That’s a wrap on Charleston! I’m back home now in cold, cold New York, recovering from a mild cold and already dreaming about the heat and humidity I was just complaining about. Honestly, who’s down for Monte Carlo next? 👀This was Quarterfinal Day at the Charleston Open—my final day on-site—and while things started a bit slowly, the matches delivered.Bouncing Between Courts (and Heatwaves)The schedule was back-loaded, so I spent most of the day jumping between courts, trying to keep up with the quarterfinal action. I just made it to Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Diana Shnaider in time to catch Alexandrova’s win.She’d been quietly working her way through the draw, and watching her live gave me a new appreciation for her game—there’s a calm precision to how she plays that doesn’t always come through on TV.Between matches, I took time to shoot photos for a new photo series I’ve been working on: players + flowers. The Charleston grounds are full of colorful, blooming corners, and it felt like the perfect place to spotlight that blend of athleticism and environment.You can check out the full series on Instagram —and yes, Jessica Pegula reposted one of them, which was very cool.Sitting Down with Amanda AnisimovaBefore heading off to the next match, I got the chance to sit down with Amanda Anisimova, who opened up about her goals for this season.She later had to withdraw from her semifinal due to injury, but she’s staying positive, focused on the bigger picture, and has a good outlook on where things are headed. Audio from that interview is included below.Drama, Comebacks, and Classic CollinsWhile many of the day’s matches wrapped up in straight sets, Ashlyn Krueger and Emma Navarro gave us a three-set battle worth following.Still, I headed over to catch Danielle Collins vs. Jelena Ostapenko—and in true tennis fashion, things changed quickly. Jelena was serving for the first set when I left for the court. By the time I arrived, Danielle had won the set. That’s tennis for you. Blink, and everything flips.A Cocktail & A Pro TipI finally tried the Charleston Open’s signature cocktail—The First Serve—and it lived up to the name. Not too sweet, just right. Highly recommend if you ever find yourself here.And here’s a pro tip for next time:If you’re heading to a packed court (like Althea Gibson Stadium) after a big match finishes on Center Court, don’t follow the crowd. While the front entrance was backed up with a long line, I walked around to a side entrance—zero wait. There are three ways into that court. Choose wisely.Why Charleston Wins (and Why I’ll Be Back)When I came to the Charleston Open, I wanted to find out why it’s been named the WTA’s Best 500-Level Tournament three years in a row.Now I know: it’s the people.The staff, the volunteers, the fans, the vibe on the grounds—it’s all warm, welcoming, and deeply tennis-loving. It makes this tournament feel like home, even on your first visit.Thanks for following along with Ground Pass On-Site: Charleston Edition. Can’t wait to take you along for the next one.📩 Subscribe for the next stop on the tour (announcement coming soon!) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

The humidity has arrived in Charleston. It was one of those days where the air sticks to your skin, but the tennis—and the moments—made it all worth it.Daria Kasatkina’s Aussie Debut 🇦🇺The highlight of the day had to be Daria Kasatkina playing her first match as an Australian tennis player.It was a sweet moment, and the crowd didn’t miss the opportunity to lean in—“Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” rang out across the court. Daria won her match in straight sets, and in her post-match interview, she spoke about how warm the reception has been and what this new chapter has meant to her.Audio is included below.A Busy Day for Fans and Media 🎤🎾There was a buzz across the grounds today—not just from the matches but from all the player interviews, post-match press, and behind-the-scenes media moments happening everywhere.One thing I’ve really loved seeing at this tournament: school groups. Several local schools brought kids to the grounds today, and honestly, I’ve always wondered why this isn’t more common.Weekday tennis has so many open seats, and it’s the perfect opportunity to get young fans into the sport. Watching their excitement around the grounds made me hopeful that more tournaments will start to build these kinds of community connections.Diana Shnaider’s Birthday Win + Bandana Rules 🎉Today was also Diana Shnaider’s birthday—and she won her second-round match.I talked to her in a one-on-one interview about what it’s like to play on your birthday (she’s not a fan) and how her success in doubles this season has helped her grow in singles. We also got into something very specific:She only wears her bandana in singles. Never in doubles.She’s very intentional about it.Audio from that convo is below.Kenin vs. Bencic: When the Buzz Takes Over 🐝One of my favorite little tournament phenomena happened today:Sofia Kenin took the first set against Belinda Bencic 6–0, and suddenly—the grounds started shifting.You could feel the energy change as crowds picked up on what was happening and started making their way to the court. I love when this happens. It’s like word-of-mouth energy but in real time.Instagram Q&A Is Live!We’re keeping busy over on Instagram, too. Today we kicked off a Q&A, and we’ve been posting a bunch of behind-the-scenes content from the Charleston Open.If you haven’t checked it out, you should—link below!That’s all from Day 3. More from the grounds tomorrow—subscribe to keep up with the action!📩 [Link to Instagram] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

Day 2 in Charleston started with coffee and a quick trip into downtown Charleston, which—believe it or not—was my first time in this part of South Carolina.As Ground Pass grows, I’ve been thinking more about how to show the full experience of traveling for tennis. Because most of us don’t just go for the tennis—we turn it into a trip. A long weekend, a mini vacation, something more. So I want to start giving Ground Passers a better sense of what it’s like on the ground and in the city that hosts the tournament.And if you know me, you know that the way I get to know a city is through coffee.Madison Keys’ Coffee Rec of Choice: ☕️ Second State CoffeeDuring media day, I asked Madison Keys—who we know loves both her coffee and this city (she got married here last year)—for her favorite Charleston coffee spot. Without hesitation, she said: Second State Coffee.She did not steer me wrong.Great vibes, amazing coffee, and clearly a local favorite. In fact, I’m writing this newsletter from Second State right now.While downtown, I also saw the horse carriage tours that Qinwen Zheng mentioned in her media day interview (which we included in yesterday’s newsletter). She said she had never been on a horse before and seeing them reminded her how much she would like to some day—and sure enough, there they were, trotting through downtown as I sipped my flat white.Back on the Grounds: Tuesday Energy 🎾Back at the tournament, Tuesday was packed. Yes, Tuesday.It felt like a weekend. People showed up in their Sunday best, full hats and all, and the crowd energy was electric. It’s clear the Charleston Open is a major local event, and families come out even during the workweek.This was the day that top seeds began their campaigns—👟 Madison Keys👑 Danielle Collins (defending champ)🌟 And more getting their first matches in.Meet the Players Sneak Peek 🎤Today, I sat down with:• Peyton Stearns & Diana Shnaider, who are playing doubles together• Hailey Baptiste, coming off an incredible run at the Miami OpenThese chats will be part of our Meet the Player series soon, but I’ve included a few teaser clips below. Full episodes coming soon 👀Closing the Day with Sunset Tennis 🌅We closed out the day watching Veronika Kudermetova (if you know, you know) and Amanda Anisimova. The sunset at Charleston was unreal—the golden light hitting the court as matches played on was one of those moments that reminds you why tennis in this setting is so special.See you tomorrow for more from the grounds—📩 Subscribe for updates, player interviews, and tennis adventures. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

First time at a WTA-only tournament… and already, the girls do it better.We’ve made it to Charleston—and it’s our first time ever covering a WTA-only event. After attending ATP-only and mixed events, we wanted to switch things up in 2025 and find out why the Charleston Open is constantly ranked among the best.It turns out, the hype is real.Why Charleston?The Charleston Open is the largest WTA-only tournament in North America and a WTA 500-level event. Not only that, it’s been voted Best WTA 500 tournament in the world for three years in a row. That’s a pretty big deal—and we came to see what makes this event so beloved.We landed in Charleston and went straight from the airport to the grounds. From the moment we arrived, it was easy to see why players and fans love it here.The vibe is warm, welcoming, and refreshingly relaxed—something you immediately feel in the energy of the staff, volunteers, and attendees. That Southern hospitality is real, and it brings a unique charm that sets this tournament apart.Small Grounds, Big EnergyThe venue is intimate and easy to navigate—roughly half the size of Indian Wells or the US Open—but every court brings you close to the action.The main courts include:• Credit One Stadium• Althea Gibson Stadium• Court 3Each court is compact enough to create that magic you only get when you feel right there with the players, no matter where you’re sitting.It’s still early days, so we’re holding off on a full review—but first impressions? We’re loving the feel of this place.Media Day Highlights 🎤Today was also Media Day for the top-seeded players, who all have a first-round bye.The standout of the day was Daria Kasatkina, who is officially playing her first tournament as an Australian permanent resident after previously representing Russia. We’ve included the audio from her interview below.[Apologies for the audio. The Media Day interview location was not ideal]We also heard from Qinwen Zheng, who had a great moment with the press. While she can appear intense and serious on court, she showed a fun, warm, and chill personality during media day—describing this duality as something she’s aware of and leans into.We’ll be sharing more from today’s press sessions later this week—lots of great insights and moments still to come.Main Draw Begins (And Then Ends Early) ⛈️It wasn’t just media day—the main draw kicked off, too. We caught first-round wins from Robin Montgomery and Ajla Tomljanović, (shoutout to autocorrect trying to sabotage her name every time) and we’ll be featuring interviews with both players in an upcoming podcast.But the day was cut short by severe thunderstorms, a not-so-subtle reminder that we are officially in the Lowcountry. Play was suspended, and everyone took cover as the storm rolled through.And then—just as quickly—the skies cleared and we were treated to one of the most magical sunsets we’ve seen in a while. A little chaos, a little calm. The full Charleston experience.We’re off to a great start, weather and all. Can’t wait to bring you more from the grounds tomorrow.📩 Subscribe to get all Ground Pass On-Site updates from Charleston! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the first official recording from “The Office”—Ground Pass’ new home base!Over the last couple of months, I’ve been slowly building out this space, and while it’s still very much a work in progress, it finally gives me a dedicated place to work on Ground Pass—separate from my living space. Call it a step toward work-life balance.Once the tours shift to Europe, I’ll be launching a Substack series about building out the office space, so if that kind of behind-the-scenes content is your thing, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.Before I Go: The Admin WorkBefore heading out to a new tournament, there’s always a bit of pre-trip admin. This is something I’ve only recently gotten into—because now that I’ve covered enough events, I started worrying about losing footage, photos, or project files.So I’ve developed a backup process that works for me (for now), and it’s helped ease that post-tournament content panic. If you’re a fellow creator, I might share more on that in a future post or over on Notes.Planning the Coverage 🎥When it’s time to prep for the next Ground Pass On-Site trip, I sit down and ask myself a few key questions that help shape the way I’ll cover the event:• Have I been to this tournament before?• How long will I be there?• Do I have media access? That makes a big difference in what kind of content I can produce.• What’s the balance between photo, video, and interviews?• How much of the surrounding city do I plan to explore? This helps Ground Passers plan their own trips.More and more people are traveling for tennis, and one day I’d love to start including more of that perspective—how to build a trip around a tournament—as part of what we do here.As I continue to figure out my rhythm with Substack, I’ll be sharing more of this kind of stuff in the Notes section, too. Thanks for being here as Ground Pass continues to grow!📩 Subscribe to keep up with our next tournament and the new behind-the-scenes series on “The Office.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

It’s our last day on the grounds, catching the final day of ATP qualifying and the first day of the WTA main draw. This was a short trip, but we wanted to highlight how you can attend a big tournament on a budget by coming during qualifying days.For a low cost, you get to explore the grounds, soak in the atmosphere, and watch high-level tennis—all without the crowds and premium ticket prices of later rounds.Morning Sessions & a Surprise Reunion 🎥We got to the grounds early to watch some practice sessions and grab b-roll footage for upcoming videos. And then, we had a surprise visit from our friend Blair Henley—which was awesome.If you don’t know Blair, she was the first guest on our Meet the Professionals series, where we highlight the people who work in and around tennis. You can check out that episode below.The Best Places to Hang Out on the Grounds ☀️One thing Miami does really well? Fan spaces.There are so many great spots to relax around the grounds, and this year, they’ve added even more. My favorite? The cabana-style pods in front of the big screen—the perfect place to find shade and still keep up with the matches.Connecting with the Tennis Media & Creator Community 🎤This trip was short, but I spent a lot of time catching up with fellow tennis media and creators.It wasn’t planned, but it reminded me how great this community is. We’re all working toward the same goal—growing the sport and sharing it with different audiences, no matter their level of tennis knowledge. It’s been fun being part of that.Miami Open Deserves More Respect 👀This trip was also a reminder of how great the Miami Open is.Indian Wells gets all the hype—“Tennis Paradise,” the “5th Slam,” etc.—and sometimes Miami gets treated like the lesser sibling. But it’s a really well-run, fan-friendly event. The setup is great, the vibe is fun, and honestly? The best food I’ve had at a tournament this year.And the ticket prices? Reasonable. It feels like the People’s Slam. Can we make that a thing? 😅Where Are We Off to Next? 👀We’ll be announcing our next tournament stop here soon. Stay tuned!📩 Subscribe now to follow Ground Pass On-Site at our next stop! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

Back on-site today to see which WTA players secured their spot in the main draw and to check out the first round of ATP qualifying. Arrived a little later than planned, but had to get through some admin first:✅ Posted to our Instagram✅ Uploaded the latest episode of Ground Pass—available on or wherever you listen✅ Scheduled the first Ground Pass On-Site from Miami—Ticket Prices & Ground Pass Costs 🎟️Ground passes today were $20. I’ll try to share exact prices as we move through tournaments to help you plan if you’re thinking of attending in the future.First Match of the Day: Eva Lys vs. Aoi Ito 🎾The first match we caught was Eva Lys vs. Aoi Ito. Spoiler: Eva Lys didn’t make it into the main draw—but she could still get in as a lucky loser. If she does, it would be her third time this year.Meanwhile, Aoi Ito was a revelation. If you’re on-site, she’s a must-watch.Plans Change, and That’s the Best PartNot everything went as planned today—but that’s what we love about being on-site.🎾 Met up with Tony Wright (Balanced Tennis on Instagram)🎾 Took the day at an easier pace🎾 Caught up with friends in the tennis media world—big events like Miami are great for networkingATP Qualifying Standouts 🔥🎾 Ethan Quinn took down Adrian Mannarino in his first qualifying match.🎾 Mikael Ymer lost to Billy Harris—but it was still good to see Ymer back on tour. He was a promising prospect before his recent ban, so hopefully, he can work his way back to his old level.What’s Next?Back on-site tomorrow for the start of the WTA main draw and the final day of ATP qualifying.See you then!📩 Subscribe now to follow Ground Pass On-Site at the Miami Open! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

What a turnaround—I have a whole new level of respect for players who jump from one tournament to the next and have to be ready to compete immediately. Not me. After eight days at Indian Wells, I was shot. I needed about a week to recover, but here we are, at the Miami Open, and ready to go again.I’m still learning and finding my rhythm covering tournaments. Sometimes, I try to do it all—writing newsletters, shooting videos, taking photos, attending press conferences—and it can be overwhelming. But I love it because I love building Ground Pass. This year has been huge, with Ground Pass getting its own media accreditation at tournaments.Our first event? Delray Beach. Now? Miami Open.Ground Pass: Holding Its Own in Tennis Media 🎤Here’s a little-known secret: to cover these events, you usually need to be attached to a larger media outlet. That’s how I’ve been accredited for about 50% of the tournaments I attend. But Ground Pass is now established enough to get its own credentials. This is the first Masters 1000 tournament we’ve covered under the Ground Pass name.At smaller events like Champaign Challenger and Delray Beach (ATP 250), my media badge just said “Media.” But now, I finally have a badge that says Ground Pass.Final Wrap from Indian Wells 🎧I had an incredible time partnering with Black Spin Global at Indian Wells. We recorded a final podcast episode, which will be available on their YouTube channel—I’ll drop the link here when it’s out!Miami Open vs. Indian Wells: Two Different Worlds 🌎The contrast between these two tournaments is stark.☀️ Indian Wells is tennis elite—dry desert heat during the day, cold at night.🌴 Miami is hot, humid, and vibrant. The food scene is next level. The energy is completely different, and you feel the city’s culture woven into the tournament.Fan Day & Women’s Qualifying = Massive Crowds 🎟️Today was Fan Day and the first day of women’s qualifying. Tickets were FREE, and the Miami Open completely sold out—over 30,000 fans came through the gates. That’s huge for the tournament and an incredible atmosphere for the players grinding through qualies.We’re just getting started here at the Miami Open, and it’s not our last stop during the U.S. Spring Swing. Stay tuned for more.📩 Subscribe now to follow Ground Pass On-Site through the Miami Open and beyond! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

It’s Singles Finals Day at Indian Wells, and we’ve got two exciting matchups.The Women’s Final: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Mirra Andreeva 🐻This match feels like a mama bear vs. her cub—Sabalenka has owned this head-to-head so far, but Andreeva has a new confidence about her that could make this one interesting. Sabalenka’s power and experience vs. Andreeva’s sharp court sense and rising belief—it’s a matchup that could tell us a lot about the WTA’s future.The Men’s Final: Jack Draper vs. Holger Rune 🔥The 2000s babies are officially taking over the later stages of these tournaments, and Indian Wells is no exception.We’ve been talking all week about Jack Draper’s impressive run, and after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semis—denying him a historic three-peat—he’s now in his biggest final yet. If you caught our last