Hello dear readers, friends, and racket sports enthusiasts.

Welcome to the September 2025 edition of your go-to newsletter! We’ve lined up an enlightening mix of content this month, from in‑depth analysis and coaching strategies to compelling stories from the heart of tennis history. Let’s take a quick tour of what’s inside:

Featured in This Issue (amongst other content)

Publisher’s Notes for September 2025 - As ever Rich kicks things off by reflecting on the sizzling summer, raising a toast to retiring WTA CEO Steve Simon, and introducing a brand-new “Webinar Watch” page to streamline how you stay informed. We also get an insider’s peek at the energy of the US Open and a teaser about the upcoming World Tennis Esports Championship in Las Vegas.

Racket Sports Tech for September 2025 - Ashley Owens delivers the latest on tech in the racquet sports world—from crafting club culture to the debut of “Ruley,” an AI-powered e‑referee app designed to eliminate rule confusion across tennis, padel, and pickleball. Catch updates from Baseline Vision, CourtReserve, USTA Ventures, and more.

Exceptional CE Programs Will Drive the Growth of Tennis - Gary Horvath argues that dynamic, high-quality continuing education programs are essential to strengthening coaching expertise—and in turn, fuelling the growth of tennis for years to come.

Jimmie McDaniel: The Forgotten Trailblazer of American Tennis - Craig Nobles shines a spotlight on Jimmie McDaniel—an ATA champion and pioneering Black tennis icon whose legendary 1940 Harlem exhibition against Don Budge helped crack the sport’s segregated walls.

A New Approach to the Approach Shot - Rod Heckelman revisits the timeless craft of the approach shot, spotlighting Federer’s ingenious “Grip Jump” slice as a fresh tactic for today’s players—and sharing three creative drills to help you sharpen your net game.

The Challenge of Remodeling - In this practical guide, Heckelman offers a masterclass in club renovations—balancing disruption with improvement, smart budgeting, future-proofing choices, member communication, and post-project engagement tips.

In the Trenches: The Rx for Tennis Coaches - Susan Nardi delivers a powerful reminder: coaching is the “fun business.” She urges coaches to trade drill-sergeant methods for game‑based learning, connection, and joy—then feeds you three actionable nuggets to make your sessions unforgettable.

Why You’ll Want to Dive In

This issue brings something for everyone involved in the racket-sports world:

• Leaders & Operators: Gain fresh ideas for tech, webinars, and facility upgrades.

• Coaches & Educators: Elevate your coaching game with CE perspectives, fun-first philosophies, and tactical innovations.

• Historians & Storytellers: Discover a timeless legacy in McDaniel’s story—a chapter too long absent from the spotlight.

That’s just a taste of the 20 in-depth features we’ve packed into this month’s issue—delivered free to everyone in the racket sports industry. So pour yourself a cold drink, get comfortable, and enjoy exploring the September edition of Racket Business.

At the bottom of this newsletter, you’ll also find quick links to every issue we’ve published in 2025, along with our Industry Events Calendar—the only comprehensive guide to the most valuable racket sports events worldwide, complete with registration links.

If this is your first time reading and you’re not yet a subscriber, why not join us today? It’s completely free, and it ensures you’ll never miss exclusive content like From Inside the Lines and other insider perspectives.

Finally, a note of thanks: Racket Business is a true labour of love, offered free each month, but made possible by a handful of loyal advertisers. We encourage you to check out their ads below—their services are consistently best-in-class and directly relevant to your career in the industry.

Rich & Tim (Learn more about us)

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From inside the lines…

An exclusive series of short features, only available to newsletter subscribers, from the owner’s of Racket Business. This month…

Hidden Heroes of the Racket-Sports World

In the high-intensity world of tennis, padel and pickleball, it’s easy to focus on the stars who dominate the headlines. But behind every thrilling rally or breathtaking victory are unsung heroes—people whose passion and dedication keep the sport alive, at every level. Among them: the courtside photographers, the shop owners, the grassroots coaches, and an entire supporting cast of professionals and volunteers who rarely receive the credit they deserve.

