Check out my custom vibration dampener
November 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.) WTA Finals Falls Flat
For the second straight year, the WTA Finals are a mess, and the players, including Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Marketa Vondrousova, and Ons Jabeur, are doing their part to make it known. You can check out the Guardian’s article on the topic if you’re looking for the backstory.
Aryna Sabalenka speaks out about the conditions at the WTA Finals
byu/Kogie13 intennis
Iga Swiatek says WTA’s marketing should be better:
“Honestly, I think there’s plenty they can do. It’s a pretty weird situation where we have meetings with the WTA & we kind of explain to them what should be done sometimes. For sure, there’s potential to work on that. Obviously,… pic.twitter.com/L3RQpqt4tp
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 2, 2023
Marketa Vondrousova joins in with the other women who aren’t happy with the WTA Finals court conditions.
“So sad for all of us.”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 31, 2023
2.) Paris Scheduling Debacle
After a hard-fought 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-1 win over Mackenzie McDonald at the Paris Masters that lasted until 2:37 am, the tournament scheduled Jannik Sinner to play the following day in the afternoon. That would leave him under 15 hours to wind down, sleep, recover, and prep for his next match, resulting in his withdrawal citing fatigue. Poor scheduling is nothing new, but it often puts players at a severe disadvantage. Once again, it’s the players, including Casper Ruud and Stan Wawrinka, speaking out that caught my eye.
It’s crazy 🤦🏻♂️tournament doesn’t care and ATP just follow what the tournament will want 🤷🏻♂️! Always the same story …
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) November 2, 2023
3.) Jabeur Donates Prize Money
After defeating Marketa Vondrousova 6-4, 6-3 at the WTA Finals, the player who bested her at Wimbledon this year, Ons Jabeur, announced she’d be donating a portion of her prize money to support Palestine. It’s the second time in roughly a month that she’s used her platform to encourage peace.
Ons Jabeur says she’s donating a portion of her prize money to Palestine:
“I am very happy with the win but I haven’t been very happy lately. The situation in the world doesn’t make me happy… I feel like… I am sorry. It’s very tough seeing children & babies dying every day.… pic.twitter.com/fVBz9McSjU
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 2, 2023
4.) Sampras Speaks Out
Pete Sampras has always been a private guy, keeping to himself and staying out of the public eye for the most part. However, he stepped into the spotlight this week to share that his wife Bridgette was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last December and that he’s asking for your good thoughts and prayers on her healing journey.
A message from Pete 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ZReXGOCUQs
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 29, 2023
5.) Berrettini Calls It Quits
Italian Matteo Berrettini has had a tough year, starting with an early right leg issue in February and more recently rupturing a right ankle ligament at the US Open, forcing him to retire from his second-round match. However, despite some positive training recently, he’s decided to take the rest of the year off to reset and rebuild for 2024. Since January, his ranking has dropped from No. 14 to No. 90, which he’ll look to build on as he heads into the New Year.
View this post on Instagram
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.
Play Better Tennis
Improve your game alongside our community of tennis players
Why join?
Discussion Boards
Join the conversation with other members of the community.
5 Point Friday
Read our weekly recap of the 5 most interesting things we dig up in tennis.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!