🎾 Final Dash to Turin

Happy Tuesday! As the WTA Finals heat up in Riyadh and Alexander Zverev storms to Paris glory, all eyes turn to Turin, where three coveted ATP Finals spots remain up for grabs. The battle for tennis's season finale promises a thrilling conclusion.

In this week's newsletter:

• 🏆 Race to Turin: Five In, Three Spots Left at ATP Finals

• 🎾 Weekly Roundup: Triumphs, Transitions, and Tantrums

• 😡 Racquet Rage: Tennis's Top 3 Temper Tantrums

🧠 Tennis Trivia Challenge 🎾

Think you know your tennis? Take a swing at these questions and climb the ranks from Challenger to Professional to Centre Court Legend!

1. Challenger: Which player has won Olympic singles gold medals at two different Grand Slam venues?
   A) Rafael Nadal
   B) Andy Murray
   C) Venus Williams
   D) Steffi Graf

2. Professional: Which Male player was the first to win 1,000 matches in the Open Era? 
   A) Ivan Lendl
   B) Roger Federer
   C) Jimmy Connors
   D) Steffi Graf

3. Centre Court Legend: Which scandalous dress code violation almost got May Sutton, the first American Wimbledon champion, disqualified from the competition in 1905?
   A) She wore a colored dress instead of white
   B) She rolled up her sleeves to her elbows during play
   C) She played without the mandatory corset
   D) She wore her hair uncovered without a hat

Keep reading for the answers!

🏆 Race to Turin: Five In, Three Spots Left at ATP Finals 🏆

Who's Already In? Five players have secured their spots at the 2024 ATP Finals in Turin's Inalpi Arena. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev qualified first, with Taylor Fritz joining them last week after receiving confirmation just before his first match at the Paris Masters. Fritz's qualification was a fitting birthday present, secured just after turning 27.

Who's Still Fighting for a Spot? Three spots remain up for grabs, with four players in close contention. Novak Djokovic leads the remaining pack with 3,910 points, and despite opting to rest this week, his Turin berth appears secure given his comfortable points cushion. Behind him, Casper Ruud (3,855 points) and Alex de Minaur (3,745 points) currently hold qualifying positions, while Andrey Rublev (3,720 points) sits just outside the cutoff. Early exits from Rublev and Ruud in Paris have made the race particularly intense. De Minaur could have automatically qualified with a finals appearance in Paris, but his quarterfinal finish keeps the race alive.

Who's Out and What's Next? Several contenders saw their hopes end at the Paris Masters. Holger Rune's semifinal loss to Zverev ended his chances despite needing both the Paris title and an ATP 250 victory in Metz to qualify. Grigor Dimitrov fell to Khachanov in the quarters, while Stefanos Tsitsipas lost to Zverev, marking the first time since 2018 that Tsitsipas won't compete at the year-end championships. After a disappointing loss to Cerundolo in Paris, Rublev heads to the Moselle Open in Metz needing a title to stay in contention while also hoping De Minaur doesn't go deep in Belgrade. The season finale will take place at Turin's Inalpi Arena from November 10-17.

🎾 Weekly Roundup: Triumphs, Transitions, and Tantrums 🎾

Championship Corner: Alexander Zverev dominated the Paris Masters final, crushing Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to claim his second ATP 1000 crown of 2024 and secure a return to world No. 2. Russia's rising star Diana Shnaider continued her breakthrough season by overwhelming Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-2 in Hong Kong, propelling the 20-year-old to a career-high ranking of No. 12. Meanwhile, Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic ended an eight-year title drought with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Rebecca Šramková at the Jianxi Open. Turkey's Zeynep Sönmez earned her maiden WTA title with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 win over Ann Li, securing her breakthrough into the top 100.

WTA Finals Kick-Off: The first three days of WTA Finals action in Riyadh have delivered high-stakes tennis at its finest. In the Purple Group, World #1 Aryna Sabalenka has been unstoppable, first continuing her recent dominance over Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-4, then overpowering Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-5 to secure her semifinal spot. One more victory would secure her year-end #1 ranking. Zheng bounced back from her opening loss by defeating Elena Rybakina 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1, leaving the Kazakhstani star on the brink of elimination. Earlier, Paolini had started her Finals campaign by defeating Rybakina in straight sets 7-5, 6-4, marking her milestone 40th win of the year.