newsletter, we included audio from his press conference, where he spoke about managing his chronic hip injury. Despite that challenge, he’s played brilliant tennis all week.His opponent? Holger Rune, who’s finding his way back into form. A couple of years ago, Rune looked like he was ready to be part of a “Baby Big Three” alongside Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but his results stalled. Seeing him back in a big final is a good sign—not just for him, but for the sport. He’s one of the most entertaining characters on tour, and when he’s playing well, tennis is better for it.A Quick Word on Carlos Alcaraz 🤔Alcaraz has made a quarterfinal, two semifinals, and won a title so far this year—a record that 90% of the ATP tour would be thrilled with. But because of his talent and early success, some see this as a disappointing start to the season.It’s worth remembering: he’s only 21. He plays with emotion, and sometimes that means riding highs and lows. That passion is part of what makes him such a compelling player, but it also means we’ll likely see hot and cold spells throughout his career. Liked these two excerpts from his final press conference (included below).Final Day at Indian Wells Vibes: Like the Last Day of School 🎓Sunday, March 9th, was my last day on the grounds, and it felt like the last day of school—a day of walking around, catching up with friends, and saying goodbyes.Also recorded the Mini Pod, which dropped last Monday. We tried to answer the question: What does #TennisParadise mean? We got a variety of answers from friends and tried to come up with our own. Plus, we threw in some additional tips for attending Indian Wells next year.🎧 Find the episode on all podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple, etc.).📺 Watch the video version on YouTube (linked below).A Tough Scheduling Day for the Tournament 📅Even on the last day of the middle weekend, the crowds were still strong, though slightly quieter than earlier in the weekend.One scheduling twist: Alex Michelsen had to retire against Daniil Medvedev due to injury, meaning he also withdrew from his doubles match with Ben Shelton. His retirement opened up a slot on Stadium 1, so the highly anticipated Stadium 4 match between Holger Rune & Ugo Humbert was moved there—a bummer for ground passers who had planned to watch it on an outside court. This is an unfortunate possibility with retirements at tournaments.That’s a Wrap from Indian Wells! 🎬And with that, our time at Tennis Paradise comes to an end.Where are we off to next? You’ll have to wait and see… 👀📩 Subscribe now to keep up with Ground Pass On-Site—more tournaments ahead! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe

This is our update from Day 6 at Indian Wells (Saturday, March 8th)—a little later than planned because, honestly, things got way too busy on-site to keep up with daily updates in real time. Now that we’re back home and already prepping for our next tournament, we’re catching up with this post and one more from Indian Wells, which we’ll release Saturday before the finals.Instagram Q&A & Surprising Questions 💬We ran a Q&A on our Instagram, and some of the questions we got really made us think about aspects of the tournament we hadn’t considered before. If you missed it, we’ve saved the highlight on our Instagram—you can find it here.More Routine Matches, But a Wild Day Before 🎾Compared to the drama of March 7th, when Alexander Zverev lost in an epic 3+ hour match, today’s matches were a little more straightforward. But we still had some big names making their tournament debuts:✅ Madison Keys breezed through her opening match.✅ Carlos Alcaraz finally took the court.✅ Lance Davis, the local beekeeper, made his return.0Novak Djokovic’s Shocking Early Exit 🚨For the second straight time, Novak Djokovic has lost in his opening round at Indian Wells to a lucky loser qualifier. This time, it was Botic Van de Zandschulp who pulled off the upset, taking down the former world No. 1.Other Key Results of the Day 🔥🎾 Aryna Sabalenka took down Macartney Kessler, who is having a breakout season in just her second year on tour—already notching wins over Coco Gauff and claiming a title this year.🎾 Jack Draper defeated Joao Fonseca in a classic case of experience beating youth. Draper is now into the semifinals, a huge step forward from last year. He’s getting closer to breaking into the Top 10, a level he already looks like he belongs in. He also spoke in press about managing his chronic hip injury—you can listen to the full audio below.🎾 Jasmine Paolini battled past Iva Jovic, another exciting young prospect.🎾 Coco Gauff is still winning ugly—but winning is winning.🎾 Taylor Fritz advanced as well and opened up about recovering from the oblique injury he’s been carrying since the Australian Open.Ending the Day with a Party 🎉After a long day, we wrapped things up by attending the Racquet Mag Surf Club party. A fun way to close out a packed day on-site.📩 One more Ground Pass On-Site update from Indian Wells drops Saturday—subscribe now so you don’t miss it! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundpass.substack.com/subscribe