Gunning for the Top (Again)

ATP

Kei Nishikori returns to the tour

After recovering from hip surgery in 2022, and a knee injury last year, the former World No. 4 and US Open finalist returns to the tour after receiving a wildcard in Miami. In an interview with TennisTV, Nishikori mentioned that he is still very motivated to play, particularly by the prospect of competing against the young guys (think Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune, etc.). The 34 year old plays Sebastian Ofner (who?) in the first round, who has lost 6 of his last 7 matches. Given Ofner’s slump, this is a great opportunity for Nishikori to get a win under his belt and start the climb back to the top 100.

WTA

Back of the line

In a press conference before Miami, former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki said she doesn’t think players coming off of a doping ban should be awarded wildcards into tournaments. While she has nothing against Simon Halep, whom she is referring to, the Dane believes players who have been banned should work their way up from the bottom. In response, Halep denied intentionally doping outright, saying “I don't understand why she [Wozniacki] said that. I did nothing wrong. I did not cheat.” Maybe the happy medium here is that Simona can get the wildcards, but she has to play lefty in the first game of every match for the first year.

College Tennis

UNC player sues NCAA over prize money rules

Per NCAA rules, college tennis players cannot accept prize money earned by playing professional tournaments. However, a high profile college quarterback or basketball player can collect huge sums for brand deals, cheesing on billboards, and signing babies’ foreheads, under the NCAA’s name, image and likeness (NIL) rules. For Reese Brantmeier, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina ranked No. 2 in the country, these rules have forced her to forego over $50k in prize money she’s earned from playing pro tournaments. On Monday she filed a federal lawsuit against the NCAA in North Carolina, asking the judiciary to block the NCAA’s ability to prohibit athletes from collecting prize money. Reese’s lawsuit, if successful, could pave the way for athletes across many sports to get paid for their success outside of the NCAA. Get more details on the story here.

More News & Media

• In terrible news, Aryna Sabalenka’s former partner, Konstantin Koltsov, died at the age of 42. Koltsov was in Miami when he died, in what the Miami-Dade Police Department said was an “apparent suicide.” Aryna has decided to stay and play Miami, though she is not doing any press. More on Koltsov here.

• "My girlfriend, tennis and League of Legends” - Taylor Fritz on what makes him happy. Nice. See what other top ATP players said makes them happy.

• Boyfriend for racket? Doesn’t seem like a winning trade for the girlfriend… But maybe he’s just not the one. Check out the sign this couple made for Matteo Berrettini at the Miami Open.

• “Life in the old dog yet” - what Murray wrote on the camera after beating Berrettini in the first round of Miami. Andy, it’s great and all that you’re still winning with your metal hips, but can you tell us where Kate Middleton is?

• A new episode of Andy Roddick’s podcast dropped this week, with special guest James Blake. Other than the intermittent DING! that lets you know Blake is a popular guy, the episode is great. Give it a listen.

Is this a flex? Maybe only if it’s a $20 or higher?

Now, time to watch Miami.

Thanks for reading!

DP 🤠