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2009 U.S. Open Tickets on Sale Monday, June 8 but if you've got Am Ex you can get them now.

Tickets to the U.S. Open go on sale to the general tennis adoring public on Monday, June 8 at 9 am EST. This year's event runs August 31 - September 13, 2009.

No need to say more. I know you want to go. Visit US Open event sales or call 1-866-OPEN-TIX for more information.

American Express Cardholders can take advantage of the special advance ticket sale going on now through Saturday, June 6. Here's the link for that, but you gotta have the card.

New 2009 tennis backpacks. Something for every tennis identity.

 

 

If you travel to the courts via foot, subway or bike, less is definitely more. Even though most racquet bags come with backpack straps, these smaller back packs fit the bill during those times when you just don't want any extra bulk.

Top left the Wilson KTour back pack, holds two racquets with padding around them, has a separate compartent for shoes and is made without PVC (an environmentally friendly effort), $39.95;  top right, the KSwiss Ibiza Tennis Backpack in Navy -- retro-ish and fitting in an all tennis-whites setting, for one-racquet, $39.99. Bottom left the groovy "Tell it to my Heart" Whak Sak, black with rhinestones, holds a tennista's two racquets and essentials. The insulated drink holder keeps a beverage cold and handy, $79.99; Bottom right: the Babolat Classic Club Line Back Pack, $24.95 (has a racquet handle cover -- added value for transit in the rain). Some of Rafa's entourage have been spotted wearing this bag. 

Not pictured: the new Babolat Team Line back pack, $44.95, matches the new Pure Drive racquet. HEAD also makes a sharp looking Djokovic series back pack to go with his new stick, $59.95. 

Find these back-packs and a myriad of others to suit your court identity at Tennis-Warehouse Visit  Whaksak Babolat, Wilson and K-Swiss for other retailers.

Tennis Nets and Windscreen Reincarnated as Earth Friendly Tennis Bags.

Old windscreens and nets have taken on a new and useful life reincarnated as roomy tennis totes. In Atlanta Georgia one court maintenance company alone takes 50,000 linear feet of windscreen to landfill every year. Enter iflydesigns.

Their Matchpoint bag pictured left is fully lined with tennis windscreen underneath the colorful exterior. The Tiebreaker (not pictured) is almost 100% recycled, just windscreen and netting, kind of cool for the hard core recycling enthusiast.  A flat bottom helps the bag keep its shape. These are lightweight, well constructed bags for carrying your gear or shopping with your passion at your side.

The bags retail for $75 USD. Visit iflydesigns to learn more, find a retailer or buy. P.S. the blue/green stripe is gorgeous.

Road Warrior. Spotted at a Tournament. "Just because you couldn't get it doesn't mean it was out."

Bad calls (I won't call it cheating) are a problem in junior tennis and this tee addresses the issue front and back in a matter of fact kind of way.

On the back, "Just because you couldn't get it, doesn't mean it was out." Available in a variety of colors and styles for all ages, this tennis line will make any opponent think twice about less-than fair line calls. 

"Are you sure" tops start at $18.00 USD. They are high-quality 100% cotton from American Apparel. The fitted one is cute for a teen girl.

Visit are you sure ? to learn more or buy.

Pictured is Marielle Williams at the Southern Closed Doubles Championships in Rome, Georgia.

Ame and Lulu's New Tennis Backpack Now Available.

 

For the recreational tennis player with prep in their step, behold the new Ame & Lulu Tucket and Hot Pink Backpack. It holds two racquets, has three interior pockets, an exterior pocket and adjustable closure and straps, 20" x 16" MSRP $88 USD (add $20 for a monogram).

Here's the image: You, Nantucket on a cruiser, riding down a sandy road on the way to your morning match, racquet bag on your back. That's this bag. Also available with grass green accents. Sweet quality.

Learn more or buy at Ame & Lulu.

Cole Haan's New Racquet Bag. Exquisite Style With a Touch of Green.

Maria Sharapova is the face of Cole Haan's new ad campaign and one of their new bags this season is this swish little retro styled tennis bag. The Cole Haan Dylan racquet bag is made of canvas trimmed in chrome-free vegetable leather and is comprised of Bionic yarn containing fibers made from recycled plastic bottles. Each bag incorporates eleven recycled plastic bottles. Nice effort.

The bag hosts 6" and 12" shoulder straps (the 12" is detachable), zip closure tennis racquet holder, cell phone and PDA pockets and lots of monied class. Check/measure your racquet head before you buy. Oversized heads will not fit as the opening is 11" wide and 14" long.

Learn more or find a store at Cole Haan. Retail only for this baby. For the tennista who simply must tote designer, $550 USD.

A Tennis Journal For You and Only You.

