Since February 2022 and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Ukrainian sport has been heavily affected by human, structural and economic losses.
Tennis has, of course, not been spared.
While Ukrainian athletes have had to rethink their entire organization, an entire country, behind the scenes, has had to adapt and change its training conditions. This extends all the way to the highest level, where professional players have spoken out, trying as best they can to help their nation.
Born almost by accident in an Acapulco garden, padel has in fifty years become a global phenomenon that both fascinates and worries tennis. Its meteoric rise is already reshaping the landscape of racket sports.
Exhausted but omnipresent stars, ever-longer tournaments and exhibitions that have become a business in their own right: tennis is revealing its deepest contradictions, torn between spectacle and physical survival.
From Villa Primrose to the scorching courts of Santa Cruz, here are the five Challenger tournaments that captivated players, fans, and observers this year.
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