So having to "upgrade" from ESPN Select to ESPN Unlimited in order to watch all the #AusOpen2026 matches was bad enough. But for those of us who bought ESPN Select through ITunes, we were forced to change to a bundle--no standalone ESPN Unlimited was even offered. Ridiculous.

It was great to see @KaPliskova on a tennis court again, and she's into the #AusOpen 2nd round. However, the Czech Curse (Muchova, Vondrousova, Pliskova, and now Krejcikova) is even more concerning these days. Hoping for good health for all! #WTA

Cat wandered in front of the camera during the #aurora long exposure

A Perfect Tjen Janice Tjen rekindles her fine form from the end of last year, toppling #22 seed Leylah Fernandez, 6-2, 7-6¹. It's the first singles win of the year for the up-and-comer from Indonesia, who lifted the doubles title with Katarzyna Piter in Hobart last week.

AO26: "Step One, Day Two" ...in the quiet of the Aussie summer (and away from a court featuring Alex Eala), Iga Swiatek's AO journey begins wtabackspin.blogspot.com/2026/01/ao26... backspintennis.blogspot.com/2026/01/ao26...

My poem, “Close-Up,” is featured at Silver Birch Press today. silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2026/01/19/c... #poetry #poetrycommunity #dragonflies

AO26: "Down and Out and Up and Down" ...history is made in Melbourne, and it was only Day 1 wtabackspin.blogspot.com/2026/01/ao26... backspintennis.blogspot.com/2026/01/ao26...

Three seeds--Alexandrova (11), Kostyuk (20), and Yastremska (26) are out of the #AusOpen in the first round. Kostyuk went out in what is likely to be the most dramatic match played at the tournament. (She also tore ligaments in her ankle, and is out of doubles.) #WTA

Real animals lovers don’t exploit or support the exploitation of animals for profit or “food.” Choose compassion / #vegan over cruelty: Challenge22.com 🌱

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Two commentators and an umpire, and none of them can be bothered to pronounce Bea's name correctly. #AusOpen2026

Both Agassi and Gimelstob at the #TennisChannel desk, just when I was enjoying the coverage. 😕 #AusOpen2026

Wk.2: "Mirra, Mirra on the Wall" ...has the upcoming winner in Melbourne already announced her AO26 intentions? wtabackspin.blogspot.com/2026/01/wk2-... backspintennis.blogspot.com/2026/01/wk2-...

Andreeva d. Mboko 6-3 6-1 in Adelaide So much talent between these two, but Mirra wins the battle of the teenager's today. She claims her 4th WTA title ✅6-1 in 2026 ✅1st Adelaide title One of a kind. ❤

Sonic Youth It was the battle of the top two teenagers in the world. And, Mirra Andreeva wasn't about to relinquish her title as the top teen on tour. The #3 seed rallies from 0-3 down to rattle off 12 of the next 13 games in a 6-3, 6-1 rout of 19yo Victoria Mboko.

World No. 2 & 2-time Porsche Tennis Grand Prix champion Iga Swiatek has been added to the field for this year’s WTA 500 event that kicks off the European clay season from April 11-19. Learn more, my @tennistourtalk.bsky.social story. 🎾 #tennis @PorscheTennis www.tennistourtalk.com/129668/two-t...

Australian Open main draw play begins on the 17th womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2026/01/aust... #WTA #AusOpen

AO26 Q-Rounds: Familiar Faces in Familiar Places ...an AO women's qualifying round recap wtabackspin.blogspot.com/2026/01/ao26... backspintennis.blogspot.com/2026/01/ao26...

Qualifier Jaqueline Cristian saves 5 set points to take a 7-5 lead in her quarterfinal against wild card Kimberly Birrell at the #AdelaideInternational. #WTA

Poland 🇵🇱 defeated Switzerland🇨🇭2-1 to win its first #UnitedCup trophy after finishing runner-up the last two years. It came down to a mixed doubles decider. This year, Poland was third time lucky. Learn more, my @tennistourtalk.bsky.social story. 🎾 #tennis www.tennistourtalk.com/129552/polan...

Wk.1: "Act 1, Scene 1 (2026)" ...a Sabalenka statement, Swiatek red flags (?), unfinished Svitolina business and a runner-up MVP highlight the opening week of a new WTA season wtabackspin.blogspot.com/2026/01/wk1-... backspintennis.blogspot.com/2026/01/wk1-...

