Faulkner

I used to think that, but Swiatek/Sabalenka/Rybakina seem to be coming together as a force on the women’s side. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new set of women consistently making big finals, and they all have. The problem is they don’t seem to be resonating that much with fans, and the powers that be don’t seem to be investing much in them. Partially it’s personality/charisma. And we do need more contenders. If Osaka were still playing, Andreescu could get her body right, Emma/Leylah actually capitalized on their USO success, and Coco Gauff could show more growth, women’s tennis would be in a much better place. Lots of American contenders like Jen Brady, Anisimova, Sloane, Sofia Kenin, and Danielle Collins have been felled by injury or other issues. Pegula hasn’t really broken through in a big way. We’re in an odd transition now with Serena retired, Venus practically retired, Sharapova disgraced and done, Muguruza unraveling, Halep on a doping suspension, and Vika/Petra in their waning days. On the men’s side, Alcaraz is a superstar, and Rune is a convincing “villain.” They’ve accomplished a lot more than most younger players have since the salad days of the Big 4. Alcaraz is already a slam champ and a World No. 1! When was the last time we had a young man break through on that scale? They do need players like Draper and FAA to step up. It’s also a shame that Thiem got injured right on the brink of something bigger for him.

The streets are saying that Groff and Ncuti looked a bit more than friendly at the Beyoncé concert. Glad to see “Richie” there:

Rafa will miss the French and says that he expects 2024 to be his last year on tour.

What an odd story but scary.

This guy has an OF, so you’ll see a lot more on his Twitter. Stunning.

Lord. Seems like the big favorites for RG are either hobbled or playing like sh!t.

What a mess. GH is going THROUGH IT these days.

I know the Real Housewives series shows that women of “a mature age” can be just as shallow and petty as their younger counterparts. But I’m just trying to imagine what this show will look like. More “heartwarming” in the Great British Bakeoff vein of reality TV, or messy like the original Bachelor franchise? I’m assuming a lot of the women will be divorced or widowed.

And they shouldn’t be, of course, but the writing for them has been so generic and muddled over the years. Audra is the schemer that one of them should be. None of them should be your run-of-the-mill heroines. If they keep them, just considering the actresses’ strengths, Chloe is more suited to being an established corporate pillar; Chelsea should just be a plain old psycho but not a wishy-washy one with depression; and Sally more of a rough-and-tumble, ambitious social climber/street fighter from humble means. They are all so milquetoast and forgettable as currently written.

I’m curious if they really believe a resolution is imminent.

The Tonys are moving forward after striking WGA members said they wouldn’t picket the ceremony. “Prominent theater artists who work on Broadway and are allied with the writers guild also spoke up on behalf of the Tonys, arguing that forcing the show off the air would be devastating to the art form and to the many arts workers it employs. The combination of the lobbying efforts and the new conditions appears to have prompted the guild to say Monday night that it would not picket the broadcast,” according to the New York Times.

That really hurts to read. Anyone with loved ones facing these end-of-life issues can relate.

Never seen Frances get this hyped up. He’s not wrong. And the Roman fans ARE unbearable.

Alcaraz, Sinner, and Rublev all out in Rome; Norrie hit Djokovic with a ball… crazy times.

Christian from Los Angeles 🇺🇸 @Gray Bunny @Taoboi

It looks better than what I thought. I’m one of the few people who feels like the OG New York cast have exhausted their stories and were beginning to become repetitive and stale with all of the drinking and the same old petty arguments (UGT-style check-ins are fine), and I’m excited to have a more diverse cast where said diversity isn’t the most talked-about matter (hopefully). Ten-plus years is a great run for any show, and it’s time for a new perspective on America’s most important city.

More of this guy

The guy who represented Italy at Eurovision this year, Marco Mengoni 🇮🇹