From technique to strategy, wouldn’t it be nice to refresh on past lessons just prior to a match?  Take a cue from Serena Williams, who has been seen glancing at notes during changeovers.  Create a training manual pertinent to YOUR game and you'll never say "I hope I remember this" again.

SportMinder’s Tennis Trainer is a new categorized notebook, a totally personal tennis journal, that is designed to improve retention of learned material through active note taking on your game, after a match, lesson or clinic. 

The spiral bound notebook, sized  to fit in your racquet bag,  gives you an organized place to jot quick tips from lessons. There are sections for pre-match, warm-up and match reminders, match results, strategies, fitness goals, stroke tips and tournament schedules.

SportMinder gets a big thumbs-up from both the pros and rec. players who checked it out.  $19.95 USD each or two for $30. Learn more or buy at SportMinder. They will custom print covers for groups, clubs or teams.

2008 Best Tennis Gear of the Year. Jon Levey Makes His Picks.

Watch here as Jon Levey, Senior Gear Editor at TENNIS magazine, makes his Best of 2008 Gear picks. Among them a racquet, racquet bag, court shoes and more. Agree with Jon? What are your picks for the year?

Gift Ideas for Tennis Lovers. Holiday 2008.

Looking for gift ideas for the tennis player in your life? Practical makes perfect with these suggestions, both small and large:

Case the joint. 24 cans of balls. Any player would be psyched to get a case full. Check out Penn, recently named as the official ball of the BNP Paribas Showdown or Dunlop named the official ball of the Blackrock Masters, over on the other side of the pond. Check Tennis-Warehouse, around $60 USD.

Offer a little TLC.  Most players suffer a few aches and pains after a hard game. New, ALCiS Pain Relief Cream does the trick. This cream, neither hot, nor cold, lacks that tell-tale pungent smell and works on contact. Our aching muscles loved it. A 2.0 oz tube is $19.95 USD. Find a retailer or order at ALCis.

A healing hug. Another new pain management alternative comes from Draper Body Therapy. Draper's therapeutic sportswear range includes close fitting ankle, elbow and wrist supports and tees that are worn before or after play under street clothes. All products use "smart fiber" proven to increase the circulation of oxygenated blood (up to 29%). Translates to faster healing and less pain. Buy at Draper Body Therapy. Products range from $5 - $59.

Under-love 'em. Ja! Help your tennis friends feel a little Swedish in Björn Borg. Available at www.bjornborg.com, these undies are under-art to wear for both men and women. Plus they look and feel fab. Prices range from $25 - $50.00 USD. 

Time with Nick. No not St. Nick, Nick B. For the player who wants to hang with Nick Bollettieri but knows  it’s never gonna happen, put a smile on his or her face with the Bollettieri Bobblehead. Not practical at all, but hey it’s as close to the real deal as most of us will ever get. Available at ISD Store at IMG Academies, $20.00 USD.

Top 'em off.  Glove It offers a wide variety of freshly patterned womens sports accessories including great hats and visors. With over 30 patterns to choose from, you are sure to find something for the woman who prefers her very own unique style, hats run $14.95 USD.

Protect them. Oakley lenses were all over the Olympics this summer. If they worked for the athletes, you can be sure they will work for your player. Visit Oakley and check out the “Enduring” and "Flak Jacket." They stay put, truly cut glare and look super cool. Range $140 and up depending on technology.

String 'em along. Did you know that there are a myriad of string choices out there? Gamma's Zo Tour Rough string is new. This is a funky orange 16 gauge polyester string that is textured to provide maximum bite, spin and control. Any topspin generator would love to give it a try. Visit Gamma Sports to learn more or buy at Tennis Warehouse, $13.95.

Sock it to them. Socks sound super boring but believe it when we say, if your player is still wearing bulk pack socks from Wal Mart they will thank you forever for turning them on to the best.  Among our favs are Thorlos and Euro Sock available at Tennis-Warehouse. PowerSox are another great brand, available at Gold Toe Moretz.  With unique left and right foot fit technology, they stay put and never bunch up. Sock prices range $6 - $12 USD.

Give fitness and agility. The Sport Vision Set includes a reaction ball, stability ball, wobble board, juggle balls and how-to booklet to tie them all together. Designed to help with tracking, stability and agility, this set, available at Jump USA ,$79.95 USD  is a great for the serious-on-improving player.

Treat your teen. For the sweats loving teen who wants to make her passion known, visit Sweet & Powerfulfor brightly colored TENNIS sweats that offer a warm, cozy tennis identity. $29.99 USD.

Tie one on. Nothing wrong with this steadfast gift, as long as it's creative. Out of the thousands at Ties they’ve got some fun yet classy tennis ones for the office-going tennis lover. 100% silk, $19.95 USD.

