Are we welcoming disruption?

ATP - ROLEX PARIS MASTERS 
“The money they put on the table is disruptive,” says Paris Masters 1000 director Cédric Pioline

Jannik Sinner being fit to earn $6 million in Saudi Arabia but unable to play the last Masters 1000 of the season was always going to be a tough one for the optics. Bad luck came into play with the bug he caught before he came to Paris, but again, are top players now ready to let bad luck wreck their Tour’s schedule if they can bag millions in unofficial matches? Exhibitions have always been there, and it’s an old debate, yet the amount of money thrown at these six players by Riyadh - in the context of a sport more and more dependent on any billionaire, really - is raising a few eyebrows. And so the Sinner situation couldn’t have had a worse timing. No, correction: if it had made him unable to play in the ATP Finals in Italy, it’d have been worse. Close call.

The Rolex Paris Masters director, former French player Cédric Pioline, was, of course, asked to weigh in on that. He made a point of insisting on how Sinner really wanted to play in Paris: the World No.1 arrived the Friday before the main draw, did media day on Saturday, and came to see him explain his disappointment. “We can’t control these types of things. He caught that bug before arriving in Paris and was very sad about the situation when he came to see me. It has to be said that he tried his best. I was aware of his stomach issue for a few days, and I was very pessimistic because we all know that after a GI illness, you’re exhausted. It was too quick of a turnaround for him to gain some energy back in order to be efficient on the court. He’s World No.1, and he comes here to try to win the tournament.”

Pioline added that athletes know the risks for the body at the end of the year but that each of them needs to make their own choices. “It’s not up to me to judge. Every player can schedule his season the way he wants to. Jannik has a rather logical scheduling; he doesn’t overload it with too many exhibitions, and so that’s why he was pretty confident here. But we know athletes are a bit more fragile regarding their immune systems at the end of the year and that you have more bugs around, too. So, is it all bad luck? Probably. But we don’t know.”

I asked Pioline if the Tour should still start to worry about top players switching their priorities. They value Grand Slam titles above it all, and then Masters 1000 and the ranking usually right after, but what happens if they can now count on a high seven-figure to play exhibitions? How is the Tour playing catch up with that? He didn’t hide that a problem could be looming: “It’s a topic tied to the geopolitics of the Tour, and with all the talks that are happening around the Grand Slam events, the ATP and the WTA in terms of creating a new setup. Today, nothing is decided. But, in my opinion, it’s obvious that we must be vigilant to keep it all consistent. As you’re mentioning this exhibition in Saudi Arabia, the money they put on the table is disruptive and is damaging to the ecosystem existing today, and that is not very healthy.”

The future will tell if these types of events, like the Netflix one between Nadal and Alcaraz and now the Saudi Arabia one, can find a spot inside or outside the system, help grow the game, or risk breaking the system. Oh, and what do we think of the Laver Cup in this debate?

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Hubert Hurkacz: “It’s not bad luck”

Catching up with Hubert Hurkacz, who scared us all at Wimbledon, came back strong, but he cannot wait for a chance to prepare for 2025.

You came back strong after that knee injury at Wimbledon, but it’s been tougher since then: is it related? How are you doing?
Obviously, it’s surgery, so it’s a big thing, but right now, the knee is not hurting, which is good. There’s been some swelling in the past, and we needed to take care of that issue, but apart from that, everything is great. I love competing, I love playing, and it’s always so much fun to play in front of the fans, but obviously, you want to produce your best level, so when you’re not there, it’s disappointing. Now, it will be a fantastic time to prepare for the coming season.

Is it easy to think about next season instead of being frustrated about the results of the past few weeks?
Yes, it’s very easy. It’s about always looking forward to the future but at the same time staying in the present. There are things to take back from this period; it was a lot of experiences, and I’m really pumped for the next season.

It seems that so many players are getting seriously injured. Do you think it’s all bad luck or that things need to change?
It’s not bad luck. There are definitely improvements to be made with the scheduling and the balls. There are things to improve.

