The Hard Court Index: ATP retail, Confessional Cart, and Sharapova’s next act

From retail to content to personal brand, where tennis is getting it right (or not).

Tennis generates plenty of moments—launches, content plays, retail activations—especially around the tour’s biggest stops. But not all of them land. In The Hard Court Index, I break down what’s actually working and what isn’t. This week, that includes the ATP’s retail debut, Tennis Channel’s updated “Confessional Cart” series, and Maria Sharapova’s Pretty Tough rollout—more adjacent to tennis, but still very much part of its broader universe. Think of it as a weekly read on the business of tennis—across fashion, media, and sponsorships—and where the sport is evolving versus where it’s still stuck.

Each topic gets a Court Index rating (Low, Medium, or High) based on how effectively it moves the needle. This is the core of what I do with Hard Court, so the full breakdown and ratings are for paid subscribers. If you already are one, thank you—it really makes this possible.