The New York Times Magazine: The U.S. Open Issue

Roger Federer's wonder year, the captivating Gaël Monfils, the rise of tall players and the peculiar pleasures of the Grand Slam stands. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, August 25, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Roger Federer hadn’t won a Grand Slam title in almost half a decade. Then he made a crucial change to his game — and now, at 36, he might be playing the best tennis of his life. For this week’s cover story in our U.S. Open Issue, Peter de Jonge spoke with [coaches, pros and Federer himself]( to explore how the tennis great pulled off this improbably wonderful year. “Because I don’t sweat as much as others, or grunt as much as others, or make faces when I hit the ball, and it’s easier on the eye, it’s harder for people to see that I’m actually really trying,” Federer says. Even as the legends spar for absolute superiority, many eyes will be on [the phenom Gaël Monfils](. Ben Austen writes about the confounding athleticism of the player who makes miraculous shots but struggles to bring home the major trophies. At 6-foot-4, Monfils is part of a crop of players [challenging the vertical limits]( on the physiological ideal of an elite player. Michael Steinberger explains why ‘‘when you walk through the players’ lounge of a tournament these days, you can easily think that you have stepped into a misplaced N.B.A. locker room.’’ And for [the full Grand Slam experience]( Geoff Dyer takes in the fortnight of Wimbledon in the flesh and in its entirety, through the pleasures and disappointments. Happy reading, Jake Silverstein Editor in Chief Erik Madigan Heck for The New York Times [How Roger Federer Upgraded His Game]( By PETER DE JONGE At 36, he might be playing the best tennis of his life. [Gaël Monfils]( Dina Litovsky/Redux, for The New York Times [Gaël Monfils Hits Miraculous Shots. Why Can’t He Win?]( By BEN AUSTEN Of all the players struggling to win titles in this unkind era of the so-called Big Four, he is the most captivating, maddening and misunderstood. Illustration by Renaud Vigourt [Will Tall Players Dominate the Future of Tennis?]( By MICHAEL STEINBERGER A shift with radical implications for the game. [Should I Turn in My Tax-Cheating Relative?]( By KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on an IRS-evading family member, a concerned charter-school tutor and coercive workplace “survey prep.” [Charlie Sykes Is Unsure About the Future of the G.O.P.]( Interview by ANA MARIE COX The conservative radio host on the Republican response to Charlottesville and being friends with Paul Ryan. ADVERTISEMENT Illustration by Nathan Fox [The Peculiar Pleasures of the Grand Slam Stands]( By GEOFF DYER Heroic exertions and occasional pitfalls at Wimbledon. Illustration by Derek Brahney [The Strange Politics of ‘Classified’ Information]( By BEVERLY GAGE When the inner workings of government are kept secret, the news depends on leaks — and officials learn when to hide things and when to let them slip. Illustration by Jon Han [How Hate Groups Forced Online Platforms to Reveal Their True Nature]( By JOHN HERRMAN Internet companies annexed much of our public sphere, playacting as little democracies — a charade they gave up last week. [When to Cook Your Vegetables Long Past ‘Done’]( By SAMIN NOSRAT Simmering for hours yields deliriously sweet and rich vegetables. [How to Run With a Jogging Stroller]( By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS How you run behind a stroller may determine how much physical benefit you actually experience. ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NYTimes [Twitter] [@nytmag]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's The New York Times Magazine newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018