Knees Weak Arms Heavy

ATP

Burnt out

Just two days after the US Open, many of the world’s top players competed in the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage across four cities. Carlos Alcaraz, Matteo Berrettini, US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper, and many more household names headlined the action.

Although two of the three named above didn’t make it to week two of the Open, it seems strange to have another competition featuring the world’s best immediately after tennis’ Super Bowl. For the players, you wonder if they have the energy (physical, mental, emotional) to play again at the highest level. And for the fans, Davis Cup after the Open is like your neighbor’s gig at a crappy bar the day after going to U2 at The Sphere.

Zooming out, the top players suffer as a result of the 11 month long season. British No. 1 Jack Draper said, “It’s a mental (read: ridiculous) calendar. There’s literally no break. It’s really physically and mentally challenging.”

And despite winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz has been struggling, I’m guessing in part due to his heavy summer schedule. After a surprising early round loss at the US Open he said,

On the other side of the tv, I wonder if fans are also burnt out. The US Open was both an incredible two weeks and took a lot of energy to focus on. Personally, I couldn’t care less how the Davis Cup Group Stage shook out. If I’m in the minority, then perhaps all is well. But if not, then it seems like a lose-lose situation for both players, fans and tv networks.

However, there’s more to consider. If there aren’t enough tournaments, how will players (especially outside of the top 100) make a living, gain ranking points, and improve? How will cities promote tennis and grow the game? Clearly there’s no simple answers for a global, individual sport comprised of many different organizations (USTA, ITF, ATP, WTA, the list goes on).

Trivia

Rafael Nadal has a 112-3 record at Roland Garros. Which of the four below is NOT one of the only players to beat him in Paris?

A. Alexander Zverev

B. Novak Djokovic

C. Robin Soderling

D. Juan Martin del Potro

Find out at the bottom!

Meet the Player

Ugo Humbert

Tennis is a global sport, and it’s hard to keep track of all of the great players out there, old and new. In this section, you’ll get to know a new player each week, get quick analysis on their game, and how far I think they can go.

From: Metz, France 🇫🇷

Best Slam Result: 4th Round (Wimbledon)

Career High Ranking: 13 (April 2024)

Fun Fact: Each time he wins a title, he plays the Amelie Poulain theme song on the piano.

Game Analysis: The French bean pole is an aggressive baseliner, with atypically flat groundstrokes for a lefty. With his ability to take balls on the rise and finish at the net, he’s got a scary good game on grass and indoor hard court. However, taking the ball so early sometimes leaves him out of position against players who redirect pace well.

Career Prediction: The 26 year old will remain a top 50 player for a long time. On his favored surfaces, he can be a nightmare for anyone. But with such a high risk game, it’s hard to see him consistently beating the top guys and cracking the top 10.

Shot of the Week

Do the splits

Despite the thumbnail photo showing the Spaniard, today’s shot of the week comes from Czech player Tomas Machac. The link plays the exact point in which he hits a crazy full-splits volley in a lengthy point against Carlos. Enjoy 🎾

Around the Net

More News, Memes and Throwbacks

☹️ Plagued by shoulder and knee injuries, Tunisian star and former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur decided to bring her 2024 season to a close. The fan favorite plans to focus on charity work in her off time, and hopes to return to the tour at next year’s Australian Open.

⚽️ Before the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Genoa, Stefanos Tsitsipas took some damn good free kicks on the field. Maybe some cross-training is what he needs to make it past the quarters of a slam…

🪴 It’s that time of year where the top players secure the bag play in some exhibition matches. In early December, Ben Shelton will face off against Carlos Alcaraz at Madison Square Garden in what they’re calling The Garden Cup. Jess Pegula & Emma Navarro will also square off and hopefully donate the money to charity because they don’t need it.

👸 Five time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova won the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Fan Vote in her first year on the ballot. In addition to the Fan Vote, a second group votes on the Class of 2025 ballot. By winning the Fan Vote, Sharapova will receive an additional three percentage points added to her vote total.

👀 Naomi Osaka split with coach Wim Fissette, with whom she won the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open. It appears that Patrick Mouratoglou, who was spotted on court with Osaka during a training session this week at UCLA, is taking the position.

🎧 7 time grand slams singles champion Venus Williams came out with a new book, titled Strive, which chronicles what she says are “8 tiny but essential tenets that can help turn smart choices into habits." Move over Atomic Habits, there’s a new player in town.

Answer

D. Juan Martin del Potro

Rafa and Del Po played each other twice at Roland Garros (2007, 2018), with Nadal winning both in straight sets. That said, the Argentinian prevailed at the 2009 US Open, where he went on to take the title. If anyone remembers, the final against Fed was incredible.