WTA - FINALS
May the odds be ever in their favor

It’s the WTA Finals countdown! The stage is set in Riyadh, and the eight best players of the year are about to fight for the last crown of the season. Players are working on the last details as the competition will start on Saturday, a high-pressure event for the WTA, which chose to send its players to Saudi Arabia.

Reem Abulleil chatted with tournament director Garbine Muguruza for The National about her journey from top player to being the managing face of the WTA Finals.

THE DRAW:
Singles:
Purple Group: (1) Aryna Sabalenka, (4) Jasmine Paolini, (5) Elena Rybakina, (7) Zheng Qinwen
Orange Group: (2) Iga Swiatek, (3) Coco Gauff, (6) Jessica Pegula, (8) Barbora Krejcikova. The alternates are Daria Kasatkina and Danielle Collins.

Doubles:
Green Group: (1) Lyudmyla Kichenok/Jelena Ostapenko, (3) Hsieh Su-wei/Elise Mertens, (6) Nicole Melichar-Martinez/Ellen Perez, (8) Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend
White Group: (2) Gabriela Dabrowski/Erin Routliffe, (4) Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, (5) Caroline Dolehide/Desirae Krawczyk, (7) Chan Hao-ching/Veronika Kudermetova

THE STAKES:
Everything is at play in Riyadh: the prize money, the title, and the throne. Perfect for the drama! Aryna Sabalenka has taken over Iga Swiatek as the World No.1 after a strong showing in China, but Swiatek can still get the throne back. How? Here’s a piece detailing the situation. It’s a fine-margin mission, but if someone can do it, it’s defending champion Swiatek.

The other storylines to follow, in my opinion, are the return of Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff’s serve, and Zheng Qinwen’s rising star.

How much money is at play, by the way? $15,250,000. The winner's paycheck? $2,500,000. The undefeated champion paycheck? $5,155,000. 👀 

QUESTION OF THE DAY 
Was it right?

You were 85,71% to think Zheng Qinwen will have more impact in China than Li Na. “Li Na became successful later in her career than Qinwen. She also did not have the tournaments in China to play that Qinwen now has. Plus Qinwen enjoys the spotlight more so will be more public-facing in her career, it seems,” said Cheryl.

“Li Na had an amazing impact, but at this time Zheng Qinwen could have even more. Winning Olympic gold was huge, and if she continues to win big titles, especially a Major, her impact will be even greater than it is now,” commented Shirley.

BUSINESS / MEDIA 
Sportfive bets on Becker

• Sportfive said, “I volunteer!” for Boris Becker. It’s been announced that Sportfive is partnering with Boris Becker “to expand his global media and brand presence.” The company has huge hope for this collaboration, judging by their post on LinkedIn: “Together with SPORTFIVE, Boris Becker will embark on new ventures in media, broadcasting and beyond, bringing his legendary career to new audiences worldwide.”
  

• Grup Mediapro is launching a $1,1 billion sports rights fund. Who doesn’t have a sports fund? Seems to be the thing-to-do for very rich companies lately.
  

• Nike names a new marketing boss. Ann Miller is the new Executive Vice President, Global Sports Marketing at Nike as her predecessor John Slusher retired. Miller, who’s been at Nike for 18 years, was previously the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer. “Ann possesses a unique blend of athlete mindset, deep legal expertise, and exceptional leadership. Her appointment is a testament to the value she brings to NIKE,” said Elliott Hill, President & CEO, NIKE, Inc.

SOME BREAK POINTS… 
Shocking scenes in Spain

Images of the devastation caused by flooding in Spain have left us all heartbroken and powerless. So many people lost their lives. So many people lost their houses. So many villages were wrecked. Climate change is real and needs to be tackled with everything we have. Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have taken to social media to express support and pledge to help as much as possible.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s absolutely not the worst that has happened in Spain these days, but the view of the Rafael Nadal Academy being underwater was a very sad one.

