🎾 Gearing Up For Wimbledon

Happy Tuesday! As the tennis world patiently awaits the start of Wimbledon next Monday, Bublik continues his resurgence to capture his second Halle Open title.

In this week's newsletter:

• 🌿 The Reinvention of Alexander Bublik

• 🎾 Weekly Roundup: Wimbledon Warm-ups & Stirring Headlines

• 👫 The US Open's Million-Dollar Mixed Doubles Gamble

🧠 Tennis Trivia Challenge 🧠

Think you know your tennis? Take a swing at this week’s question! Difficulty: Easy

🌿 The Reinvention of Alexander Bublik 🌿

Just months ago, Alexander Bublik was contemplating an early retirement. After a stretch that saw him winning only four of 22 matches, he had dropped from No. 17 to No. 80 in the rankings and gave himself an ultimatum: if things didn’t improve by Wimbledon, he would walk away from the sport. “I was close to calling it quits after Wimbledon because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore,” he admitted. He had promised his coach a final decision after the grass-court season.

Bublik staged one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the year. In March, he reached the final at the Phoenix Challenger, then reached the fourth round in Madrid. At Roland-Garros, he made his long-awaited Grand Slam breakthrough with a run to the quarterfinals. On Sunday, he sealed his comeback with a statement win over Daniil Medvedev in the Halle Open final, 6–3, 7–6(4), earning his first victory over the Russian in seven tries and rocketing back into the top 30.

Fresh off his 28th birthday, Bublik now heads to Wimbledon with confidence, renewed motivation, and a game that once again looks dangerous.

🎾 Weekly Roundup: Wimbledon Warm-ups & Stirring Headlines 🎾

Carlos Alcaraz won his second Queen's Club title, extending his winning streak to 18 matches. McCartney Kessler captured her first grass-court title at the Nottingham Open, defeating Dayana Yastremska. Former Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová took the Berlin Open over qualifier Wang Xinyu, returning to the top 100 after a stretch of injury setbacks.

Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva got into a heated exchange after a tense handshake at the Bad Homburg Open. Following Sakkari’s 7-5, 7-6(6) win, she told Putintseva "nobody likes you" and to act “like a human being," as Putintseva responded with sarcastic bows.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová will retire after this year’s US Open, ending a 19-year career highlighted by 31 singles titles and six Billie Jean King Cup victories, she announced on Instagram. The 35-year-old Czech returned from maternity leave in February and has been granted a Wimbledon wild card.

Casper Ruud and Arthur Fils both withdrew from Wimbledon due to injuries sustained at Roland-Garros. The Norwegian is dealing with knee inflammation while the young Frenchman continues recovering from a stress fracture in his back.

Pam Shriver has ended her coaching partnership with World No. 22 Donna Vekić after a successful three-year run. The Hall of Famer cited a difficult year and a renewed focus on family and community as reasons for stepping away via a heartfelt message on X. Under Shriver’s guidance, Vekić reached the Wimbledon semifinals and won Olympic silver.

👫 The US Open's Million-Dollar Mixed Doubles Gamble 👫

The 2025 US Open is transforming mixed doubles with a star-studded 16-team field featuring nine of the top 10 players from both tours. Held during Fan Week (August 19-20), the event uses a first-to-four games, best-of-three sets, no-ad scoring format and offers a massive $1 million prize to the winning team. Current dream pairings include Carlos Alcaraz-Emma Raducanu, Jannik Sinner-Emma Navarro, and Iga Świątek-Casper Ruud, with only Coco Gauff and Holger Rune among the elite opting out for now.

The tennis world remains divided over these changes, which prioritize singles stars over traditional doubles specialists. Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick called it tennis's "All-Star game," praising the ESPN primetime coverage that promises greater attention for doubles. However, purists and doubles players worry about fewer opportunities for mixed doubles specialists, though the format reserves eight wild-card spots that could include more established duos like defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, as well as newcomers seeking the spotlight.

🎥 Reel of the Week 🎥

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