The Tennis Thread

[Soapsuds]

French Open finals in line with last season

French Open coverage featuring the Novak Djokovic-Casper Ruud men’s final averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.56 million viewers on NBC, down 3% in ratings but up 5% in viewership from Rafael Nadal against Ruud last year (0.95, 1.49M).

Coverage featuring the Iga Świątek-Karolína Muchová women’s final averaged a 0.6 and 1.04 million, down just 6% and 1% respectively from Świątek’s win over American star Coco Gauff a year ago (0.7, 1.05M).

NBC’s coverage of the semifinals — which was taped in most markets and competed with live coverage on Peacock and Tennis Channel — averaged a 0.38 (-30%) and 591,000 (-27%) on Thursday and a 0.46 (-8%) and 719,000 (-7%) on Friday.

[DramatistDreamer]

Those numbers are unsurprising. Tennis viewership in America continues to bleed but not hemorrhage ratings numbers. This piecemeal coverage between TC and Peacock TV is definitely doing the sport no favors. For whatever reason, neither TC nor Peacock TV seems especially equipped to handle a full fortnight of coverage in a way that presents an attractive, intelligent and comprehensive way.
If a sport is claiming to try to sell new stars of the game, especially when many of those new stars are not particularly magnetic, the sport should at least make matches and big tournaments more accessible to the general public. Playing peekaboo with the coverage windows will not help.

The slight rise in viewership in the men’s final from last year seems to indicate that people may have regarded Nadal’s victory in last year’s RG final as inevitable but gave the returning finalist a little more of a chance this year.

[DramatistDreamer]

A dig at pickle ball? Does the Tennis Channel know about this?

[I Am A Swede]

Emma Raducanu reveals she sometimes wishes she never won US Open

[Faulkner]

 

[Soapsuds]

The worst part of the tennis season. Why you ask?

The brits yelling...come on Andy. One match and I'm already sick of it.

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[I Am A Swede]

^^

That's easily avoided though. Just don't watch Andy Murray's matches....

[DramatistDreamer]

Regardless of how/what one thinks of Kyrgios, this is an inexcusable comment.

Generalizations spoke from this twitter account aside, just an asinine comment. Tennis wishes it could garner half the attention and interest that the NBA summons.

[Soapsuds]

 

[Faulkner]

Word salad.

[DramatistDreamer]

Exactly. Some people are asking whether ChatGPT wrote that statement. I know that maybe some of those people are joking or being sarcastic but honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if this were the case. 

[DramatistDreamer]

The husband of former Top 5 player Amanda Coetzer has testified in the corruption trial of PM Netanyahu.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/hollywood-producer-testifies-about-supply-line-of-gifts-at-netanyahus-corruption-trial

 

[DramatistDreamer]

Ahem ahem ahh uh ahh…let me clear my throat-

 

[Soapsuds]

Monkey see monkey do

Ironic when the ATP play and ratings are in the sh!ts!

[DramatistDreamer]

Saudi Arabia has been trying to find a way into tennis for a few years, particularly men’s tennis. Remember when they tried to hold those exhibitions which resulted in backlash against the participating players? The tennis establishment as greedy as they are, must of gotten envious of the overtures being made to the PGA and decided to allow the Saudi Wealth Fund to court the ATP.