August 21, 2020

Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.

1.) Are You Re-Stringing Enough?

Your strings are the lifeblood of your racquet, but many players don’t treat them that way. In this week’s video, I break down the topic of restringing to share why it’s important, provide guidance on how often to replace strings, and signs to help you know when it’s time to service your racquet.

2.) A Glimpse Inside the Bubble

In order to safely host US Open, the organization has created a bio-secure bubble with strict protocols for players and their guests, media, and staff. This week, players began to arrive and sharing on social media to give us a glimpse of what it’s like on the inside.

A first look at the private player suites ?

(With a special appearance from @AlexZverev ?)

?: @felixtennis on Instagram pic.twitter.com/RyXhHsIFkj

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 17, 2020

the best text to receive these days ? pic.twitter.com/wt4OTEGNGn

— sloanestephens (@SloaneStephens) August 19, 2020

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Thank you @wta @usta for a safe environment in the Bubble. @olympiaohanian and I are very happy to be “bubbled,” regularly getting tested, and Masked Up in order to safely get folks back to work. ? Proud of this kid for being such a champ throughout. You can tell I’m about to get a swab up my nose whereas she’s on ready set for hers. ??

A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr. (@alexisohanian) on Aug 19, 2020 at 7:07am PDT

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hi New York, it’s good to be back.

A post shared by 大坂なおみ ?????? (@naomiosaka) on Aug 19, 2020 at 9:28am PDT

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Filip and Fernando back in doubles action, we’re ready ?? let’s gooooo idemooo @krajinovic_filip #USOpen #TeamLacoste

A post shared by Novak Djokovic (@djokernole) on Aug 17, 2020 at 12:25pm PDT

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Easy @djokernole ??

A post shared by Alexander Zverev (@alexzverev123) on Aug 17, 2020 at 11:10am PDT

Hahahahha @Clijsterskim I thought I saw you in that one suite across from me ? https://t.co/KeAnGq5dLR

— Jennifer Brady (@jennifurbrady95) August 19, 2020

???? pic.twitter.com/gyw0nVpMIn

— Johanna Konta (@JohannaKonta) August 19, 2020

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‪Background of @usopen

A post shared by Karolina Pliskova (@karolinapliskova) on Aug 19, 2020 at 11:03am PDT

3.) ATP Tennis Returns Tomorrow

The ATP will make its return starting tomorrow with the Western & Southern Open kicking off in New York under vastly different circumstances than a year ago. As an ATP & WTA event, it’s an exciting time for tennis fans who eagerly await the kickoff.

View the TV Schedule

4.) Wilson Clash [Review & Playtest]

Released in February 2019, the Wilson Clash was a highly anticipated racquet that created a ton of buzz and has since become one of the most popular tennis racquets. In this week’s video, I review the Wilson Clash and share my thoughts.

5.) WTA Shows Us The Money

Forbes released their latest highest-paid athlete lists and WTA players occupied nine of the top ten spots for the list of female athletes. To the surprise of some, this is down one from the prior year with WTA athletes holding all ten spots in 2019.

1. Naomi Osaka $37.4m ($3.4m prize money, $34m endorsements)
2. Serena Williams $36m ($4m prize money, $32m endorsements)
3. Ashleigh Barty $13.1m ($10.1m prize money, $3m endorsements)
4. Simona Halep $10.9m ($6.9m prize money, $4m endorsements)
5. Bianca Andreescu $8.9m ($4.9m prize money, $4m endorsements)
6. Garbine Muguruza $6.6m ($2.1m prize money, $4.5m endorsements)
7. Elina Svitolina $6.4m ($5.4 prize money, $1m endorsements)
8. Sofia Kenin $5.8m ($4.8m prize money, $1m endorsements)
9. Angelique Kerber $5.3m ($1.3m prize money, $4 million endorsements)
10. Alex Morgan $4.6m ($400,000 salary/bonus, $4.2m endorsements)

If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?

Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.