During the off-season, players can enjoy a variety of activities ranging from personal appearances or adopting a puppy to making a stand and generous gifts…
Over the past two years of interviewing players, coaches, agents and parents, one theme emerged again and again: Betting has become one of the biggest sources of pressure, abuse and hatred in modern sports. Our mission is to tell real tennis stories, inspire people and grow the sport in a way that is healthy for athletes and fans. Taking gambling money would move us in the opposite direction. Caroline García
Katie Boulter hosts the Age UK Sutton Walking Tennis Group at the NTC
Katie Boulter, three-time WTA tour winner and a key part of the British Lexus GB Billie Jean King Cup squad, visited the Age UK Sutton group at the Sutton Tennis and Squash Club last year, and after seeing the impact of the walking tennis sessions, arranged with the LTA Tennis Foundation for the group to visit the National Tennis Center for ‘Tea and Tennis with Katie’.
The visit combined a walking tennis session with the chance to sit down for tea with Katie to tell her how their sessions had gone since her last visit.
The on-court session covered aspects of sensory tennis, including using scarves to boost people’s hand-eye coordination, before moving on to rallying with orange balls, which bounce less than a normal tennis ball, making it easier to play.
After the track session the group sat down for tea and sandwiches with Katie, which is an important aspect of their regular sessions in Sutton.
“It’s not just about playing the game, it’s also about the social side of it,” says Helena Dean, activities coordinator at Age UK Sutton. “Every week we have an hour of walking tennis, but then we have a social gathering and everyone stays and has lunch, and it’s a real community now… They have extra mobility, but now also the confidence to do other things, it’s a snowball effect.”
Speaking after the session, Katie expressed how pleased she was to have been able to invite the group to Roehampton, saying: “It was so great to invite Age UK Sutton where I train and spend some time with everyone. I’m very close to my grandparents so spending some time with Age UK is really important and to see the impact it has for them to just go out and play tennis and be able to spend time with other people, it makes such a big difference.”
Mirra Andreeva adopts a puppy
Russian Mirra Andreeva has welcomed a new member to the family and introduced fans to her new dog, ‘Rassy’, a sweet, shaggy, black and tan female puppy.
Getting a dog is her reward for making her Top 20 debut, which she did last fall by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2024 China Open, but she held off on getting the pet until she could find the perfect one.
“I’m thinking about getting an ultra mini labradoodle,” the 18-year-old said in March. “It will be a Labrador mixed with a poodle, and it is ultra mini, so it will be even smaller than a mini version. It will take some time before the dog I want is born. We are waiting now.”
Andreeva improved her Top 20 season from 2024 onwards, peaking at No. 5 after winning consecutive WTA 1000 titles at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and the BNP Paribas Open.
“I’m thinking about getting a girl because the girls are actually a bit smaller, so it will be easier to travel with a girl,” she said. “At first I wanted to have a boy, so I came up with a few names for a boy, but then we decided to have a girl.
“There aren’t many options, and I’m not even sure the options I have will be the real name. So I can’t really name one. I’ll have to think about it!”
It looks like Andreeva got everything she wanted in Rassy, as they posed together for an adorable winter-themed photo shoot.
Caroline Garcia took a stand when a gambling company offered a six-figure sponsorship fee that directly contradicted what she believes her podcast stands for
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Garcia takes a stand on betting
Caroline Garcia, who retired from the US Open, turned to podcasting as she wrapped up her final season on tour. In January 2024, she launched the Tennis Insider Club with her current husband, Borja Duran, which hosts in-depth interviews with ATP and WTA players, coaches, agents and insiders.
As the podcast grew rapidly, Garcia made a stand when a gambling company offered a six-figure sponsorship fee that directly conflicted with what she believed the show stood for.
In an Instagram statement, Garcia said she and Duran turned down the sizable offer because of the damage gambling culture has wrought on modern tennis, writing: “Over the past two years of interviewing players, coaches, agents and parents, one theme continues to emerge time and time again: Betting has become one of the biggest sources of pressure, abuse and hatred in modern sports.
