— Daniel Park

PSA

Hey gang! You might have noticed the furniture looks a little different in here. That’s because I moved Unforced Error to Substack! Anyways, that’s mostly big news for me. Nothing changes for you — you’ll keep getting your editions each week! But if you don’t have the Substack app, I’d highly recommend downloading it! The reading experience is better + I’ll be posting more content here. As always, thank you for supporting Unforced Error! 🫶🏼

Wimbledon

Waffles, Strawberries, and Forehands

Have you ever caught your friend peeling a cucumber into ribbons at 7:45am on a Sunday in your own kitchen? It’s the strangest moment that starts with wtf and ends with I-love-you-and-I-wouldn’t-want-it-any-other-way.

Also, “peeling cucumber” is not a euphemism. At least not that I know of. Why was it happening in the first place?

Because my wife and I hosted a Wimbledon Finals Watch Party on Sunday! And cucumber is an essential ingredient in a Pimm’s Cup, the official Wimbledon cocktail.

We weren’t just boozing at 8am on a Sunday like degenerate high society Brits. The party was complete with waffles, strawberries and cream, and bacon.

Now onto the tennis

Zverev had lost 9 straight against Sinner heading into Sunday’s final. Despite the awful record, he did have this going for him: he was playing with a huge weight off his shoulders after finally winning a Grand Slam.

Without as much pressure, he executed his game plan better than I’d ever seen before.

That forehand crosscourt was not normal Zverev. He knew that if he had any chance at beating the espresso-fueled Italian robot, he’d have to hit his forehand big.

Again, Zverev was brave and went after his forehand in the big moments — this laser beam won him his first set against Sinner in 10 meetings.

This thought lingered in my mind through most of the second set: holy shit, is this going to be the day that Zverev finally breaks the streak AND wins back-to-back Grand Slam titles?

Unfortunately for Zverev, Sinner bought Alcaraz’s e-book on how to hit drop shots before the tournament.

Backhand side from behind the baseline is crazy difficult. Think of Steph Curry hitting a fadeaway three from the logo.

To be clear, drop shots weren’t the sole reason why Sinner won his fifth Grand Slam. But his ability to hit them now showed why he’s so dominant: because he’s the best at adding layers to his game.

In the last 24 months, he’s made big changes to his serve and developed finesse — which only make his biggest weapon, his groundstrokes, even more effective. Hugh Clarke said it well:

“It made you realize again that there are levels to this game. That while Zverev clearly is the best player in the world behind Sincaraz and Djoker, capable of pushing them in ideal mental states with an A game firing, Sincaraz are always adding and operating with elite B, C, and D games when all the pressure is on their shoulders.”

Indeed, there are levels to this game. There are also levels to waffles. Beautiful levels that fill with whipped cream and syrup.

Trivia

Which country developed the electronic line calling system we know as Hawk-Eye?

A. Austria

B. Japan

C. United Kingdom

D. South Korea

Find out at the bottom!

Memes

My dad at the airport two and a half hours early for his flight.

Around the Net

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

🥹 This reaction from Arthur Fery’s coach gives me chills, every time.

😳 “Tim…If you choke this year, we’ll never forgive you” — insane story about the pressure Tim Henman faced during the 2002 Wimbledon.

🤔 Casper Ruud on why he struggles so much on grass

Thank for reading!

Daniel 🤠

Answer

C. United Kingdom

That’s right, Hawk-Eye wasn’t made in Silicon Valley by two middle school dropouts. It was developed by two engineers in England in 2000. The same technology also helps make decisions in soccer (VAR), cricket, and now baseball.

— Daniel Park

Wimbledon

The Fery-Tale

Whatever you do, don’t wake Arthur Fery up.

“I grew up five minutes from here”, said the 23-year old Brit, who came into the tournament ranked 114 in the world, and gained entry with a wildcard.

Improbably, Fery has made a dream run into the quarters of his neighborhood slam. But just how unlikely is this?

Think Cape Verde.

In the third round, Fery was down 2 sets to 1 and a double break against Bergs. At one point, Polymarket put Bergs as a 99% favorite to win the match.

And again in the fourth round, Fery was down 2-to-1 and a break against sexiest-player-on-tour Dimitrov. And yet, Fery found a way to win both times, setting himself up for the biggest match of his life: playing for a spot in the semis of Wimbledon.

Opponent? Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli.

Prediction? My head says Cobolli. My heart says Fery.

Let’s Get Technical

Now that you know just how unlikely and incredible Fery’s run has been, let’s talk about his game for a changeover. He’s definitely had lady luck on his side this week, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s also a damn fine player.

In particular, Fery’s backhand is exceptional on grass. Why? Because his takeback is both:

1. Very short

2. Very low

The thing to notice in the above shot is that Fery’s hands are far to the left side of his body as he turns for this backhand. That means his hands don’t have to go very far to reach contact. Another reference: think of Kyrgios’ backhand.

Compare that to someone like Zverev, who has a very long and high take-back. His hands are directly behind his body (like a baseball swing), so they have to travel much further to get to contact.

In plain English: Fery’s takeback is great on grass because the surface is so fast. He makes clean contact more often, and has an easier time absorbing pace. A recipe for success on the lawns.

In British English: Fery’s backhand is the fish, grass is the chips

There’s no natural transition from an awful dad joke. So let’s just get to the final set:

A drill for you

Writing this piece reminded me of a drill my coaches made us do a lot in juniors. It’s called running. While Fery’s swing is naturally short, you can also develop the ability to shorten your swing for when someone hits a deep, fast ball at you.

Instructions: Stand just inside the baseline. Rally with your partner up the middle, but here’s the rule. You can’t let both feet get behind the baseline.

Why: You are basically taking time away from yourself. So you’re forced to shorten up your swing and figure out how to hit a high quality ball.

Note: this is really hard, and you will end up volleying a few shots from the baseline. That’s fine. I also guarantee that you’ll think I hate this drill, Daniel is an idiot at one point.

The latter might be true, but I’m willing to bet that Arthur Fery has put in his 10,000 hours of the drill.

And he’d do 10,000 more if it meant making the Wimbledon Semis.

Trivia

Before Federer won 5 straight Wimbledon titles, he lost first round in 2002. Who beat him that year, and by doing so, woke up the beast?

A. Andre Agassi

B. Mario Ancic

C. Mikhail Youzhny

D. David Nalbandian

Find out at the bottom!

Fashion

Somewhere in London, a Karate master sits on a park bench devastated that his gi is gone. But in a different part of London, Naomi Osaka is using it to chop her opponents left and right. The 4-time slam champ, now known for her eye-catching slam entrances, is paying tribute to her nation with the all-white Kimono — and doing them proud by making a deep run at Wimby. If she wins the tourney, that thing is gonna go for a crazy amount at auction.

Photo of the Week

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Reporter: “Do you look at the ball at contact?”

Hurkacz: “What ball?”

If you’re actually curious about this — I’m guessing it’s just a quirk, not intentional.

Around the Net

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

🪢 “Imagine playing the 4th round of a Masters 1000, with a string you’ve never played with before.” Insane story from rising star Alexander Blockx

🥵 Still think tennis is a cute little country club sport? Try doing this for 3-5 hours. I’m exhausted just watching.

🤤 A great look at how low Dimitrov’s slice stays on grass. Best comment: “It’s like watching the Mona Lisa get painted”

Thank for reading!

Daniel 🤠

Answer

B. Mario Ancic

Don’t sleep on Ancic. The 6’5” Croat was the Junior No. 1 in 2001, and rose to No. 7 in the world just a few years later. He’s in a small group of players that ever beat Fed at Wimbledon.

— Daniel Park

Opinion

Did I get a good draw?

When I was a kid, the draw coming out was bigger than Christmas.

After school I’d fire up the PC and refresh the page every minute until the USTA gods dropped the Boys 14s L4 bracket in Salem, OR. 14-year-old Daniel might have been struggling in middle school Algebra, but he was a god damn quant when it came to tennis draws. I’d map out all of my possible paths to the semis (cocky, I know), evaluate whether I got a good draw or a bad one, and grimace for my doubles partner if he got a rough one.

A bad draw — meaning someone good in the first or second round — meant a miserable drive down I-5. Nightmares about what my parents would say after dragging the whole family to the terrible city of Salem just for me to lose R1. Mind drifting to what other kids would think.

A good draw meant I could eat my sandwich, string cheese, and grapes in peace. Shoutout mom.

Not exactly a healthy habit, considering I played tons of tournaments throughout juniors.

And I can’t imagine it helped me play better or develop as a player. So why do I bring this up?

Because everyone — the media, podcasters, tennis Twitter — goes middle-school-Daniel crazy when a Slam draw drops. Andy Roddick does a full 90-minute pod breaking down both brackets: the tastiest matchups, the soft sections, his picks. Hugh Clarke drops his predictions and dark horses, factoring in form, court speed, weather, all of it. I’m not saying those things shouldn’t exist. Human beans love predictions. Especially from behind a keyboard.

But I’ve heard anecdotally that some pro players don’t look at the draw. And I think I understand it a little.

Because the second you see it, your mind races. And at a Grand Slam — where everything is on the line — players do a lot to protect their focus. It’s why almost every press conference starts with some boring, but true version of “I have to give so much credit to my team.” A big part of that team’s job is acting as a shield. There are sponsors, journalists, fans, and a thousand other things constantly trying to grab a slice of the player’s attention. The team’s job is to keep as much of that away from the one person who needs to stay locked in.

Which brings me to this number: 1,451

That’s how many points Alexander Zverev played to win Roland Garros. All compressed into two weeks. Focusing mind and body to give full effort for 1,451 individual moments — not sets, not games, not matches — is a genuinely insane feat.

That’s where winning actually happens.

So is there a right or wrong when it comes to looking at the draw? Not really. I’ll still be analyzing the Men’s 75s L4 bracket in terrible Salem, OR when I’m old and gray.

But it doesn’t change anything. And if anything, it steals focus from the only thing that matters: point number one out of 1,451.

Trivia

Cristiano Ronaldo has the SIUUUU, Dikembe has the Finger Wag, and the list of iconic athlete celebrations goes on. Which tennis player had the celly pictured below?

A. Tommy Haas

B. Gael Monfils

C. Mansour Bahrami

D. Jo Wilfried Tsonga

Find out at the bottom!

Art x Tennis

Portlanders might recognize this one: the south entrance of Irving Park’s tennis courts! Done by the incredibly talented Sarah Kochis — I need this in my house ASAP. See the painting alongside the real thing in her full post.

Photo of the Week

Just a Toe Nail

Sinner took a tumble during his first round match. Quickly after, his right shoe filled with blood. But when asked if he was in pain after his five set battle he said, “No no. I’m good. It just seems much worse than it is. I’m actually very surprised they let me keep playing because… all white [Wimbledon’s rule], it turned into a little red. It’s just a nail.”

Because obviously toenails are optional in tennis.

Around the Net

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

🙅🏼‍♂️ What stops very good players from cracking the Top 100, according to Ethan Quinn’s coach Brian Garber

🌏 Further proof that tennis is a global sport. Check out this insane location for a Futures tournament

🏀 Overheard at Roland Garros: NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo on what it was like meeting Venus Williams for the first time

Thank for reading!

Daniel 🤠

Answer

D. Jo Wilfried Tsonga

4/10 video quality, but here’s the full celebration from a spry 2012 Tsonga

— Daniel Park

Roland Garros

Brave in Paris

Sinner out. Alcaraz injured. Djokovic old and out. Is this March Madness?

Because I’ve never seen a Grand Slam draw this wide open in my entire Gen Z life. And I’m so here for it. What’s left is a group of players who’ve never held a major trophy — all of them staring down the biggest opportunity of their careers.

And you know what gets me extra excited?

Free guac

That we’re going to witness two people reach for their dreams for the very first time.

Here’s what I mean

Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic — they come out to Grand Slam finals with a certain sense of calm. Of course they’re nervous, but they’re confident. “I’ve been here before, I know what this feels like, I know I can do this” type of energy. We just make popcorn and watch the gods duke it out for 4-5 hours.

