August 25, 2023

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

1.) Djokovic & Gauff Win Cincy

In a three-hour and 49-minute match, Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati to claim his 39th Masters 1000 title. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff earned her maiden WTA 1000 victory with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Karolina Muchova, becoming the first teenager in over 50 years to win the Western & Southern Open. These two stellar performances are well worth a quick replay.

2.) Brady’s AMA On Reddit

Jennifer Brady is back on tour after a knee injury kept her out for two years, and courtesy of the US Open, she made an Ask Me Anything appearance on Reddit on Wednesday. You can scroll through all the questions fans asked and expand the ‘Replies’ for each to see the former #13’s answers.

View Brady’s Reddit AMA

3.) John Isner Set to Retire

On Wednesday, John Isner announced his intentions to retire after this year’s US Open, a fitting end to his 17-year career on the ATP Tour. John earned a career-high ranking of No. 8 in 2018 when he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, has won 16 titles, and netted a cool $22,296,808 in prize money.

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A post shared by John Isner (@johnrisner)

After 17+ years on the ⁦@atptour⁩, it’s time to say goodbye to professional tennis. This transition won’t be easy but I’m looking forward to every second of it with my amazing family.

The ⁦@usopen⁩ will be my final event. Time to lace ‘em up one last time. ❤️ ♥️ 💜 pic.twitter.com/GyRTXGNK8G

— John Isner (@JohnIsner) August 23, 2023

4.) ATP Guaranteed Earnings

Player earnings and the struggle for lower-ranked players to break through and make a living is always a hot topic, but little has transpired to address the challenge. So this week, I was intrigued when I stumbled upon the ATP’s new Baseline financial security program. The initiative has three pillars, including Guaranteed Base Earnings, Injury Protection support, and Newcomer Investment, for players in the top 250 worldwide, and the trial period will run from 2024-26.

Learn More About Guaranteed Pay

5.) US Open Ball Change

Nearly every year before the US Open, headlines would swirl about how men and women use different balls at the year’s last Grand Slam tournament. Historically, men have used extra-duty Wilson tennis balls, while women have used regular-duty to limit the potential for arm, shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries, according to the WTA. However, last year’s champ, Iga Swiatek, and others like Paula Badosa spoke up about the balls and petitioned a change. This year, they’ll get their wish with the WTA using extra-duty balls.

Read the Full ESPN Story

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.