“Our mission is to tell real stories from tennis, inspire people and grow the sport in a way that is healthy for athletes and fans. Taking gambling money would move us in the opposite direction.”
Garcia’s stance resonated with players, who have long spoken out about the abuse they face online after losses, with stars including Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff among the first to like her post and publicly express their support for many others.
Sorana Cirstea will retire from the WTA Tour next season
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Cirstea announces retirement
Romanian Sorana Cirstea has announced her retirement date with an emotional and honest post on social media, after recently struggling with foot pain, ending her 2024 season and undergoing surgery to correct the problem.
Moreover, she withdrew from the most recent edition of the French Open with ankle pain.
“I love tennis, I love the discipline, the routines and the hard work,” Cirstea posted on Instagram. “The competition and the adrenaline feed my soul. But like everything in life, it has to come to an end.
“Next year will be my twentieth year on tour as a professional tennis player. I never expected to compete for so long, but the last few years have been my happiest on court and they just kept me going.
“That said, I have now decided that 2026 will be my last year on tour.
“When you love something so much, it is not easy to say ‘goodbye’. For now, however, this is not a goodbye, but a ‘see you later’.
“I still have a lot of things I want to improve, I have goals and ambitions, so I hope to achieve some of them next year and finish this wonderful career on a high level and on my terms.
“I love tennis and I am very happy and grateful for everything it has given and taught me. This sport has allowed a 4-year-old girl, who held the racket for the first time, to realize her dream. A beautiful dream in which all the sacrifices have been worth it.”
“I look forward to seeing all my fans, friends and loved ones off the field for one last dance around the world.
“Thank you Tennis, I will forever be indebted to you.
“See you in 2026 and thank you all for your unconditional support!”
Victoria Mboko won four consecutive ITF World Tennis Tour titles early this year, then won a WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal and reached the third round at the French Open.
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ITF honors Victoria Mboko and Janice Tjen
Victoria Mboko, Janice Tjen, Lilli Tagger, Arnaud Bailly and Luka Mikrut were selected by a panel as the ITF’s Class of 2025, a group considered the sport’s “promising and breakthrough” talents, based on their seasons on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
Mboko, a 19-year-old Canadian, won four consecutive ITF World Tennis Tour titles early this year, then won a WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal and reached the third round at the French Open.
The 23-year-old Tjen won five straight ITF World Tennis Tour titles, including a 27-match winning streak, and at the US Open became the first Indonesian player to play in a Grand Slam main draw since 2004, beating No. 24 seed Veronika Kudermetova to lift her first WTA Tour trophy in November.
Tagger, a 17-year-old Austrian, was the youngest finalist at WTA Tour level this season, making it as far as a wildcard entry in Jiujiang, China, in October.
Bailly, a 20-year-old from Belgium, went 60-19 to reach nine finals in 2025, raising his ranking from No. 802 to just outside the Top 200.
Mikrut, a 21-year-old Croatian, collected four ITF World Tennis Tour titles in March and April, each without dropping a set.
Players selected for this award by the ITF in the past include Mirra Andreeva, Iva Jovic, Learner Tien and Jakub Mensik.
Casper Ruud, a generous brother
Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud has invested part of his winnings in real estate and gave two penthouse apartments to his younger sisters, 25-year-old Caroline and 19-year-old Charlotte, as an early Christmas present.
The 26-year-old Norwegian is said to have transferred the properties to his sisters free of charge.
Norway’s Nettavisen announced that the apartments were purchased by Ruud in 2021 and 2024 respectively, with ATP World No 12 using its income from the sport to invest in various properties.
Throughout his career, he has earned total prize money of more than $26 million, and is reportedly receiving fees of NOK 5.2 million (£390,000) and NOK 6.45 million (£480,000) for the two apartments.
Documents show that these were transferred to his sisters.
Charlotte, the younger of the two, wants to follow in her brother and father’s footsteps on the pro tour and is currently attending the Rafael Nadal Academy, having played in Futures tournaments.
Caroline, meanwhile, is active on social media where she shares fitness, lifestyle and travel content with her followers.
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