Courtside Photographers: Waiting for That Perfect Frame

Take Ray Giubilo, a veteran on the tennis circuit, whose recent image of Jasmine Paolini at the US Open quickly became one of the most talked-about photographs in the sport. With impeccable timing, Giubilo captured Paolini’s face perfectly framed by her racket strings, creating a surreal, humorous, “jack-o-lantern” moment that went viral. What many don’t realize is that behind such shots lies extraordinary endurance: Giubilo spends long, grueling 14-hour days photographing up to 20 matches across tournaments.

“We sit in all weathers, crouched inches from the baseline,” Giubilo once remarked, “waiting for one split second where sport, art, and timing meet.” That patience and artistry allow fans around the world to relive tennis history frame by frame.

Boutique Racket-Shop Owners: Keepers of Tradition and Trust

Independent racket-shop owners are another overlooked cornerstone of the sport. Mason’s Tennis Mart in New York City, for example which Rich highlights in a dedicated article this month, has been a community anchor since 1975. Its founder, Mark Mason, has spent decades helping players find the right racket or pair of shoes while predicting equipment trends long before they hit the mainstream.

“I see myself less as a retailer and more as a caretaker,” Mason explained in an interview. “Every player who walks through the door—whether they’re a junior or a touring pro—deserves the right gear, the right strings, and the right advice.”

Shops like Mason’s remain rare and precious in an age of online giants, offering knowledge, personal service, and a sense of belonging that can’t be bought from a warehouse website.

Grassroots Coaches: The Architects of Dreams

While global audiences marvel at the work of superstar coaches on the ATP and WTA tours, it’s the grassroots coaches who sustain the game day in and day out. They teach kids to rally, adults to serve, and communities to embrace a sport that is notoriously difficult to master.

As one community coach in London put it, “We’re not just teaching tennis—we’re teaching resilience, discipline, and joy. My players won’t all end up at Wimbledon, but they’ll take the lessons from this sport into every corner of their lives.”

It is this invisible labor, rarely recognized, that ensures the sport’s growth at every level of society.

Racket Stringers: The Silent Technicians

Perhaps the most underappreciated specialists are the stringers. At professional events, teams of expert stringers restring hundreds of rackets a day—sometimes overnight—so that players always have perfectly tuned equipment.

As renowned master stringer Ron Yu once said, “A player may spend months preparing for a tournament, but if their strings break at the wrong tension, their preparation means nothing.”

The work is painstaking, repetitive, and often anonymous, yet players’ confidence depends on it. Even at the club level, local stringers keep rackets alive for countless enthusiasts, ensuring every ball meets the sweet spot.

Ball Kids: Quick Feet and Unseen Discipline

To most fans, ball kids are background figures, sprinting across the court to deliver balls and towels. But their contribution goes far beyond logistics. Ball kids are trained in discipline, alertness, and precision—qualities that ensure matches run smoothly without distracting players or officials.

“I was more nervous picking up balls for Federer than I’ve ever been in a school exam,” one former Wimbledon ball girl joked. Their speed and discretion help maintain the flow of play, though the applause is never for them.

Club Volunteers: The Beating Heart of Local Tennis

At the grassroots level, club volunteers keep the sport accessible. They organize matches, manage membership drives, run junior clinics, and handle the everyday logistics that keep local courts alive.

As one volunteer from a small community club in Manchester explained, “We do it for love, not recognition. Without volunteers, half the local courts in this country would be locked shut.”

These unsung contributors ensure the sport isn’t just a spectacle on TV but a living, breathing part of local life.

Conclusion

While Grand Slam champions may capture the glory, it’s the hidden heroes—courtside photographers enduring long hours, racket-shop owners curating tradition, grassroots coaches shaping lives, stringers fine-tuning rackets, ball kids keeping matches seamless, and volunteers sustaining clubs—who form the true backbone of tennis.

Their contributions may go uncelebrated, but without them, the sport would lose not only its rhythm but also its soul. The next time a stunning forehand lights up a stadium or a viral photo captures the world’s attention, remember: racket sports thrive because of those working quietly, passionately, and invisibly in the shadows.

^{Please note that all of our content is created by human professionals. While we utilize Generative AI technology to assist in correcting syntax and grammar, our articles are written entirely by our team of experts. We value the expertise and creativity of our human writers in delivering high-quality content to our readers.}