Recently I got to check out the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C. To be honest, I'm not much of a tennis fan, but I'm also not one to turn down the chance to watch athletic girls running around in short skirts and grunting loudly after each and every swing. (Mama didn't raise no fool, ladies!)

On the trip down from NYC, I started picturing a mini Dinah Shore weekend, complete with LGBT booths, celesbian athletes signing autographs, and sporty females decked out in a mix of Lacoste visors and wrist cuffs. After all, the 35-year-old cup is a women's tennis tournament — you know, the sport of Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova. So imagine my surprise horror when nary a gay woman was to be found (well, an out one anyway).

Now, I'm not naïve. I wasn't expecting the level of Dinah debauchery you'd see in Palm Springs — South Carolina isn't exactly known as a hotbed of (open) lesbian activity. But I thought there would be at least one special event planned by the local LGBT community or an after-hours party at a gay bar. Two days in, I would have been happy to just see a rainbow-colored anything.

And that's when it hit me: What a missed opportunity this whole thing was, especially for all the East Coast and Southern ladies who couldn't make it to California for Lesbian Spring Break. If ever there was a tournament that demanded a dyke presence, it's a female-only tennis cup. … continue reading

Friday marked another chapter in the ongoing Martina Hingis saga, and it's one her fans aren't going to like.

The tennis world was shocked when, back on Nov. 1, 2007, Hingis unveiled a double-whammy — she had tested positive for cocaine at Wimbledon last summer, and was retiring from competitive play. At that time, Hingis stressed her innocence, denied using drugs, and announced that she would fight the charges.

"I find this accusation so horrendous, so monstrous, that I've decided to confront it head-on by talking to the press," she said back then. "I am frustrated and angry. I believe that I am absolutely 100 percent innocent."

Hingis expressed doubts at the accuracy of the urine test on which the positive result was based, but the International Tennis Federation said an anti-doping tribunal found that she had committed an offense. The tribunal rejected suggestions there were any doubts over the veracity of the sample.

The ITF also disqualified Hingis' results from Wimbledon, and any subsequent tournaments in which she played. She stands to forfeit any ranking points gained, and $129,481 in prize money. … continue reading

In an update of the Martina Hingis testing-positive-for-cocaine-then-retiring story, the World Tennis Association is standing by its star this week.

Guardedly.

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Last week, it was revealed that Hingis came up positive for cocaine in a test conducted last summer at Wimbledon.

You may have heard that five-time Grand Slam champion and former Wimbledon winner Martina Hingis admitted last week that she’s been accused of testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon. She also announced her retirement from professional tennis.

Hingis lost in the third round of that Wimbledon tourney, 6-4, 6-2, to Laura Granville. She lost in the third round of the U.S. Open, and hasn’t played since her second-round loss to Peng Shuai of China in Beijing on Sept. 19.

The retirement was announced last week during a press conference. The 27-year-old Swiss player said she was accused by “an outsource testing company” of using cocaine at the prestigious tourney in Great Britain this summer. She said she was “shocked and appalled” when she learned that her urine sample tested positive after her loss to Granville.

“I find this accusation so horrendous, so monstrous, that I’ve decided to confront it head-on by talking to the press. I am frustrated and angry,” she said. … continue reading

I've been loving every minute of the U.S. Open. (OK, maybe not Serena's pouty press conference, but never mind that for now.) From Marion Bartoli's insanely intricate serve preparation — isn't she kind of adorable, by the way? — to Venus Williams' intense battle with the acrobatic Jelena Jankovic, it's been a great couple of weeks so far.

But this post isn't really about tennis. It's about Tina. Because my favorite part of the U.S. Open broadcasts has been the new American Express commercial featuring Tina Fey. Every time I think I couldn't possibly love her more, she does something like this.

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I used to have a crush on Serena Williams' arms. I mean, have you seen them?