But watching someone reach for the stars? That’s different. We’re not just watching the ball go back and forth. We’re watching a two person drama, with humanity’s ever-present cast of characters: anxiety, passion, fear, desire, and bravery. Think the movie Inside Out, but tennis.

Now that you know why I’m so stoked about the back half of the tournament, let’s shift gears.

Who Do I Think Will Win?

He’s the heavy favorite. But his whole tournament (and entire career honestly) comes down to one thing: whether he can trust his forehand in the big moments.

You see, Zverev has a straight-arm forehand — meaning at contact, his right arm is fully extended. It’s rare. Maybe 5% of tour players do it. But ironically some of the best forehands ever made: Federer, Nadal, and Alcaraz, all swing straight-arm.

So why doesn’t everyone do it? This deserves it’s own entire post. But basically, because it’s insanely hard to control. Mis-time the ball at all and it’s in the parking lot. Also, ever heard of tennis elbow?

Despite it being Federer, Nadal and Alcaraz’s best shot, it’s Zverev’s biggest weakness.

So what does he do?

He loops it in. Down the line, with a ton of net clearance. Like a Boys 12s pusher. It buys him time to recover back to the middle and resets the point into a backhand-to-backhand pattern — where he can play offense.

It’s honestly smart. But not brave. It’s playing not to lose, instead of playing to win.

This works against 99.99% of planet earth, but not against the very top guys. Cough cough, 0-9 vs Sinner since 2023.

The Reality

With Jannik and Carlos out, he’ll likely make the finals in Paris.

If he doesn’t win this one — this draw — the label gets stickier. And he knows it. Best player to never to win a slam. I don’t like the guy, but damn that would be a rough way to be remembered.

The forehand is the key. The question is whether Zverev is willing to trust it when it matters most, instead of playing it safe.

I’ll be honest: I want Jodar or Fonseca to win this thing.

But whoever ends up lifting that trophy on Sunday is going to have to go get it. No waiting around. No playing not to lose.

They’re gonna have to be brave.

Trivia

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus once said this to a former ATP player:

“We played nine holes and he drove the ball on every single hole in the middle of the fairway, further than I have seen anybody hit it who is not a professional,” Nicklaus said. “He shot 31 for nine holes. I said, ‘____, what are you doing? You have got a talent and you are young enough to take advantage of it. You need to go play golf.’

Which ATP player was Nicklaus encouraging to play pro golf?

A. Andy Murray

B. Patrick McEnroe

C. Mardy Fish

D. Jack Sock

Find out at the bottom!

Stat of the Week

31

5 set matches played so far on the Men’s side of the draw through four rounds. The record for most 5-setters stands at 36 (Wimbledon 2024).

To me, this has been an absolute body breaker of a slam. It seems like every match is going five — and I LOVE it.

WTA

Serena Soon

I wrote this section before Serena officially announced that she’s coming back yesterday. But I like the 8-ball, so she stays! Here’s what I originally wrote:

My secret sources, Mrs. Magic 8 Ball and Twitter, say that the 39-time Grand Slam champion will announce her comeback imminently (big boy word). At 44 years young, Serena will prove to us that tennis is truly a Life Long Sport.

And that it’s just like riding a bike, right?

Around the Net

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

🦙 Remember the Taylor Swift goat remix? Well here’s the tennis version

🏀 Now this is the basketball x tennis crossover we needed. Why Charles Barkley likes tennis so much

🔧 I’m surprised more righties don’t have this serve in their toolkit

Thank for reading!

Daniel 🤠

ps - the most embarrassing moment of Federer’s career

Answer

C. Mardy Fish

The former Top 10 American plays to a plus-2.8 handicap. I don’t know what that means, but uncle Nicklaus thinks its pretty good for a tennis player. Back handed compliment if you ask me.

— Daniel Park

Roland Garros

90+ in Paris

Honey, we’re gonna need more Sun Bum this week in Paris. Oh and make sure Jimmy brings a hat. He’s already half way to becoming a lobster.

It was so hot during Casper Ruud’s first round match yesterday that he could hardly walk in the fourth set. He said it felt like heat stroke after the match, which he won in a gutsy 5-set performance.

While Ruud advances to the second round, I wouldn’t put a single dollar on the two-time finalist to win the tournament now.

