February 17, 2023

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

1.) Wu: First Title for China

Yibing Wu capped off a thoroughly impressive week at the Dallas Open, defeating John Isner 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 7-6(12) in the finals for his maiden title. In doing so, he became the first Chinese player in history to win an ATP title and reached a career-high No. 58 in the world, the highest of any male Chinese player in history. Last year this time, Wu ranked No. 897 in the world and, due to injuries, hadn’t competed for nearly three years, from March 2019 – January 2022.

2.) Zheng’s Impressive Tweener

During her match against Maria Sakkari at the Qatar Open, Quinwen Zheng tracked down a lob for a perfectly timed tweener winner. It’s the WTA’s second this month, with Alycia Park’s showcasing some magic during her title run at the Lyon Open last week.

Tweener ???? QWEENER!#QatarTennis pic.twitter.com/5utKakfFiv

— wta (@WTA) February 14, 2023

Tweener. Lob. Winner.

???? @TheRealAParks ???? pic.twitter.com/5kt3RMjoQ4

— wta (@WTA) February 1, 2023

3.) Wilson Pro Staff v14

Originally released in 1983, the Wilson Pro Staff moves on to its 14th edition. According to the Wilson team, their goal was to combine the bending profile of the older 85 and 90-square-inch models with the forgiveness and playability of the modern version that evolved with the support of Roger Federer. A new model, the Pro Staff X, offers a 100 in² head size that mirrors the weight and beam width of the 97 but has a lower swingweight and stiffness or RA rating.

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A post shared by Wilson Tennis (@wilsontennis)

4.) Panda Interrups Match?

For perhaps one of the oddest moments in tennis this past week, an individual dressed as a panda ran onto the court and interrupted a match during the qualifying rounds in Rotterdam. The lack of security and the crowd’s unusual response was surprising.

This is the most non-sense video I have ever seen in my entire life.

A panda invasion during the qualifying rounds in Rotterdam.pic.twitter.com/zm28DKVAmQ

— Relevant Tennis (@RelevantTennis) February 13, 2023

5.) Alcaraz Back With a Win

After a three-month hiatus from tennis due to abdominal and hamstring injuries, Carlos Alcaraz returned to the tour with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Laslo Djere at the Argentina Open. Despite the time off, he’s still ranked No. 2, falling from the No. 1 spot after Djokovic’s triumph at the Australian Open.

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.