Welcome to Court Theory — a boutique digital journalism venture dedicated to tennis culture, from the pro tour to the public courts. Court Theory has just undergone a major revamp so that it can deliver more of what you love and connect the fans of our great sport — and I’m excited to share this news with you here!
When I launched Court Theory 18 months ago, I wasn’t sure if it would work — or if anyone wanted what I would be interested in creating. But as I noted in my original welcome post from 2023, with a few exceptions, tennis media was failing the sport and its fans.
Trying to solve for some of those failures became “The Why” for Court Theory. More depth, honest assessments, a wider variety of players, a sense of history, and critical analysis became the aspirational characteristics of this endeavor.
Thankfully, you all put to rest any concerns I had about Court Theory earning passing grades. It has been the greatest compliment when you cared enough to stop me at a pro tournament to chat, to hit reply on a newsletter to share your thoughts, or to ping me on social media with a note. In some way, all of your words figured into this upgrade.
A New Court Theory Era
Now, about this new and improved Court Theory. Yes, it’s a new website. But it’s so much more than that. This transformation started with the goals of bringing you more stories that matter, a far superior experience, and to build a stronger connection among tennis fans.
For the Court Theory veterans, this new site will feel familiar. That’s by design. The plan was to keep as much of the Court Theory-ness as possible while adding practical and whimsical features sure to put a smile on your face.
Behind the scenes, however, is a powerful, more sophisticated publishing platform that will allow for a wider array of content choices, including more options for deliverability by email.
This platform upgrade will help secure Court Theory’s future by providing a membership system with free and paid tiers. Not to worry, the majority of articles on Court Theory will remain free to everyone, as will our flagship weekly newsletter.
But! For those of you who are interested in an upgraded experience or want to say thanks for what we do at Court Theory, you can pick a paid tier. They start at the cost of a can of tennis balls each month and come with some serious upgrades like: exclusive articles, invitations to online and in-person events, community features, fun quizzes and games, discounts on Court Theory gear, and tons more.
One More Thing
For now, Court Theory is still a one-person operation. But a note of thanks to one person in particular is due. Brigid Barrett, my partner in all things, who finally picked up tennis as a direct result of Court Theory (and hopefully not in spite of it), designed and built this beautiful site and many other design goods at Court Theory. She did it with love and care — and with the dose of pragmatism I so clearly need.
And thank you, dear reader. I’m grateful you’re here, and I just know that together we’ll continue to make Court Theory a special place.
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