assistant/sidekick/brother David. I wouldn’t say David follows the sport too closely (Sample comment: “They don’t use line judges anymore?”) but he both buys and wears clothes, which appears to be the only real job requirement for these face-offs. I figured he’d be a fount of fashion savvy, particularly in regards to the men’s apparel.
His first contribution? Keeping Alexander Zverev off the slate of nominees:
Continue reading “Labor Day Fashion Face-Off: Best-Dressed Man at the 2025 US Open”
For a long time I’ve wanted to write a blog post about the phrase “the Open era” — what it means and why it matters. I knew the basics, but something about it confused me — something I had trouble articulating — and I figured I might not be alone in that feeling. This year’s U.S. Open, where Novak Djokovic, in the waning days of his career, will try to finally top Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, seemed like the perfect time to dig in.
But there’s another U.S. Open story that I want to write about: the new and highly controversial mixed doubles format. How can we ignore that can of slimy worms?
As I considered the choice, though, it dawned on me: These aren’t different topics at all. So lucky us, we get to tackle both in one bloated blog post. (Don’t give me the eyeroll. Focusing through long boring reads helps ward off dementia. You’ll thank me when you’re older.)
Continue reading “Mixed Doubles, the Open Era — and the Business of Tennis”
Who says you can’t start a monthly challenge on the 15th? Self-improvement is hard enough without setting arbitrary time constraints on it. I say, when you feel a passing interest in working on something, you better seize the moment. God knows when that feeling will come around again.
For the remainder of August, and perhaps through mid-September, I’ll be working on my reaction time. (Technically, reaction time is a cognitive process, while reflexes are not, but for this post I’ll be using the terms interchangeably.)
I probably don’t have to tell you that your reaction time gets worse with age. (I don’t know about you, but I have yet to find anything that gets better.) Left to their own devices, our cognitive processing time and neuron speeds slow down by milliseconds with each passing decade for even the simplest demands. Milliseconds may not sound like much, but they’re precious when faced with an oncoming tennis ball.
Continue reading “Good Hands: The August Half-Month Challenge”
Man, am I tired of watching the women pros choke.
Victoria Mboko, the Canadian wildcard entry who took the title in Montreal last night, is the real deal, and I absolutely mean her no disrespect. Had Naomi Osaka played at her full capabilities, she still might have lost. Mboko has power and speed and an effective drop shot, and she earned her win.
But Osaka choked, and choked badly. Worse, she knew she was choking and just gave up, slumping listlessly through the third set with vacant eyes. If I’d bought tickets to that final, I’d be demanding my money back.
Trouble is, she’s not the only one. One day earlier, Elena Rybakina choked in the semis, looking positively frozen with fear. Back in June, Aryna Sabalenka fell apart in the French Open final, racking up an astonishing 70 unforced errors (and yes, she handled it gracelessly afterwards). Amanda Anisimova froze in the Wimbledon final, getting double-bageled in 57 painful-to-watch minutes. These women all possess enough firepower to take the racquet out of their opponents’ hands, but this year, at crucial moments, they couldn’t put the ball in the court.
We’re wrapping up Wimbledon this week with our favorite face-off, the worst dressed. I know you’re eager to start casting your stones, so we’ll dispense with the preamble and jump straight to the photos…
Continue reading “Friday Fashion Face-off: Worst-Dressed at Wimbledon 2025”
Have I resolved the technical issues that plagued last week’s face-off? I hope so. My apologies for the less-than-seamless reading experience — and thank you to those who valiantly forged ahead anyway. Give a shout if there continue to be problems.
Now on to the women of Wimbledon…
Did you happen to catch commentator Pam Shriver speculating that Jessica Pegula was on the rag during her surprise first-round loss?
Continue reading “Friday Fashion Face-off: Best-Dressed Woman at Wimbledon 2025”
“Didn’t you used to have a blog?”
I get asked this question occasionally, usually in a semi-judgmental tone. Apparently, it’s a shameful thing to have neglected your blog, akin to abandoning your senescent parent in some state-run institution. If you’re not going to love and attend to your blog, these inquisitors seem to imply, just smother it with a pillow already.
But I’m taking a different tack, resuscitating LittleYellowBall with, ironically, the blandest, most moribund of all blog topics: men’s fashion at the whitey-white Slam.
Choosing the male nominees for the Wimbledon fashion face-offs has always been a daunting task, usually coming down to minutiae like coordinating socks. Until men start sporting unitards or strappy tops, there will never be much to say about their white-on-white getups.