"In the extraordinary 'Corona of Fragmentation,' the destruction of the speaker’s past is complete, though pieces linger like a memory tripwire." I Can't Recall Exactly When I Died is available from Amazon and Kelsay Books. www.amazon.com/Cant-Recall-... #poetry #poetrycommunity

Round of applause for Marta Kostyuk She didn’t get the title in Brisbane, but what an incredible week it’s been She beat 3 top 10 players in a row (Anisimova, Andreeva, Pegula) to reach her first final since 2024 She’ll also be back in the top 20 next week Big steps 🇺🇦💙

Coming off the biggest season of her career, World No. 3 Amanda Anisimova has committed to play the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open, North America’s largest women’s-only professional tennis event. Learn more, my @tennistourtalk.bsky.social story. 🎾#tennis www.tennistourtalk.com/129484/anisi...

It took four match points, but top seed Aryna Sabalenka def. Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 and advances to the final of #BrisbaneTennis. Her opponent in the final will be either Jessica Pegula or Marta Kostyuk. (And it isn't easy, watching Brisbane & figure skating at the same time.) #WTA

Erica Machida just executed the best Ina Bauer I've seen since Shizuka Arakawa skated (and she skated to Shizuka's Olympic gold music). #PrevagenUSChamps

World number 3 Amanda Anisimova has entered the 2026 Credit One CharlestonOpen. The tournament, which will be held March 28-April 5 on Daniel Island, will be the first stand-alone #WTA 500 event to offer equal prize money. Anisimova was named the WTA's 2025 Most Improved Player.

11th seed Karolina Muchova def. 3rd seed Elena Rybakina 6-2, 2-6k, 6-4 to reach the Brisbane semifinals, in which her opponent will be either Aryna Sabalenka or Madison Keys. It was a match worth watching; too bad one of them had to lose. #WTA #BrisbaneTennis

Aryna Sabalenka reveals her Australian Open 2026 kit. Flair. 🐅💖

Sound on! 🔊 This chatty little pig from Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary has a lot to say! 🐷🥰 Credit: lighthousefarmsanctuary (IG) #pig #pigs #rescueanimals #animalfriends #vegan

Banning hare shooting during breeding season is overdue and welcome. But it doesn’t answer the real question: why are hares being shot at all?

An especially well-done commentary on an exceptional film…..

So on New Year's Eve, I watched Bugonia, and I spent much of New Year's Day immersed in the TTPD Anthology. That's an odd juxtaposition, I know, but I can't begin to describe my level of appreciation/satisfaction for both. At least we still have the arts. #TaylorSwift

"New Year's Musings (2026)" 🥳 ...the new WTA season is officially in the starting gate. wtabackspin.blogspot.com/2026/01/new-... backspintennis.blogspot.com/2026/01/new-...

last night for holiday lights, etc.

The extended freezes last year hurt the Japanese azalea so much that I had to remove multiple dead branches. But here it is, better than ever. (It's supposed to bloom in March and October, but for the last couple of years, it's gotten mixed up and bloomed in December.)

Battle of the Sexes--a bad idea in 2025, a bad idea in 1973 womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2025/12/batt... #WTA

Farmed ducks are killed at just 8 weeks old. Ducklings like this barely get two months of life. Reject their exploitation - choose veganism 🦆

Mary Travers--"The Rest of the Year" www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjYw...

linguini with parsley pesto and rainbow cherry tomatoes--good leftovers

1,414 sharks are killed every hour. That’s over 12 million a year 🦈

scenes in and near my house #holiday #Christmas

A small tribute to the great little French chanson singer Edith Piaf, who would have turned 110 today. A picture of the birthplace of Edith Piaf in Paris.

Here are the remaining 2025 WTA Awards, which include both Coach of the Year--Hendrik Vleeshouwers, and the Karen Krantzcke Award (which the #WTA continues to call by a sexist name)--Jessica Pegula. Awards were also given to Coco Gauff and Gabi Dabrowski. www.wtatennis.com/news/4422202...

It's time for the annual presentation of the very campy Christmas stocking my mother made for me when I was a child. And yes, that's "Go On With the Wedding" on the 45 RPM; the other side is "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?"

2022 champion, Olympic gold medal winner, and 2025 WTA Comeback Player of the Year Belinda Bencic has entered the 2026 Credit One @CharlestonOpen. The event will be held March 28-April 5 on Daniel Island. Bencic was also tournament runner-up in 2023. #WTA