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Sports
Grand Slam
Follow the pro tennis tour around the world. BY JACK GUY
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The tennis season is off to a fascinating start both on and off the court, with plenty more action still to come.
Of the four biggest tournaments on the professional tour, known collectively as the Grand Slam, the Australian Open took place in January, amid the dramatic saga revolving around men’s world No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic’s refusal to get vaccinated and his ultimate deportation from the country — now raising speculation he might be barred from upcoming tournaments as well. Rafael Nadal took the men’s title, while Australian Ashleigh Barty brought the women’s title home.
Next up is the French Open, scheduled to take place May 16–June 5 in Paris. Known as Roland-Garros, the clay court venue sits in the west of the city on the edge of the famous Bois de Boulogne park. Combine your visit to the tennis tournament with a soccer match at Le Parc des Princes, home to France’s top team, Paris Saint Germain, as a perfect trip for sports fanatics.
The next stop on the tennis tour takes us to Wimbledon in London, June 27–July 10. Held at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, the tournament represents a quintessentially English summer event where spectators enjoy strawberries and cream and Pimm’s as they watch the world’s best players battle it out on the grass. You can even split up the tennis by attending the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone July 3.
Beginning Aug. 29, the tennis tour descends on New York City for the US Open at Flushing Meadows. Known for its carnivalesque atmosphere, the U.S. event seems less traditional than the sometimes-staid Wimbledon. If you’ve still got energy to burn after the matches, set off to explore the city that never sleeps or pop next door to Citi Field to watch a New York Mets baseball game.
With Nadal now at 21 Grand Slam wins and Djokovic and Roger Federer tied at 20 Grand Slam titles each, which man will continue to break records this year and stand alone in the history books? And in the women’s game, could Ashleigh Barty convert her No. 1 ranking into more titles, or will the young sensation Emma Raducanu repeat last year’s US Open heroics and take home another Grand Slam at the tender age of 19?