Belinda Bencic made a winning return to competition after giving birth to her first child in April. The Swiss is playing the 75k in Hamburg this week and won in straight sets (6-3, 6-1) against Julia Avdeeva.

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO 
The end-of-season curse struck again

• They dropped like flies in Paris, and nobody was surprised. The last Masters 1000 of the year is unfortunately used to see a big chunk of its entry list giving up even before coming and then another chunk of draw not dropping on the way, too. It’s the end of the season, minds have had enough, bodies are at their limits, and it’s the season of cold and damp, aka here come the germs. So this year was no exception, and the list of withdrawals and retirement was noticeably long: Novak Djokovic (said thanks but no thanks), Jannik Sinner (illness), Felix Auger-Aliassime (lower back), Pablo Carreno Busta (right ankle), Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (lower back), Tomas Machac (right Achilles), Daniel Altmaier. Hopefully, nobody to add to that list until the end of the event!
  
  The Parisian event had it worse in the past and has been saved by Carlos Alcaraz and the French showing up to wow the crowd. Yet, that last Masters 1000 before the ATP Finals will always be a bit of a gamble regarding its casting. I’m curious to see what the relocation to La Défense Arena will look like next year and also if the French tournament will find a way to stay alive in the years to come, as we all know its license might interest many deep pockets.
  

• Talking about an event suffering some blows with its casting: the BJK Cup has to be happy it gained Iga Swiatek as Jessica Pegula has joined Naomi Osaka on the sideline. The US player withdrew from the event and was replaced by Ashlyn Krueger. The USTA didn’t communicate the reason. Pegula is competing this week at the WTA Finals. The tournament will have a tough time existing in the coverage as it’s been moved way too close (13-20 Nov) for comfort from the Davis Cup Finals (19-24), where Rafael Nadal is to play his last professional match.
  

• Naomi Osaka opened up about the struggles she went through regarding her body image post-pregnancy. Contrary to (ignorant) popular belief, women athletes don’t go from pregnant to lifting trophies in the blink of an eye. It’s a journey. “There were moments this year where I felt really ashamed of my body,” she explained on social media. A quick note to some sponsors: maybe check with your athlete about the size she feels comfy to wear…

PLAY HARD, TRAIN HARD, DRESS THE PART 
Air Jordan sides with the Ladies

I love the intention way more than the execution here, though. Except maybe for the green version. And so, obviously, I’m wondering when / if tennis could get the same treatment. Anyway, here’s the Jordan brand following the sports trend of the year: women’s sports. The brand announced the launching of this new lineup in the Jordan Air Series ($110): a line aimed at WNBA players. It arrives on the heels of the Nike x Serena Williams capsule collection. This Jordan Heir Series (the lowest shoe in Jordan Brand’s basketball lineup) “builds on Jordan Brand’s legacy of innovating with the female basketball player at the forefront, beginning with the 1998 release of the women’s Air Jordan OG — the first model creative exclusively for women,” says Nike.

Somehow, the vibe is matching here. Li Na and Naomi Osaka were reunited in Hing Kong to tour the M+ museum and its exhibition of fashion designer Guo Pei, showcasing the pieces that made her famous. Aren’t you intrigued? I am. Also, to be a fly on the wall to hear the one-liners between these two. The red piece behind them? Worn by Rihanna at the Met Gala in 2015. Icons only.

EDITOR’S PICKS 

You can find other picks here, including my go-to newsletters for anything tech*, anything backstage* or professional sports*, and the one for everything NIL*. If you’re a solopreneur, you might like this one, by the way. I also have a sweet spot for The Creator Spotlight*, which provides examples of other creators’ journeys. If you are a collector of anything sports-related, look at Above the Mantel.

READ: In the “I really need to get going with my to-be-read pile” category, here comes “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore.

WATCH: The WTA staff has put a series of season highlights from the Top 8 in singles and doubles here, in a TikTok or IG reel-like format.