September 29, 2023

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

1.) Wimbledon Public Ballot

It’s that time of year again. The Wimbledon Public Ballot is now open through Tuesday, October 10th. If you’d like a shot at attending next year’s tournament without having to queue, submit your application soon.

Submit Your Ballot Application

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2.) Performance Byes?

In 2009, the WTA introduced performance byes to reward players based on their previous week’s performance vs. regular byes awarded to top-seeded players in a draw. They’ve been used sparingly but cropped up this week when their surprise use prevented Elena Rybakina from receiving a bye as the No. 3 seed in Tokyo. Traditional byes were given to the No. 1 and 2 seeds, but performance byes were awarded to No. 4 Maria Sakkari and No. 5 Caroline Garcia, effectively skipping Rybakina because they performed well in Guadalajara last week. Elena withdrew due to a legitimate injury but made it clear she wasn’t happy with the unexpected use of performance byes.

Elena Rybakina is not happy about WTA choosing to use Performance byes in Tokyo

“Thank you for changing the rules last moment. Great decisions as always WTA 🤡🎪”

It’s pretty sad to see #3 seed denied of her rightful draw after all she’s accomplished & worked for this year. pic.twitter.com/7mvBTEeJ8b

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 23, 2023

Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from Tokyo.

“As a player I want to give my all on the court and at the moment my body is not ready to do that.
That's why I decided to listen to my body and withdraw from the tournament…The WTA topic is another topic, on which I have my opinions &… pic.twitter.com/fWqv4lzlvI

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 25, 2023

Elena Rybakina’s coach, Stefano Vukov, vents his frustration about the performance byes in Tokyo:

“Just to make things clear, there is no explanation of what a performance bye is. What does this mean? Do we add byes to help performing players? Or do we take away ranking earned… pic.twitter.com/lWdMAqu6fS

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 25, 2023

3.) Big 4 Impersonations

British comedian, writer, and celebrity impressionist Josh Berry gave fans a gem of a video with his latest impressions of the big four, which are crazy good.

Josh Berry impression of the big four
byu/thebullshitrussian intennis

4.) Sakkari’s 1st Big Title

Maria Sakkari, a mainstay of the WTA’s top 10 in recent years, had only managed to hoist one trophy in 2019 and has struggled with criticism as a result. At the US Open, she even said she might need a break from the sport following her first-round loss. Thankfully for her, she’s marched on, claiming her first WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara.

5.) Fed’s Interview @ Laver Cup

On the anniversary of his final competitive match at the 2023 Laver Cup, Roger Federer joined Jim Courier for a live on-court interview. It’s a great listen if you miss Roger.

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.