Grand Rapids Racquet & Fitness

09/11/2026

We lost sons, fathers, moms, daughters, family and friends to evil theocracy. Today so many have forgotten… Endeavor to never forget!

08/13/2026

Masteller’s Historic 20-Match Win Streak Halted in 14’s National Quarterfinals! 🎾🔥💪
What a run for Western Michigan tennis phenom Novak Masteller!
Carrying a staggering 20-match singles winning streak into the Quarterfinals of the Boys’ 14s USTA National Championships in Mobile, Alabama, Novak looked almost unstoppable.

Novak hadn't dropped a singles match since mid-June, when he was playing up an age group in the B16s quarterfinals at the Midwest Closed. Since then, he went on an absolute tear:

🏆 L2 B14s National Champion – Hudsonville, MI

🏆 L4 B16s Champion – Indianapolis, IN

🏆 L2 B14s Champion – Battle on the Mississippi

Entering B 14’s Nationals in Mobile as the #9 seed, Novak quickly racked up three more victories to push his win streak to 20 straight matches—capped off by a thrilling, three-set comeback win over #8 seed Daniel Gardality of San Diego (6-7, 6-4, 6-3) on Wednesday!

On Thursday morning, Novak’s historic streak and main draw run came to an end in the Quarterfinals against the tournament's #1 overall seed, Krish Advani of Bradenton, Florida (6-2, 6-2).

While the main draw streak ends at 20, Novak’s tournament is far from over as he heads into the Feed-In Consolation rounds to keep battling!

We could not be prouder of the dedication, toughness, and world-class tennis Novak has displayed all summer representing Western Michigan on the national stage. Congratulations on an incredible streak, Novak—keep fighting and playing great tennis! 👏🎾🔥

08/11/2026

Kalamazoo National Tennis Championships Update 🎾🔥

Boys 16’s #4 Seed narrowly survives Oliver Caldwell in round of 64 in three set battle.

Name is Caldwell—that’s Oliver Caldwell.

Sometimes being the middle child isn't easy, especially in a high-powered tennis family where both siblings have claimed their fair share of the national spotlight. Coming into the USTA Boys' National Championships in Kalamazoo, such was the case for Oliver Caldwell.

Often known as Simon’s (Arizona State commit) younger brother or Glori’s (top G14s player) older brother, it seemed like Oliver occasionally gets lost in the shuffle. Despite always sitting near the top of the Midwest rankings, he was at times just a bit overshadowed.

Well, now top college coaches are officially taking notice.

This summer, Oliver worked relentlessly to carve out his own identity with dominant performances in both the Boys' 16s and 18s divisions. His stellar play made him eligible for Nationals in both age groups—going undefeated in 18s singles at the Memorial Day Championships, battling to the quarterfinals in 18s singles at the Midwest Closed, and posting a dominant 3-1 singles record at #2 position for the Midwest Team in the Battle of the Sections.

Oliver as the #33 seed kicked off his Kalamazoo campaign with a first-round bye, followed by a commanding 6-1, 6-0 victory over Marko Garcia in the Round of 128.

In the Round of 64 he was to face the #4 seed, Tristan Stratton of Forest Hills, NY. On paper, it looked like Stratton might easily outgun the unseeded Caldwell.

Turns out, it was just paper.

Oliver stunned the #4 seed, playing powerhouse tennis to capture the second set. Stratton was able to make adjustments to survive in a grueling three-set battle. However, Oliver turned serious heads among college coaches, making a strong recruiting statement for his future.

Oliver now feeds into the consolation singles draw and will be back on court late Tuesday morning. Stay tuned—he’s just getting started! 💪🔥

Update: Tue 12:00 pm
Oliver has knocked off # 28 seed Griffin Goode 7-5, 6-1 of North Carolina.
 Plays again at 3:15 Maple YMCA vs # 31 seed Muha Louden of South Carolina.

07/08/2026

Outstanding results at the Western Michigan Tennis Championships a couple of weeks back. We never got a chance to post all the pictures. Congratulations to everyone.

06/19/2026

Congratulations Colson Wells and University of Illinois!

Wells spent the last three seasons at Nebraska and now joins the Fighting Illini with two years of eligibility remaining.

06/03/2026

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED AFTER HOSTING A PICKLEBALL LEAGUE IN TARGET PARKING LOT, CLAIMS “THE ASPHALT HAS GREAT BOUNCE”

ORLANDO, FL — A Florida man was arrested after allegedly operating a full-scale pickleball league in a Target parking lot for nearly three weeks before management realized it wasn't an official store program.

Police say 39-year-old Tyler Anderson painted court lines across dozens of parking spaces and created what players referred to as “The Target Open.”

Witnesses report Anderson became increasingly ambitious as the league grew.

According to reports, he introduced:

Official player rankings.
Paid concessions.
Instant replay reviews.
A “Hall of Fame” wall near the cart return.

Players say the tournament became so competitive that participants began trash-talking each other near the frozen foods entrance.

The breaking point came when Anderson allegedly attempted to reserve 40 parking spaces for a televised championship that did not actually have a television deal.

One shopper told officers:

“I came for paper towels and accidentally bought courtside seating.”

Police were called after Anderson reportedly argued that Target shoppers were “interfering with professional sports.”

As officers approached, he was allegedly in the middle of a heated dispute over whether a serve had clipped the net.

He was taken into custody while still insisting that the parking lot should be recognized as a legitimate athletic venue.

The championship trophy was later recovered from the trunk of a Honda Civic.

Images and full story copyrighted TBC Viral Media 2026.

04/23/2026

Colson Wells clinches upset win for Nebraska over Michigan in the Big Ten Tennis championships. Down goes big blue!

04/10/2026

The Final Sets: Celebrating Abby Siminski & Simon Volkema!
🎓🎾

In just a few weeks, two of our favorite GRRF alumni will wrap up their collegiate tennis careers. Abby and Simon have been part of our family since even before their junior nationals national days, and we’ve loved watching them grow into incredible athletes and even better role models.

From competing on the national stage to returning home to mentor our youth players, these two define "dedication."

Congratulations, Abby and Simon! We are so very proud of everything you’ve accomplished and can't wait to see your next chapter.

Simon Volkema: Williams College

Abby Siminski: Xavier Unv.

03/08/2026

Colson Wells Returns Home with Nebraska: Takes on Michigan and Michigan State.

Colson Wells, a Lansing native, returns home with the Nebraska tennis team to face the University of Michigan at 12:00 noon.

Wells has solidified his position at #3 singles for the Cornhuskers. This match serves as a homecoming for Wells, providing an opportunity to compete against the teams he cheered for growing up while enjoying local support.

On Friday, numerous members of the Grand Rapids Wolfpack attended the match against Michigan State to watch Wells play.

The match was closely contested, with Wells holding two set points in the tiebreaker against Taym Alazmeh of Syria. Alazmeh served his way out of trouble to secure the first set 9-7 in the tiebreaker.

The match was halted with the score tied 3-3 in the second set, as Michigan State secured the team match 4-1.

Today, Wells will face the Michigan Wolverines and Sean Maymi, who originally recruited him to Nebraska.

The match begins at 12:00 noon at the Wolverine Tennis Center and will be available online via the University of Michigan homepage. Let’s Go Colson! Go Big Red! 🐺🐺