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March 3, 2023
Five Point Friday
Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week in tennis.
1.) 3 Entertaining Finals
On the lady’s side, Barbora Krejcikova faced off against a near-perfect Iga Swiatek in Dubai. She earned her second finals victory over the world No. 1 in two years, previously defeating her at the Ostrava Open late last year. On the men’s side, Cam Norrie redeemed himself with a hard-fought victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the Rio Open after losing to him in the finals of the Argentina Open last week. Finally, Daniil Medvedev topped Andy Murray in Doha to claim his second title in two weeks, previously besting Jannik Sinner in Rotterdam.
2.) Real Talk with Pegula
Playing in the semifinals at the Dubai Tennis Championships on her birthday, third seed Jessica Pegula suffered a tough loss to the eventual champ Barbora Krejcikova. Later that evening, she gave fans a glimpse into the not-always-glamorous life of a professional tennis player when she posted to Twitter recapping her day with a bag of Doritos.
Everyone: “What is it like playing on tour? It must be so amazing!”
Me: gets bagled on your birthday, sitting eating Doritos at midnight, waiting to get on a 16 hr flight home. ???? pic.twitter.com/5YqSZ0xHx5
— Jessie Pegula (@JLPegula) February 24, 2023
3.) FANtium for Tennis
It’s no secret making a living outside the top 100 on the pro tour isn’t easy, let alone getting started with few resources. FANtium hopes to help change that with a unique model that allows fans to invest in up-and-coming tennis players in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Doing so gives the players resources to chase their dreams while investors can share the player’s success by participating in the athlete’s future earnings and enjoying exclusive perks.
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4.) Racial Barriers of a Champ
From 1956 to 1958, Althea Gibson became the first Black player to win the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Nationals. However, despite her massive success as a Black tennis player and multi-sport athlete, Althea Gibson faced significant racial barriers throughout her career. Ashley Brown of History recounts many of these obstacles in a recent piece on the former world No. 1.
5.) Feliciano Lopez Earns a W
Late last year, Feliciano Lopez announced that 2023 would be his final season after 20 years as a professional tennis player. However, until this week, with a wildcard first-round victory at the Mexican Open vs. Chris Eubanks, he hadn’t won a singles match on tour since July 2021. He’ll finish the year off with appearances at a select few events, including Barcelona and Mallorca, but for now, he’s happy for the win.
41. NOT DONE ????@feliciano_lopez earns his first ATP win since July 2021, defeating Chris Eubanks 7-6 6-4. #AMT2023 pic.twitter.com/5iirDhULzl
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 28, 2023
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.
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5 Point Friday
Read our weekly recap of the 5 most interesting things we dig up in tennis.
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