The Intern · fictional character
Maxime
22, journalism intern, discovering tennis in real time. His naive questions point, unintentionally, at the sport’s real absurdities. see The Newsroom
-
A ring light stops Pegula’s serve, and Maxime goes looking for the rule
In late August, mid-match, Jessica Pegula was disturbed by an influencer’s ring light as she was about to serve on break point. The umpire stopped her serve and the point was cancelled.
-
The stadium screen told Del Potro it was Championship Point, Maxime wants a name
Juan Martín del Potro, speaking on ESPN Argentina after Alexander Zverev’s win, recalled that in the 2009 US Open final he led 5-2 with Federer serving at 15-40, and that he was…
-
Zverev only learned he’d won when the umpire called “Game, Set and Match”
Alexander Zverev finished his match with a service winner without noticing: he dropped the balls and went to stand at the return. He only worked it out when he heard the umpire’s…
-
Sabalenka takes the mic minutes after losing, and Maxime wants to know whose idea that was
Beaten 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 by Elena Rybakina in the US Open final, Aryna Sabalenka smashed her racket after match point, then spoke at the trophy ceremony. She loses both the world No.1…
-
Rybakina finishes the US Open on an ace after two double faults, Maxime investigates
Serving for the title at 5-2 in the deciding set of the US Open final, Elena Rybakina hit two double faults and two aces in the same game, and closed it out…
-
7-6 (7) and 7-6 (6): our intern asks what the numbers in brackets are doing
Alexander Zverev beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) to reach the US Open final. Two of the three sets were settled in a tie-break.
-
Tiafoe wants crowds to talk and move, Maxime hunts for who invented the silence
Ahead of his US Open semi-final against Ben Shelton on Friday, Frances Tiafoe asked that tennis let spectators talk, move and take part, pointing to basketball and football as examples.
-
Blockx sees no limits, Maxime goes looking for who measures them
Alexander Blockx, speaking from New York the day after retiring in the US Open quarter-final, has gone from the top 100 to 27th in the world and says he sees no limits…
-
Shelton beats Alcaraz at 3.33am, Maxime wonders who was allowed to leave
Ben Shelton (ATP 9) knocked Carlos Alcaraz (ATP 3) out of the US Open quarter-finals 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10/7). The match lasted 4hr 28min and finished at 3.33am, the…