“Serve, Volley, and Unleash the Joy: A Playful Look at Tennis!”

There are numerous significant topics to address here at Bounces, ranging from doping to sportswashing and beyond, with those subjects likely to persist into the forthcoming year.

However, as the year concludes and Bounces celebrates three months of existence, I wanted to bid farewell to 2024 with a light-hearted vibe. Thus, as a little year-end entertainment and offering, I present to you a series of enjoyable activities in the form of puzzles and trivia.

Anyone familiar with me understands my passion for trivia, and immersing myself in an online trivia community I previously was unaware of has emerged as one of my favorite hobbies in recent years. My team, Wednesdays, recently achieved another impressive advancement in Season 8 of the Connections Online Quiz League (COQL), in case anyone is interested in viewing our quarterfinal, semifinal, or final match on YouTube.

First, I have a tennis-related 5×5 mini crossword puzzle to share, crafted by a participant from another team in COQL, Ben Bass, who creates puzzles for The New York Times and other outlets. Ben Bass is an avid tennis enthusiast, having watched professional tennis across three continents this year, including being courtside for the longest match in U.S. Open history a few months prior, when Dan Evans triumphed over Karen Khachanov in five hours and 35 minutes.

Here’s his puzzle for Bounces, which probably won’t require you to take nearly as long to complete:

Next, for a different challenge, I prepared my own set of year-end tennis trivia questions (28 of them, progressively getting more difficult) themed around the conclusion and commencement of this New Year’s Eve. So, all 28 answers will start with Z, the concluding letter of the alphabet.

(Answers to both the crossword and the puzzle will be available below the paywall after the 28th question!)

If you prefer, you can also submit your answers to this quiz on WikiQuiz, which will feature a leaderboard as well (but please no cheating if you choose this method!).

1. What is the surname of the player who became the first Chinese Olympic singles gold medalist when she won in Paris in 2024?

2. What is the home country of doubles specialists Byron Black, Cara Black, Wayne Black, and Kevin Ullyett?

3. The year-end WTA singles rankings in 2010 were led by two players who had not secured a Slam singles title. Caroline Wozniacki was No. 1; what was the last name of the player ranked No. 2, who reached two major finals that season?

4. An indoor ATP tournament occurred thirteen times in which European capital city? Marin Cilic clinched the tournament a record four times; Ivo Karlovic was the top seed in its last edition in 2015.

5. What does the “Z” represent in the initials BvdZ that have been occasionally used in recent men’s tennis discussions?

6. What is the surname of the Belarusian player who captured four junior major singles titles, 18 major women’s doubles titles, but might be most notably remembered for losing her only women’s singles final at a major in just 34 minutes to Steffi Graf?

7. What is the family name of the player who lost her initial fourteen main draw matches at majors before breaking through to a run to the quarterfinals of the 2016 Australian Open? She endured another lengthy losing streak, with 24 consecutive losses, which she concluded with a victory over McCartney Kessler at the 2024 China Open.

8. What is the last name of the only Mexican player currently within the WTA Top 100? She achieved a career-high ranking of 51st in November 2024.

9. Serena Williams retired following a loss in the first nine games of her opening match at a 2007 WTA Tier I indoor event in what European city? Patty Schnyder, who was expected to have support from local fans, was awarded a 6-0, 3-0 ret. win. This city’s WTA tournament was downgraded to Tier II in 2008, and subsequently removed from the calendar entirely afterward.

10. What was the last name of the Chinese player who joined Naomi Osaka, Ons Jabeur, and Caroline Garcia in the quartet competing in the final WTA Rising Stars event in Singapore in 2015?

11. What is the surname of the serve-and-volley player who defeated top-seeded Andy Murray in the fourth round of the 2017 Australian Open, a match that hinted at Murray’s later challenges and opened the draw for the eventual champion Roger Federer? He was the first individual in his family to reach a major singles quarterfinal.

12. What is the first name of the highest-ranked ATP player ever from China, who has been referred to as ZZZ?

13. What is the surname of the 70th-ranked Argentine player who dealt Rafael Nadal his most significant clay defeat in the last 20 years by ranking in the final of the Santiago in 2013? This marked Nadal’s first tournament of the 2013 season after he concluded his 2012 season following a loss at Wimbledon to Lukas Rosol.

14. What is the given name of the Belgian TikToker who made his ATP Top 100 debut in 2024? His parents named him after the nickname of French soccer star Zinedine Zidane.

15. What is the surname of the woman who reached the semifinals of the 2021 French Open, winning a grueling 9-7 third set in the first round against Bianca Andreescu, followed by another exhausting 8-6 third set against Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals?

16. Two answers for this question: What are the last names of the only two men born in contemporary Serbia to attain the No. 1 position in the ATP doubles rankings? The first captured his sole major doubles title alongside Andres Gomez in 1986; the second won three men’s doubles majors with Daniel Nestor.

17. What is the last name of the Argentine player who, despite specializing on clay courts, achieved his best performance at a major by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2001 U.S. Open?

18. What is the family name of the first Chinese woman to reach a major singles semifinal, which she accomplished at Wimbledon in 2008? She attained a second semifinal 18 months later in Australia, alongside her compatriot Li Na. (This name is the only answer that’s repeated in this quiz.)

19. What is the surname of the Colombian woman who unexpectedly advanced to the semifinals of the 2004 Australian Open? She faced no seeded opponents on her way to the semifinals, thanks to a walkover by Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals.

20. What Czech name served as the last name of Sandra, Venus Williams’ adversary in a match at the 2011 Australian Open during which Williams…

tore her psoas muscle? This title was also utilized by Barbora Strycova during her initial marriage; her spouse was Sandra’s relative.

21. What is the surname of the Spanish athlete who unexpectedly caught a stray comment during a 2023 UTS Roundtable discussion featuring Alexander Bublik? When expressing his disdain for rivalry, Bublik cited this player as an illustration of excessively intense opposition. “[Practice], I take pleasure in it. The issue arises when I enter the court and you have [Player Surname] across from you, screaming at your face. This is what I despise. Come on, folks, chill out. What are we competing for here? Check the factsheet.” Bublik later clarified that his example was theoretical. “Actually, I have never faced [Player Surname],” Bublik remarked. “But I’m merely referencing players who are contending.”

22. What was the first name of Serena Williams’ initial singles adversary upon her return from maternity leave at Indian Wells in 2018? This Kazakh also participated in a widely-publicized second round match at the 2014 U.S. Open featuring 15-year-old CiCi Bellis.

23. What was the surname of Hsieh Su-wei’s partner during her victorious campaigns to mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2024?

24. What married name did Klara Koukalova adopt on tour between 2006 and 2014, including during a victory over Serena Williams at the 2009 Andalucia Tennis Experience?

25. Due to disruptions caused by the pandemic, the WTA 500-level tournament in which inland Chinese city hosted only two editions before moving in 2024 to coastal Ningbo? Karolina Pliskova triumphed in the first edition of this tournament at tour level in 2019.

26. What was the surname of Art Donaldson’s rival in the final of the 2019 New Rochelle Challenger, an event sponsored by Phil’s Tire Town and first witnessed by the public nearly five years later?

27. What was the maiden name of the member of the WTA’s Original 9 who fits this description? Her current name is Valerie Bradshaw.

28. What is the first name of the Czech athlete who, despite not having yet broken into the Top 100, has long sported apparel featuring his own customized “ZK” monogram? Beyond his initials, he might be most fondly remembered for a challenging four-set defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round of the 2022 French Open.

And here are the solutions!

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