A free 9-page guide gives new tennis and pickleball players the court basics, scoring, first shots and a four-week practice plan.
5 min read
A quick look
Inside this issue
Download a free 9-page beginner's guide to tennis and pickleball.
Alcaraz returns with a straight-sets win as Sinner's withdrawal changes the men's draw.
Sabalenka begins her three-peat bid and Pickleball Nationals opens in Cary.
“I just did whatever it took to be ready.”
Carlos Alcaraz
App update
Start with a court, a plan and a next step
The Beginner's Playbook is a free starting point for anyone learning tennis or pickleball. It explains each court, the scoring, the first shots to learn and the terms that make early lessons easier to follow.
It also includes a four-week practice plan for each sport. Use the guide to begin, then bring each session into Drop It to record your practice, get personalized AI feedback and keep your next step visible.
Two sports. Two four-week plans. One clear place to start.
The US Open began with one major favorite missing, a defending champion returning from four months out and several routes to the women's No. 1 ranking still in play.
Alcaraz returns in straight sets
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in his first singles match since April, beginning his title defense without visible physical trouble.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew with a right knee injury, creating an opportunity for Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and the leading American contenders.
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka leads the women's field, with Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff all able to challenge for the No. 1 ranking during the fortnight.
The Veolia Pickleball National Championships opens the 2026-27 PPA Tour season in Cary with the sport's top-ranked players and a full week of competition.
The kitchen is pickleball's seven-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net. You can step into it, but you cannot volley while touching the zone or its boundary lines.
That rule is why points often settle into controlled dink exchanges near the net before one player finds the right ball to attack.
You may enter the kitchen. You just cannot volley from it.
