The blustery weather conditions on the first day of the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells caused for some interesting play, as shots were disrupted due to the strong winds in the area.
American tennis player Chris Eubanks found out the hard way as he was the recipient of the 'slowest ace' in tennis history. Facing compatriot Maxime Cressy in the first round, the increased winds rendered shot making difficult.
This was even more evident when Cressy attempted to hit a serve only to have it delayed by the wind, stalling in midair before gently dropping over the net. Despite Eubanks attempt to sprint to the ball, the World No.157 was unable to get to it in time, giving Cressy an ace. Nonetheless, both men laughed off the incident, with Eubanks eventually winning the match in three sets.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.