But now I'm developing a crush on the whole woman, not just her arms or other admirable parts. The whole is much greater than the sum. Serena has the killer bod, but she also has the killer attitude to go with it. The new Nike campaign perfectly serves her sassiness:

And then there's her infectious smile and the way she still gets all excited when she sees someone she knows in the crowd. … continue reading

I look forward to the end of summer every year — cooler weather sets in, school supplies go on sale, and dozens of women with serious balls (tennis balls, that is) descend upon Queens to play in the final Grand Slam event of the season, the U.S. Open. Although the crowd at the top is sadly out-lesbian-free this year (get well, Amelie!), there's nothing else sad about it: Powerful players and no hands-down favorite should make for a terrific tournament.

If you're a tennis fan, you're probably as excited as I am — and if you're not, take a gander at these phenoms and you just might change your mind.

No. 1, Justine Henin (Belgium)

Her size can be misleading, but her stats aren't — 2003 U.S. Open champ Henin is the world No. 1 for good reason. As a Mauresmo fan, I feel that I shouldn't root for Henin on principle, and since she is the top seed a win may be anticlimactic, but she's so much fun to watch that I won't be disappointed if we see her for the full two weeks. … continue reading

Tonight at the U.S. Open, the U.S. Tennis Association will honor Althea Gibson (1927–2003), who is sometimes called the Jackie Robinson of tennis. It's the 50th anniversary of the historic victory at the U.S. National Championships that made her the first African-American title holder in tennis, and as part of tonight's ceremony she is being inducted into the U.S. Open Court of Champions (an honor based on the result of an international media vote).

Not only was Gibson the first African-American athlete ever to enter the U.S. championships in 1950, but she also won 11 grand slams during her career, including five singles titles in a three-year period and doubles titles at Wimbledon with different partners three years running. (No wonder she's called one of the mothers of women's tennis.) As part of the opening night tribute, the USTA is holding a "Breaking Barriers" celebration honoring the careers of trailblazing African-American women. Aretha Franklin will be lending her vocals to the festivities. … continue reading

On Wednesday at Wimbledon, Serena Williams came back from 4-1 in the first set to beat Australia's Alicia Molik 7-6, 6-3.

Williams moves on to the third round, thanks to what she calls "the angry Serena":

"The angry Serena is very crazy to say the least," she said. "Sometimes she comes out."

It's almost like she hulks out, really. TMZ.com is calling Williams' arms "super-bionic," but I think they're more hulk-tastic: … continue reading

Amelie Mauresmo, Wimbledon Champion and No. 98 on the AfterEllen.com Hot 100 list is out of the French Open with a groin injury. I know, I was devastated too, until I found out that we could leave her get well wishes on her website. I don't know if we can compete, however, with, “If my life was a flower, you would be it's scent,” left by a fan named hajika.

She also has a list on the site called "My Favorite Things." The lesbian tennis heartthrob likes surfing, drinks hot chocolate for breakfast, listens to all kinds of music and hates liars. Lesbians, you are all the same. There is no mention or photo of any girlfriend-type on there, so what I want is a "Win a Date With Amelie" contest on the site.

Sponsors, are you listening? It would be very cool. Nestle could sponsor the contest, and then provide the hot chocolate if the date lasted all the way to breakfast. Forget the rose ceremony; I want my hot chocolate.

Moving on, we still have some great tennis to watch on Saturday. … continue reading

Several years ago, Billie Jean King figured out that sometimes, if you want something to happen, you have to do it yourself. She wanted equality in tennis, so she started a tennis tour: the WTA. She wanted equality in women's sports, so she built her own sports organization for women: the Women's Sports Foundation. And when she wanted to honor women in sports, she created two separate events.

The Annual Salute to Women in Sports is held in October, and specifically honors the achievements of female athletes and those who have contributed to the landscape of women's sports. In April, Billie hosts the Billie Awards, which "recognize media excellence in women's sports and physical activity." The Annual Salute has been around for 27 years, while the Billies event is only in its second year.

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I chatted with Billie Jean King at the 2007 Billies a few weeks ago. "It's not just about famous athletes," said King. "Tonight is about the celebration of women's sports coverage in the media. Women only get about eight percent of the sports coverage in the news from the major sports outlets."