Hey, all you cool cats and kittens:
1) We’ll have a seed report when the draw comes out.
2) Here’s your exciting-if-regrettably-named 2023 Wimbledon pool.
I’ll scrounge up some swag for the winners.
3) John McEnroe does Stanford graduation.
4) Goodspeed Anett Kontaveit, who declared on Instagram that a back damage is forcing her to retire.
Onward …
Hello Jon. You know how children these times say someone or other has “won the internet”? Perfectly, soon after the French Open up final result, can we all concur that Novak Djokovic has won/completed tennis?
James, London, U.K.
• Residual Djoko-feelings …
1) He has used his career chasing a typical set by other folks. For the very first time in his profession, he goes to Wimbledon with an unobstructed look at from the prime. Will this have any content bearing on his enjoy? Not likely. But how amazing is it—yay, sports—that even the most completed and seasoned athletes can obtain themselves in new positions?
2) If Djokovic wins Wimbledon—a match at which he hasn’t tasted defeat given that 2017—he will have eight titles on the shaved grass of the All England Club. This will tie him with Roger Federer.
3) He has more majors than the relaxation of the Wimbledon 2023 area put together. And a whole 20 a lot more than the following closest competitor.
Digression:
At some position can we, as a tennis group, concur on some rules re: when to specify gentlemen as opposed to ladies? Once again and yet again, enthusiasts and commentators have alluded to Djokovic taking the lead with 23 majors, only to be spanked for failing to be aware that this is men’s division only and Margaret Courtroom has 24 majors. Really?
We all want fairness and equality and right credit history dispensed. But really do not we also want popular sense to prevail? “The middle” is not a preferred handle these days but can we obtain some compromise among erasure/bias on the one hand and dutiful political correctness on the other?
When a person suggests, “No American tennis participant has won a important considering the fact that Andy Roddick in 2003,” we are perfectly within our legal rights to be aware that, no, actually both of those Venus and Serena Williams (as effectively as Sloane Stephens and Sonya Kenin) have realized this feat. But we have two tours and two attracts, and at times it is noticeable that we are conversing about a single gender. “Nick Kyrgios is the only unseeded player remaining.” Have to we really acknowledge that this is a gender-distinct discussion and we’re conversing about only the men’s attract? And this goes both equally techniques. When we notice that Bea Haddad Maia prospects the discipline in aces, need to we actually qualify this, stopping ourselves and nodding to the male players who—playing much more sets—who could have a larger full? The assertion that Serena Williams experienced the most fearsome serve of her era … is not it apparent/implied we are not comparing her to Pete Sampras or Federer, but to other girls against whom she actually competed?
Words and phrases are significant. Bias is crucial to confront. As a single of the few sports activities where men and girls compete contemporaneously and on (notionally) equal footing, tennis has a duty to choose matters of equality critically. But it also has an obligation to take into account context and intent when policing speech. And stop with the gratuitous visitors stops.
The person nailed the issue about GOATs and you evaded it like a accurate Fed fan. 🙂
When Fed was the GOAT, we ended up all chatting GOATs. Now that Nole is the GOAT, “GOAT discussions are futile” and “the figures don’t make any difference.”
P.K.
• Our only loyalties are to tennis. (And to Daria Kasatkina. Brazenly opposing odious Vlad Putin overrides the no-cheering-in-the-push-box dictum.)
In any case, no evasion right here. When Federer was the GOAT and there ended up two energetic players on his heels, there was a lively dialogue about greatness, its definition, its part components, how much to weigh selected conditions. Now that Djokovic tends to make like the cheese and stands alone—most majors, most weeks at No. 1, outstanding head-to-head—the discussion has misplaced valence. Not simply because it is abruptly unimportant. But for the reason that we can declare a winner.
The Alexander Zverev–Casper Ruud semifinal was performed second for the reason that their quarterfinals ended up played Wednesday, giving them just one day off, whereas Djokovic and Alcaraz performed their quarterfinals Tuesday and experienced two times off. The Wednesday quarterfinalists generally engage in the late semifinal to increase their relaxation.
Anon
• I was under the impact that the tournament has discretion and can location the “lagging” quarterfinalists first. But I have faith in Anon, a very well-put supply.
You have eloquently shared the complications with the WTA returning to China. Can you also argue a charitable perspective for how the WTA justifies it? Income naturally, but can you elaborate a pro-China stance?
It reminds me of when I’m doing work for a mid-sized business and we have an onerous client. I question the president why we put up with them? “They’re 10% of our earnings and far more in profit” he retorts. “They’re rough all-around the edges—to place it euphemistically—but if we fall them, exactly where do we get that 10%? Are you O.K. with dropping them and having a 10% shell out reduce?” He did not say it defensively but fairly with a sympathetic shoulder shrug as if to say, “It sucks, but do you have a improved choice?” Does the WTA have a superior choice?
Kevin Kane
• Truth of the matter serum? The WTA states: “Ultimately we are a business and, as these types of, we have a fiduciary obligation to our stakeholders. And now to CVC, our ‘capital spouse.’”
For all the plaudits and social media appreciate, our stance on China created a mess of our equilibrium sheets. We acquired no help from other sports, starting off with the ATP. We could not offset the income reduction with other occasions and sponsors. So we are turtling. It’s not Jay Monahan–level hypocrisy. But we are mindful that it is a significant reversal, a capitulation, a lapse in moral braveness. How is it that we are returning without having assurances that Shenzhen will be awaiting our returning with open up arms and checkbook? We’ll get back again to you.
Spin: By returning to China, we are sending a impressive concept: The transcendent energy of sports can erode limitations and partitions and construct bridges. By resuming functions in an autocracy, we are spreading a concept of Westernization and modernization and possibly even democracy. We will achieve out to Billie Jean King to come and encourage. We’ll maintain clinics for women. We have a tranche of Chinese gamers who will now get to compete in entrance of dwelling followers … How is it that we are returning with out assurances that Shenzhen will be awaiting with open up arms and checkbook? We’ll get back to you.
Complete disclosure: I can obtain no one to admit this on the record. But it strains credulity to believe that the WTA’s return to China wasn’t sealed when it agreed to phrases with CVC. Put a further way: Does CVC agree to do this deal at valuation X, with out assurances that the WTA would be returning to its most significant industry? Not likely.
Any term about Gavin Rossdale and regardless of whether he is still a tennis enthusiast now that Roger Federer is retired?
Ian T.
• I know that he’s acquired a machinehead. And it is really improved than the rest. But no intel about the state of his tennis fandom.
Shots:
- Former ATP Tour participant Todd Martin was launched as match director of the Western & Southern Open up on Thursday. Martin, who will be the event’s 33rd match director, assumes the position just after serving as CEO of the Worldwide Tennis Hall of Fame considering the fact that 2014.
- The USTA these days declared that Kathy Rinaldi will phase down as U.S. Billie Jean King Cup captain subsequent the 2023 finals. Rinaldi will continue to be in her situation as USTA participant development’s head of women’s tennis and will go on primary player development’s endeavours to identify and develop recent and foreseeable future generations of American women’s champions. The look for for the next captain will get started quickly.
- The ATP has confirmed that Andrea Gaudenzi has been reelected as the chairman of the organization. The Italian has held the situation considering that January 2020 and will now serve a next time period, from ’24 by means of ’26.