Ticket them. No one would turn down the opportunity to see the sport they love played by pros. Visit the website of your favorite local tournament. Most have tickets for pre-sale right now. Price varies.

Help them to worship. Daily adoration is possible with pro themed calendars. Tennis-Warehouse has Rafa and R Fed 2009 calendars, $19.99-25.00 USD.

Brick and mortar. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is looking for donors. Pave the way for future generations by making a gift in someone’s name. With a  donation between $1,000 and $25,000 your special someone will get their name inset in the walkway to the renowned tennis center. The more you give, the nicer the brick, the better the placement. Learn more at USTA Serves.

Give game to a child. Other tennis organizations looking for financial assistance include the James Blake supported harlemjuniortennis

Check 2008 posts on Tennisidentity.com for more great gift giving ideas: tennis totes, water bottles, racquet bags, gear, clothing, ball hoppers and more.

Happy holidays.

 

Federer's Nike NYC Jacket.

Love this jacket? We do too. It's a functional, performance (sphere dry fabric) warm up jacket on top of being Roger Federer's choice at the Open. It runs $60, black only, at Tennis-Warehouse. Gotta have it!

Look for it in the Nike NYC Apparel section.

Every Player's Bag Needs a Towel. Make it Special.

Rid your bag of the rag you've been using and get yourself one of these beauties -- same ones as the pros are using on court right now. As towels go, these are nice. 100% cotton, sized 35 1/2" x 24 1/2," a decent size for toweling off between points.

The women's version is pictured on the left and the men's right, but hey it doesn't really matter which one you choose. They retail for $38 USD and are available online at the US Open Shop and at the Open.

Ame and Lulu's Racquet Bag Adds Pretty Prep to Your Game

For the woman who just doesn't go for logo laden tennis gear, this is a fun, casual option. Pictured here is one of Ame & Lulu's tennis totes made from cotton canvas fabric. The fabric pictured here is kimono. There are a variety of gorgeous, eye-catching prints, complemented by a solid bright interior. The versatile tote is canvas on the outside but quilted so soft against your body and definitely ample. You can fit a racquet in the interior velcro pocket. Another compartment holds a jacket and change of shoes. Five outside pockets hold tennis balls, water, energy bars, anything you want to grab quickly between games. The straps are long enough to throw over your shoulder comfortably.

Check out the vibrant collection in its entirety online at Ame & Lulu. The Tennis Tote runs $98 USD. They also make a more traditionally shaped racquet bag with strap, $112.00 and a cosmetic bag set, $56, in every print. These are quality bags, luxurious, borderline preppy. You can picture them on the well tended clay in the Hamptons.

2008 US Open Theme Art Announced. Collectors, Artwork will be Available at the Open

The USTA recently unveiled the official 2008 US Open theme art. Pictured left, aptly capturing some of the NYC essence that is very much a part of the Open, it features a Broadway-esque marquee with the “It’s Showtime” tagline and the US Open’s iconic flaming ball. Watch for the design, by James M. Skiles of Phoenix Design Works in NYC, to be incorporated into all 2008 US Open promotional materials including tickets, the official tournament magazine and poster.

The tournament poster will be made available to tennis fans with a limited quantity online at USOpen.org prior to the Open and at kiosks within the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the tournament. If you have seen past-year prints, you know that these are nice quality, heavy paper -- definitely great frameable mementos from this Grand Slam event.

"I'm Tomorrow's Future" -- Support the Roger Federer Foundation with this Limited Edition T-shirt.

Stand out on or off court in support of Roger's charitable efforts. This limited edition 100% cotton Nike t-shirt is sold exclusively on Roger Federer's site. Proceeds go to the Roger Federer Foundation which supports children in South Africa and Ethiopia. Read more about the foundation here. The shirt, sold in red only, retails for $46 USD. It says I'm Tomorrow's Future on the front, roger federer foundation on the back and rogerfederer.com on the sleeve.

Get yours at Roger Federer Shop and help support some very needy children.

Image courtesy of Roger Federer Foundation

Gift ideas for fun, tennis loving moms

With tennis loving mothers in mind, we offer two unique gift ideas. For those who love to accessorize, Angela Moore offers a collection of unique, quality tennis themed jewelry. The hand painted, lightweight stretch bracelet pictured left is $50 USD. The line also offers matching earrings and necklaces that range in price from $25 to $95. Go to www.angelamoore.com.

For the "Court Queen" who's take is a little fresh, try something fun from Tennis tease. There are comfy, nicely cut t-shirts ($29.95 USD), cami-tanks and light cotton stretch warm up jackets ($39.95) with all sorts of sassy tennis sayings sure to get a laugh. Each item comes packaged in a tennis ball can themed container. Go to www.tennistease.com to order