Continue reading “Friday Fashion Face-off: Best Dressed Man at Wimbledon 2025”
Halfway through this year’s US Open, I thought I was really going to take a beating in my fantasy leagues. Rybakina, Samsonova, Wawrinka, Svitolina — all knocked out of contention. But then, somewhat inexplicably, I ended up winning both the men’s and women’s contests. (Well, not winning-winning. There were people that finished ahead of me. But I beat the LittleYellowBall followers who participated, and then I got to rub it in their faces. I don’t ask much more from life than that.)
Today, we’re going to do all the face-offs in one post. That’s three separate polls, so don’t quit until you’ve voted for the ugliest of the uglies.
The Best-Dressed Man Face-off
Nominee #1: John Isner
I’m sure I’ve shared before that I don’t enjoy watching Isner play. His brand of tennis, so reliant on aces and service winners, doesn’t make for compelling rallies. He moves with a lumbering, almost apathetic quality. He must have a passion for the game, but he doesn’t physically convey it. It’s not easy to cheer on his tennis.
It is easy to cheer him on as a person, though. The same unassuming, just-go-about-your-business quality that makes his tennis so uninspiring makes him downright lovable in interviews. I admit I got a little choked up listening to his heartfelt retirement speech.
I think I’m nominating this classic Fila outfit on its own merits, but it’s possible my sentimental tears are compromising my fashion integrity.
Nominee #2: Francis Tiafoe
Big guns in a sleeveless tank is a surefire way to get noticed here at LittleYellowBall. Another easy-to-love American, Tiafoe made it through to the quarters before bowing out to upstart Ben Shelton.
Some will say this Nike outfit is too busy, but I say poppycock. I love the rich teal shorts, the vibrant, tropical-vibe top, and the biceps, which, though not technically part of the ensemble, are nevertheless essential to pulling off the look.
Nominee #3: Alexander Zverev
I almost made this an all-American face-off with Ben Shelton as the third choice. He’s young and bold and highly watchable, and his hot pink side-stripe was very on-trend. But I keep coming back to this Adidas number. Adidas tried many variations of this colorway on both their men’s and women’s rosters, but this is the only version that works. It’s bright and energetic and bold and surprising while still managing to stay coherent. (For an example of bold and surprising and incoherent, keep on scrolling…)
The Best-Dressed Woman Face-off
Nominee #1: Aryna Sabalenka
With her statuesque frame and regal bearing, Sabalenka can elevate most outfits from the banal to something special. I can’t tell if I would like this Nike dress on another player, or if I would find it a bit drab. In truth, the color could be brighter, and I’d prefer a more open back. It’s possible the Belarusian earns her nomination thanks to an overall lackluster Slam for women’s fashion. But quibbles aside, I’d be thrilled to look this good, on or off the court.
Nominee #2: Leylah Fernandez
Leylah wasn’t on my fantasy team, which is fortunate because she was ousted in the first round. Will she ever again come close to her magical run to the 2021 US Open final?
In doubles, though, the Canadian made it to the quarters, partnering with new mom Taylor Townsend. Fernandez kept her cool in the late summer soupiness with this well-fitting, midriff-baring getup by Lululemon. The mirroring notched edges of the top and skirt keep the two pieces in conversation with each other and makes the exposed middle an essential element in the overall look. (Yes, I know that’s a weirdly specific compliment. I’m setting up a contrast with a later nominee. Bear with me.)
Nominee #3: The ball girls
Like I said, it was a lackluster Open where women’s fashion was concerned. But I did like these snappy little Ralph Lauren numbers the ball girls were wearing.
The Worst-Dressed Player Face-off
Nominee #1: Jessie Pegula
Do the people at Adidas have a grudge against Pegula or her family? Do they just hate the Buffalo Bills? This looks like someone fed Zverev’s shirt through the garbage disposal.
This isn’t the first time Adidas has done the American star wrong. Time to look for a new sponsor, Pegula!
Nominee #2: Caroline Wozniacki
Oh, Caroline. How we’ve missed you at Fashion Face-off.
We used to be able to blame Stella McCartney for Woziacki’s fashion fiascos. But this time, the Dane herself is claiming “credit,” remarking that as a mother of two returning to the tour, now was the time to be bold.
Bold is good. Ugly is not. Am I the only one who’s put in mind of a wrestler’s singlet?
Still, I am glad to see Miss Sunshine back on tour and playing remarkably well.
Nominee #3: Coco Gauff
I know, I know. How can I possibly nominate America’s darling? But let’s consider this outfit objectively. I’ve got no problem with a cropped top (see Leylah Fernandez above). But what is going on with this one? It looks more like a tank that’s bunching up on itself. Every time I see this shirt, I want to fix the front — unroll it, smooth it out, pull it back down. And, color aside, I don’t see any aesthetic correspondence with the skirt. Yes, Coco is adorable, but this outfit is a total whiff for New Balance.
Want to yell at me for being mean to Coco? Keep scrolling to find the comment section…