Record numbers of seeds are falling in the early rounds at Wimbledon. We look at exactly how unprecedented these results are, whether this is part of a larger trend, and which first-round shock was the most unexpected.
With his haul of 8 titles, Roger Federer has triumphed at Wimbledon more than anyone else. But how does 8 titles compare with how many we could have expected him to win given his level—and his competition—over the years? And which title was his most impressive? [Authored by Graeme Spence]
With Wimbledon a little more than a week away, we look at the trends in first slams for the WTA and the top prospects for the next first-slam winner at SW19.
The intermittent rain and late nights at the 2018 French Open have resulted in multiple interrupted matches, including the bottom half of the men’s quarterfinals. We often have the impression that reversals and big swings are more likely with an interrupted match. Does the data back up this impression of the impact of suspended play?
In reaching the quarterfinal at the 2018 French Open, Alexander Zverev not only has earned the best Grand Slam result of his career, he also joins a short list of 4 men in the Open Era who have played 3 or more five-set matches on their way to the Roland Garros quarterfinals. Is Zverev’s gruelling journey to the second week most likely to hurt or help his chances for the title?
Today, as part of the final R16 lineup at the French Open, Serena Williams will have the opportunity to bring her near-perfect record over Maria Sharapova to a staggering 20 to 2. Many have wondered how much Williams’ dominance over the ‘Unstoppable’ author is fuelled by more than pure ability. In this post, we attempt to understand the inexplicable part of their head-to-head.
The red dirt of Roland Garros, which has held the attention of the tennis world this week, is the most defining feature of the only clay-court Grand Slam. But, when it comes to performance, is clay losing its distinctiveness? In this guest post, Graeme Spence, delves into the closing gap in surface specialisation.
The main draw of the 2018 French Open is just hours away and Rafael Nadal is the frontrunner by far for the title. What patterns of play have contributed to the 10-time champion’s clay dominance in 2018?
We are a day away from the first round of the 2018 French Open. Who are tennis fans most likely to see in the final stages of the event? And who among the top contenders were favoured by this year’s draw?
As tennis prepares for the second slam of the season, we look at the players who have raised their game the most in the past year.
