Hanlon Walsh
@hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
400 followers 63 following 300 posts
Tennis Writer (Mostly Doubles) & Media/Comms Specialist 🎾🎙️📢 https://www.thetennistribe.com/doubles-news/
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hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
From teen prodigy to working mom, Taylor Townsend’s pro journey hasn’t been easy.
A look at her title in Washington, rise to world No. 1, and what this could mean for pro doubles.

Thanks to @benrothenberg.bsky.social
for weighing in. My story from DC:

thetennistribe.com/new-doubles-...
Can World No. 1 Taylor Townsend Take Doubles to New Heights?
A look at the rise of American Taylor Townsend as the top ranked doubles player in the world, and what this could mean for doubles
thetennistribe.com
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Feels like Katerina Siniakova may be conducting doubles partner auditions this fall for the 2026 season…

✅ Qualifies for WTA Finals w/ Townsend
✅ Wins Korea 500 title w/ Krejcikova
✅ Wins Wuhan 1000 title w/ Hunter
🤞🏻 Enters Ningbo as top seed w/ Hsieh
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Katerina Siniakova and Hsieh Su-Wei, the two most accomplished doubles players of this generation and longtime rivals, are teaming up together this week as the top seeds in Ningbo. This should be fun 🍿
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Coco said she has to bring an extra suitcase home for all of the nice gifts she has received from Chinese fans. Asia seems like a nice post-USO therapy for her to relax and regroup away from the stressors of NYC. Loves the energy here.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
So do Coco and Jess go home now to rest and train for WTA Finals? No need for more tournament play with the 1000s behind us.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Safe to say the American women are having a moment in 2025. It’s got to be the best year for U.S. women’s tennis as a whole since the early-mid 2000s?

2 slam winners, 2x slam finalists, multiple 1000s titles, and 4 of the top 8 qualifying for WTA Finals. Wowww 🇺🇸
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
I’d love to see Kim Clijsters or Lindsay Davenport be more of a recurring guest on Served. Roddick’s guest interviews are great, but when it’s him, Wertheim and Producer Mike all talking it can turn into the bro zone.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Those are the OGs for sure! Big fan of all three. Wish NCR was more consistent with their publishing schedule because that was my #1 for a while.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
This is the hard hitting story the fans need! Good soldiering🍹
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Agree! I’m a big fan of those pods with hosts whose style and approach are on very different ends of the tennis spectrum. I like hearing a variety of POVs from hosts who aren’t afraid to speak their mind, regardless of their opinion.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Agreed with both of those points. Tennis Podcast and Served are my top 2 listens, but Served has been veering a bit too bro-fest for me lately on some episodes. Overall enjoy both Roddick and Wertheim’s POV on the game.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Learning about Jess Pegula’s “Big Rich” and Emma Navarro’s “Little Rich” nicknames from Chinese fans plus seeing Pegula’s reaction has been a highlight of the Asian swing so far for me 💯
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
I agree! They have a lot of potential but so far it feels too much like “giggly girl talk” as Pam Shriver described it.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
With such a saturated landscape, what tennis podcast is top of your list right now? Any favorites among the ex-player pods that have all surfaced in the last year or two?
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
I wonder how many coaching DMs Andre Agassi will get from agents of Team World players after Laver Cup. The energy he brought to the team as a whole and each player mid-match was palpable and looked like the story of the tournament.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
After their title in Seoul this week and a seemingly in-form/healthy Barbora Krejcikova, I have a hunch that we may see the Czech dream team of Siniakova/Krejcikova reunite in 2026.

Siniakova & Townsend are great together but don’t strike me as a long-term partnership.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Team Italy ties Czechia to win 6 BJK Cup titles in the 2000s: '06, '09, '10, '13, '24, and '25.

They haven't been as deep as the Czechs, USA, or Russia, but...

1) Their top players reliably show up
2) They've always had a good dubs team

The winning BJK Cup formula 💯
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Italy sweeping the USA in singles?! The least likely outcome we all expected.

No. 91 Cocciaretto beat No. 18 Navarro 6-4, 6-4

Paolini was previously 0-5 vs. Pegula and won 6-4, 6-2

Impressive title defense from the clutch Italians…and a massive missed opportunity by Team USA.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Alex Michelsen looks poised to become the next Jack Sock of Laver Cup doubles for Team World in the future. Such a solid dubs showing by both Alex’s tonight to wrap up the clean sweep 4-0 on Saturday.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
“Team Alex” has way more chemistry and confidence so far than “Team Scandinavia” in this Laver Cup dubs battle.

They’re a better X’s and O’s doubles team and it’s showing early on. Michelsen’s hands have also been incredible 🙌🏻
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Would Alexander Bublik play for Team World or Europe in Laver Cup? Also wondering the same about Rybakina if there’s ever a WTA version of the event in the future.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Alex deMinaur is giving future Laver Cup captain vibes for Team World. He’s the type of teammate (and eventual captain?) you want on your bench.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
Both teams would need more doubles talent. For Team World I would pick either Taylor Townsend or Gaby Dabrowski.

For Team Europe, you could reunite Krejcikova/Siniakova, Sabalenka/Mertens, or bring Errani to play with Paolini.
hanlonwalsh.bsky.social
If there was a WTA version of Laver Cup, imagine these teams…

Team World
🇺🇸 Gauff
🇺🇸 Keys
🇺🇸 Pegula
🇺🇸 Anisimova
🇨🇳 Zheng
🇯🇵 Osaka
🇰🇿 Rybakina

Team Europe
🇧🇾 Sabalenka
🇵🇱 Iga
🇷🇺 Andreeva
🇮🇹 Paolini
🇷🇺 Alexandrova
🇩🇰 Tauson
🇺🇦 Svitolina