Why? Because of Sinner.

Because clay is the most physically taxing surface in tennis. The points are longer, which means more sprinting, stopping, swinging, and long bwehhhhhhh grunting. That compounds across seven matches over two weeks, which makes Roland Garros the hardest slam to win physically.

It truly is survival of the fittest.

This is why, when heading into week two, I put a ton of stock into players who were lucky enough to be efficient in the early rounds. Every minute they didn’t spend on court compared to their opponent matters a ton at the volume of points you’re playing at Slams.

Ruud just played five sets, in heat stroke conditions, on day one. That’s a big withdrawal from the energy ATM.

But Wait, There’s More

Ruud gets a much needed off day. But the “off day” at a Grand Slam is not what that sounds like. There are interviews. There are content segments the tournament wants you for. Your racket sponsor has a fan meet-and-greet. All of that requires you to be on your feet, be mentally “on,” and spend energy you were supposed to be recovering.

Then there’s the question of whether you even hit a ball. You probably should — you don’t want to lose feel between matches. But hitting means warming up, hitting balls, and cooling down. Suddenly your rest day is a three-hour ordeal. In 90-degree Paris heat.

None of this kills a player individually. But it stacks.

Fans watch a big second-week match and wonder why someone who looked so clean in round one suddenly seems half a step slow. The answer usually isn’t one thing — it’s the five-setter in round one, the sponsor obligation on day three, the extra set they played when they should’ve closed it out, the sleep they didn’t quite get in a hotel room on the other side of the world.

That’s the real match at Roland Garros. The one nobody’s tracking on the scoreboard.

Trivia

Who was the last French woman to hoist the Roland Garros Singles trophy?

A. Marion Bartoli

B. Caroline Garcia

C. Amélie Mauresmo

D. Mary Pierce

Find out at the bottom!

Stat of the Week

82

Slams Novak Djokovic has played in his career.

On Sunday, the game’s resident unc broke the three-way tie for most Slams played between him, Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez. He also tied Richard Gasquet for the most appearances at Roland Garros at 22.

Djokovic also added to his record of 76 consecutive first-round Slam wins. His streak was in jeopardy after he dropped the first set to Mpetshi Perricard on Sunday, but in classic Djoker fashion, he toughed out a win in four.

After the match:

“It was a good match to be part of, three hours, just what the doctor ordered, at age 39. Here we go.”

Fashion

100 Years Since Lacoste

As I was doing research for today’s trivia question, I learned that Rene Lacoste was No. 1 in the world exactly 100 years ago. While I normally snooze during history class, I’m actually amazed by the brand’s longevity. Amazed to think that a clothing brand has remained relevant for so long, has endured through depressions and recessions, still makes tennis clothing, and still has the same Crocodile logo. I love that.

So why a Crocodile?

“In 1923, an American journalist from Boston began to nickname 19-year-old tennis prodigy René Lacoste, “the Crocodile”, as to reflect his ferocious on-court determination whilst subtly referring to an unusual bet that Lacoste made to his team captain Allan Muhr, that he must buy him a crocodile-skinned suitcase if he wins the next match.

The bet was lost but the nickname stayed, and in 1927 American stylist Robert George depicted drawings and sketches of crocodiles to his friend Lacoste, who then embroidered one of them to his white blazer that he wore before every match.” (Wikipedia)

Now that you know the brand’s touching origin story, would you like to buy a $120 t-shirt?

Photo of the Week

Viva les Bleus

This would be one helluva player: Simon IQ, Monfils speed/hands/shotmaking, Tsonga serve and forehand, Gasquet backhand.

The thing is, he already exists. His name?

Roger Federer 😆

Around the Net

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

😳 How mad would you be if your doubles partner did this to you?

🥹 Gael Monfils on if he’s happy with his career

🎾 A fantastic warm up drill that’s great for your footwork and volleys

Thank for reading!

Daniel 🤠

Answer

D. Mary Pierce

Pierce was the last French woman to win Roland Garros, claiming the title in 2000. Surprisingly, there’s only 1 WTA player in the Top 100 right now, so Pierce might be holding onto her title for quite a while longer.