Over in the Orange Group, Coco Gauff displayed remarkable form, downing Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-2 to secure her 20th career top-10 win and end Pegula's impressive 14-match winning streak against fellow Americans. In a thrilling comeback, Iga Swiatek fought from 6-4, 3-0 down to overcome Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, extending her WTA Finals winning streak to six matches.

Rybakina Lands Coaching Titan: Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević, fresh off a five-year partnership with Novak Djokovic that yielded 9 Grand Slam titles, will join Elena Rybakina's team for the 2025 season. The appointment marks one of the most high-profile coaching changes of the season, adding another intriguing chapter to tennis's coaching carousel. "I want to learn," shared the world No. 5, who split with longtime coach Stefano Vukov before the US Open. The Croatian legend, whose coaching résumé also includes Marin Čilić's 2014 US Open triumph, will take the reins after Rybakina's WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh.

Rublev's Frustration Boils Over: Andrey Rublev's emotions spilled over in a tense moment in his first-round match against Francisco Cerundulo. After dropping a tight first-set tiebreak and losing his serve early in the second set, Rublev's frustration peaked as he struck his knee repeatedly with his racquet, resulting in visible bleeding. The intense outburst came as Cerundolo had just broken back to level the second set, with Rublev feeling the mounting pressure of securing his spot in the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin. The incident ultimately overshadowed the match, ending in Rublev's defeat.

😡Racquet Rage: Tennis's Top 3 Temper Tantrums 🤬

Andrey Rublev's outburst at the Paris Masters reminds us that even in tennis, tempers can flare spectacularly. Let's serve up the top three meltdowns that make Rublev’s tantrum look tame.

3. John McEnroe's "You cannot be serious!" Rant (Wimbledon 1981 1R): In a first-round match against Tom Gullikson, a young McEnroe unleashed tennis's most iconic outburst. After a disputed line call, he approached the umpire with fury, delivering the now-legendary line, "You cannot be serious!" He didn't stop there, dubbing the official "the pits of the world" and demanding, "Answer my question! The question, jerk!" This volcanic eruption cost McEnroe a point penalty and forever cemented his reputation as tennis's original bad boy.

2. Serena's Foot Fault Fury (US Open 2009 SF): In a shocking turn of events, Serena Williams' semifinal against Kim Clijsters ended in controversy. Down 5-6, 15-30 in the second set, Williams was called for a foot fault on her second serve, giving Clijsters match point. Enraged, she approached the lineswoman, shaking her racquet and reportedly threatening, "I swear to God I'll ******* take the ball and shove it down your ******* throat." This outburst resulted in a point penalty, which handed Clijsters the win. The incident led to a hefty fine and a two-year probationary period for Williams.

1. Jeff Tarango's Wimbledon Walkout (Wimbledon 1995 3R): Taking the crown for the most outrageous meltdown is Jeff Tarango's 1995 Wimbledon spectacle. During his third-round match, Tarango became incensed over calls, telling the crowd to "shut up" and earning a code violation. He then accused chair umpire Bruno Rebeuh of being "one of the most corrupt officials in the game" before doing the unthinkable: storming off the court mid-match. The cherry on top? Tarango's wife slapped Rebeuh twice in the face afterward, adding assault to injury.

These explosive moments show that in tennis, it's not just the balls that can go flying - sometimes tempers do, too!

🤣 Meme of the Week 🤣

Trivia Answers
1. B) Andy Murray—He won gold at Wimbledon in 2012 and at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
2. C) Jimmy Connors—He achieved this milestone in 1984, long before any other player reached this mark.
3. B) She rolled up her sleeves to her elbows during play—Because of the heat, she wore a shorter skirt than was customary and rolled up the sleeves of her blouse, thus exposing both her ankles and her wrists, which shocked the British crowd.

How’d you fare?
3 Correct: You’re a Centre Court Legend—champion of the biggest stages!
2 Correct: You’re a solid Pro—rising through the ranks!
1 or less: Don’t worry, Challenger—your breakthrough is just ahead!