When you can’t escape tennis even when you’re not working on it right now 😂

Swiatek loses in Beijing, not only that match against Navarro (6-4,4-6,6-0) but also a chance to gain some good ground on Sabalenka regarding the throne.

Not a big surprise but Gaël Monfils announced that 2026 will be his last season on Tour. La Monf’ bows out. Gosh an entire tennis book keeps retiring lately.

Alcaraz who just won th title in Tokyo is now out of the the Masters 1000 in Shanghai due to that ankle injury he picked up. (Source: ATP) Well… One more injury on the list of that week… It’s been piling. Rough one for Shanghai.

Btw, so many retirements in Beijing… I’d say kinda crazy but when you look at that quite insane scheduling throughout the summer, it’s… kinda logical…

Roland-Garros announced they would again keep the lines judges next year, proud to remain the unique Grand Slam event to do so. (Source: FFT)

One more day of me being so freaking glad I never let TikTok infiltrating my life… Seriously… Look at who’s about to own it in the US… Get outta here.

“We shouldn’t shrug at the fact that last year at the same time, I was playing Challengers a bit everywhere in Asia. And so this year, yes, I’m still going through a lot of firsts, and they're truly wonderful experiences. I'm very grateful, » Diallo said.

Victoria Mboko is back on Tour as she will play in Beijing for the first time. I had a chat w/ her about that wrist injury, the storm she created by winning in Montréal, & how she keeps it all together despite the incredible season of firsts she’s having. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/mboko-i-ju...

I have thoughts on Coco Gauff in Beijing saying the quiet part out loud in an unexpected follow-up to my feature about the issues of that third act in tennis. She called it practice. I get where she’s coming from. Still it’s a good example of the issues. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/mboko-i-ju...

The piece I’m referring to: tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/is-the-thi...

I have thoughts on Coco Gauff in Beijing saying the quiet part out loud in an unexpected follow-up to my feature about the issues of that third act in tennis. She called it practice. I get where she’s coming from. Still it’s a good example of the issues. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/mboko-i-ju...

“We shouldn’t shrug at the fact that last year at the same time, I was playing Challengers a bit everywhere in Asia. And so this year, yes, I’m still going through a lot of firsts, and they're truly wonderful experiences. I'm very grateful, » Diallo said.

I’m sharing a talk I had with one of the young-and-rising players of 2025, Canadian Gabriel Diallo, who started in Tokyo his quest for a seeding at the next Australian Open. End f season goal, Davis Cup, being grateful for it all. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/mboko-i-ju...

Victoria Mboko is back on Tour as she will play in Beijing for the first time. I had a chat w/ her about that wrist injury, the storm she created by winning in Montréal, & how she keeps it all together despite the incredible season of firsts she’s having. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/mboko-i-ju...

Diallo still can’t get through Fritz but he got close again here in Tokyo. Just lost 4-6,6-3,7-6(3).

“You just think like, ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ You think you’re doing everything right, so is it just a freak accident? Just like that, you start questioning things,” Bianca Andreescu. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/im-over-it...

Exclusive chat w/ Bianca Andreescu as she’s back competing in Beijing following freak injury in Montréal. She wondered, “Is there something wrong with me?” as “u start questioning things.” We talked shape, mind, “Why always me?”,support, inspiring Mboko. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/im-over-it...

Niki Pilic is gone… Coached so many great players. Also was amongst the best persons to interview I’ve ever crossed: always had so many anecdotes and knew how to cut through the noise. Many thought he talked too much ah! #RIP

Mertens / Kudermetova officially qualified for the WTA Finals (source: WTA). Were crowned in 2022.

Swiatek did what she had to do in Seoul (WTA 500) to keep her chase for the throne alive: She won the title. Down 3-1 vs Alexandrova in that third set but had the last word (1-6,7-6(3),7-5. Sabalenka also out of Beijing so Swiatek gets one more shot at gaining ground.

Tennis thinks it has outgrown die-hard fans.Then what are they doing w/ THE third act made for them?Why sitting on its storytelling despite traveling to fascinating places w/ some of best sports stars in the world? Is it also because it’s way too packed? tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/is-the-thi...

Ella Seidel saved MP too against BHM in a 67 76 75 win. Will debut in the top100 next week. I think she’ll be there for awhile.

Just watching the way Krejcikova saved these match points and gosh some of these FHs were absolute 🔥. Has it been long since me saying how beautifully crispy clean Krej’s technique is? Surely not but here we go again lol. The way she goes through the ball when she’s on… The net game too.

Krejcikova defeats Raducanu in Seoul despite being down 6-4, 5-2 match point on Raducanu’s serve. Barbora comes back from 5-2 again in the TB, saves two more match points and runs through the rest of the match. 4-6,7-6(10),6-1. How many times is she going to pull these crazy comebacks out! 🍿

Side note: that’s why you don’t sell media to corporations. The lack of spine and moral compass.

For how many years have they tried to pin cancel culture on the “woke?“ lol amazing. #JimmyKimmel

Sabalenka, injured, is out of Beijing. Don’t tell me we’re going to see the chase for the throne flop in the last stretch for the second year in a row…

Tennis thinks it has outgrown die-hard fans.Then what are they doing w/ THE third act made for them?Why sitting on its storytelling despite traveling to fascinating places w/ some of best sports stars in the world? Is it also because it’s way too packed? tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/is-the-thi...

Siniakova/Townsend, Paolini/Errani and Dabrowski/Routliffe have qualified for the WTA Finals. (Source: WTA).

Do you still care about the last stretch of the year? Let me know! Currently writing my take on that and opening the floor on yours. From the USO to the Finals: are you still in the room with us? Are you drifting away? Are you locked in? Do you think non die-hard tennis fans are?

Is there a closeted TSS fan at the NYT? 😂 www.nytimes.com/athletic/661... Wasn’t going to miss the chance to remind you, who might be reading that piece of that one 👀 :

Alcaraz-less Spain with the very very very lucky escape that adds another layer on Rune’s lack of momentum, let’s put it that way. When it rains, it pours.

My brain cells are so crossed this morning, I might wanna delay my work day until post double dose of coffee… Think one thing, post the other, what.

Davis Cup highlights for me: Collignon and Belgium beating Australia and the Czech (captain Berdych) taking the USA down. Both winners were playing away from home. Absolutely stunning.

Elsa Jacquemot is having quite the week in Guadalajara! Reached her first WTA semifinal after destroying Sakkari, then beating Mertens and Maria in three sets. You can read my interview with her about her journey from juniors phenom to the Tour here:

Wrote about how Alcaraz and Sabalenka got triggered to win the US Open by… losing at Wimbledon for @the2ndserve.bsky.social : www.thesecondserve.com/alcaraz-and-...

Random thought: Why is it so hard to keep a good posture? Currently internally trying to convince my spine that I’m doing it for her well-being but she doesn’t feel convinced.

Jack Draper out for the rest of the season is such a horrendous turn for him after the great season he had. Thought for whoever announced it to Vuori. Also next time top player says they’re sitting out two 1000 in a row in decisive part of year but it’s nothing serious,do like me: Don’t believe it.

Be honest:Are we at risk of getting tired of seeing Alcaraz & Sinner marching on draws to play against each other again and again. Could they even grow weary of this? Is there a limit to 🍿? Can we complain about greatness?Are we ungrateful b.tches if so? tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/alcaraz-un...

Aryna Sabalenka in NYC rebooted Ghostbusters & got over…herself. This US Open title might be a game-changer for Aryna and she may wanna thank Gauff for beating her in Paris, showing her she wasn’t owed a Grand Slam title just because she wanted one. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/alcaraz-un...

Carlos Alcaraz found a way to reclaim the throne and so to get that trophy out of Jannik Sinner’s hands by reaching another level. How many is he hiding?! Also,Sinner might want to wait before overhauling his game & maybe just start by fixing that serve. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/alcaraz-un...

Aryna Sabalenka in NYC rebooted Ghostbusters & got over…herself. This US Open title might be a game-changer for Aryna and she may wanna thank Gauff for beating her in Paris, showing her she wasn’t owed a Grand Slam title just because she wanted one. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/alcaraz-un...

Be honest:Are we at risk of getting tired of seeing Alcaraz & Sinner marching on draws to play against each other again and again. Could they even grow weary of this? Is there a limit to 🍿? Can we complain about greatness?Are we ungrateful b.tches if so? tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/alcaraz-un...

Carlos Alcaraz found a way to reclaim the throne and so to get that trophy out of Jannik Sinner’s hands by reaching another level. How many is he hiding?! Also,Sinner might want to wait before overhauling his game & maybe just start by fixing that serve. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/alcaraz-un...

Also I guess that Drake curse thing is real… lol

Alcaraz broke the Sinner code at the right time and gets back on the throne. Totally expected him to play that well after losing the Wimbledon final against Jannik: he had a point to make. Didn’t expect Sinner’s game to bug a bit here, also thought his serve issues were behind him but nope.

Sabalenka avoided losing three Grand Slam finals in one season. And she did it against Anisimova who usually has her number. First player since Serena (2012-2014) to defend title here. So many curses taken down in one match.

Ivan Ivanov (#1), who features in that piece, plays the Junior US Open final today. It’s an all Bulgarian affair as he’s facing Vasilev. You can read how being around Rafael Nadal at the academy has already shaped this very good 16yo player. Read also why pressure on juniors has never been higher.

“Your New Standard Has Been Established, And Now This Needs To Become The Norm,”John Williams about Taylor Townsend journey at this USO.How it was years in the making, these match points,why doubles matters for singles players,how to stick to the process. tennissweetspot.substack.com/p/being-a-ch...