Before its branding birth, the Beast was busy biting the ball in prestigious junior tournaments, building an online following and sending swarms of speculative stringers, players and gear heads into ...

Whipping his racquet through the air like a cesta in jai alai, Rafael Nadal produces such tremendous topspin that the ball sometimes seems to catapult off the court, creating a shot as challenging to ...

Tennis is such a simple game. There is a racket, a felt-covered ball, a net and a court. Compared to golf, with its ever- changing menu of high-power drivers, “hybrid” irons, rescue clubs and new-age ...

Great tennis legends used to use heavy wooden rackets. Graphite arrived about 25 years ago. Since then, the technology hasn't change much. That is until now. More and more pros are using polyester ...

Sheep intestine launched the technological advancements of tennis strings. But that was 145 years ago and the tech making strings has advanced well beyond the sheep intestine natural gut first ...

Materials testing is a well-established technique used to determine the physical and mechanical properties of raw materials and components from a human hair to steel, composite materials and ceramics.

This story is one segment of a four-part series on SI Tennis that will look back in history and chronicle the changes and progression of fundamental aspects of the game, from sneakers to rackets and ...