The Tennis Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

Oh wow, I didn’t know that Zverev is suing Ben Rothenberg.

A reporter detailed a tennis star’s alleged abuse. Now he’s paying for it.

[I Am A Swede]

Djokovic follows Alcaraz out of the US Open!

'Some of the worst tennis I have ever played' - Djokovic crashes out of US Open

For the first time since 2017 he will end the year without having won a single major.

And it's the first time since 2002(!) that none of the Big Three will have won at least one of the major titles.

Edited August 31, 2024 by I Am A Swede

[Toups]

Wow.  Talk about an Olympic hangover.  That must've took a lot out of them because going for gold meant so much to them.  They were probably just mentally and physically tired.

[Soapsuds]

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[Soapsuds]

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[DramatistDreamer]

Maybe it’s just me but I have no interest in watching Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner play in the Men’s final tomorrow.

Although I always found Darren Cahill to be a relatively affable guy, I am finding it one hell of a coincidence that he has connections to three tennis players who have failed drug tests.

[Soapsuds]

Taylor needs to shut his mouth. He was already predicting a win.

Taylor never disappoints. He sucks!! He had no business being in the finals.

He and Jessica Pagula suck and put me to sleep.

[DramatistDreamer]

By Friday, I knew that neither he nor Pegula were winning their final matches. The entitlement, particularly with Fritz is grating. Jim Courier mentioned something in commentary last week and he said of the American players in the SF, only Tiafoe wasn’t a child of wealth and privilege.  Fritz’ family is rich and Navarro and Pegula are billionaire heiresses. It really doesn’t say much for the illusion of opportunity that the USTA is always trying to create. I think this is part of the reason why tennis now bores me in a way it never has before in all my decades of following the sport.

I get that tennis has roots in the aristocracy but for the better part of two decades, all of the major tennis bodies have been trying to convince us that tennis was a sport that espoused egalitarian values and that it was a sport of opportunity to all comers. Well, for awhile it seemed so. Not really, not anymore. Tennis Channel (certain figures anyway) must think that Fritz is the second coming of Pete Sampras the way they talk about him sometimes. I see very little resemblance between the two. The both had dark hair (when Pete had hair) and they both grew up in California. That’s all I got.

That’s it.

Edited September 8, 2024 by DramatistDreamer

[DramatistDreamer]

This is kind of hilarious. Not even Del Potro could be bothered with the tennis this year.

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A Buzzy U.S. Open Got an After-Party to Match the Vibe

[Soapsuds]

@DramatistDreamer

Venus is on the View today!! She was on GMA yesterday promoting her new book.

In other news.....

Shocking ratings

[Soapsuds]

Ratings down everywhere. Americans in the finals didn't help. Maybe because both are entitled players. 

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/09/us-open-ratings-down-singles-finals-americans/

@DramatistDreamer

[DramatistDreamer]

I saw a clip of Venus on The View, she looked and sounded great. I will try to check out the others this week.  

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There has been talk of the ATP and WTA joining forces. Not on the pay issue, interestingly enough, but I hope they will negotiate better streaming and broadcast deals because for the past several years ESPN has effectively been ruining tennis. Just today, I was thinking about how it was being introduced to tennis by just seeing it on network television and a “basic” cable package. If things had been the way they are now back then, I probably wouldn’t have become a fan. While I was thinking of this, it made me sad. 
 

Who’s doing a worse job of promoting their product…the daytime soaps or tennis?

I will say this for the USTA, they have readily leaned into the “booze cruise” aesthetic. A lot of half-drunk influencers taking selfies, looking like they are living their best lives for the “Gram”. Taylor Fritz’ girlfriend had her own crew, oddly enough, they were at the Dimitrov-Tiafoe match watching lol.

[Faulkner]

[Soapsuds]

Maybe the ratings would increase if they did this more.

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The female umpire is loving it too.

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[Faulkner]

Not surprising: Brad Gilbert and Coco Gauff have ended their partnership: