Heavy Is The Head... But we keep going

WTA FINALS 
Half Of The Popcorn is Already Gone

Some of you might remember I asked you a few weeks ago if we’d get that Iga Swiatek - Aryna Sabalenka showdown for the throne through this end of season or if it would flop. Well, we now have the answer: it flopped. Aryna Sabalenka secured the throne real quick in Riyadh. The moment Swiatek opted out of the Asian swing, it was already over: Sabalenka had gained way too much confidence and way too many points to be denied. It’s a pity because it was the other main storyline (after who’s gonna win, obviously) of these Finals, and it didn’t even get out of the group stage.

Not only was the “throne popcorn” already gone, but as of right now on this Thursday, we’ve also lost the chance to see Sabalenka and Swiatek battle it out in Riyadh as Barbora Krejcikova did what she had to do to qualify for the semifinals: she beat Coco Gauff in two tight sets (7-5, 6-4). Swiatek, in the end, paid the price for losing against Gauff (6-3, 6-4) after beating Krejcikova (4-6, 7-5, 6-2), and her win this Thursday against Daria Kasatkina (6-1, 6-0) didn’t leave the defending champion with her fate in hands.

Swiatek hadn’t played since the US Open, yet she nearly made it through to the semifinals at a more than decent level. I’m not sure she had a lot of hopes for this tournament, and I tend to think her head is already in preparation for 2025. But the pressure will soon be on her to bounce back and on her new coach, Wim Fissette, to show he’s part of the solution. Maybe it’s the silver lining with not being the World No.1 for now: she can have a lighter head without that crown to prepare for her next step. It’s been too heavy on her shoulders again by the time the Olympics came around this year, after keeping the noise at bay - with a cost on the nerves and fatigue - through the clay season.

As for Krejcikova, she’s been pretty impressive this week! When you think she’s here due to her Wimbledon title and a spot in the Top 20 at the Race. If she can keep going next year, she will be such a threat. I love her technique, the touch, and the variety of shots and game plans. When she keeps that head cold, she’s an absolute menace.

Someone who’s still on a hot streak? Zheng Qinwen, who secured her spot in the semi-finals for her first participation.
Someone who lost but still got some precious confidence out of the week? Elena Rybakina, who hadn’t played since the US Open, but found a way through Sabalenka in her last match.
A special mention? Daria Kasatkina, who came in to replace Jessica Pegula for the last match. An openly gay player on center stage in Riyadh.

ATP FINALS
How bad do they still want it?

As usual, it should be the question that makes the difference at these ATP Finals that start on Sunday. The race for World No.1 is already over, Novak Djokovic declined the invitation, Carlos Alcaraz is still struggling indoors, and Jannik Sinner, finalist here last year, is still asked to show how he can handle pressure. Oh, Alex de Minaur - playing his first Finals and being the first Australian to do so since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 - is a tournament away from being able to put that hip to rest for a little while (he’s not on the team for the Davis Cup Finals) and Andrey Rublev to do the same for his mind.

There are a lot of points and a nice paycheck (still missing over $2 million to match what Riyadh’s exhibition offered to the winner) to earn in Turin, but that does not always compensate for mental or physical fatigue. The Finals aren’t always the best place to watch the best level of tennis, but there’s something unique in watching these players pushing themselves to their last limit to pass above the last hurdle. I’m honestly not sure the ATP Finals hold the same prestige as a few years ago, just because it feels there’s now been so much tennis before that tournament of the Masters. But this new edition won’t lack narratives, especially with Sinner and Alcaraz.

How did the groups play out? Talking about the groups, I did a U-turn when I saw the name Nastase attached to one of them. The man who got banned for three years for racial and sexual verbal abuse towards Serena Williams and Anne Keothavong back in 2017. Wow. Wow. Wow. On trend, one has to say. On trend.

So, the groups in singles: Sinner (1) inherited Daniil Medvedev (4), Taylor Fritz (5), and Alex De Minaur (7), while Alcaraz (3) got Alexander Zverev 2), Andrey Rublev (8), and Casper Ruud (6).
And the groups in doubles: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic (1), Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori (4), Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden (6), Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz (8) on one side, and Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (2), Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic (3), Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson (5), Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten (7)

It will be the first time in 23 years that no player named Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic is in the draw. 23 years. The last time it happened, in 2001, Juan Carlos Ferrero was in that draw. Now he coaches Carlos Alcaraz.

QUESTION OF THE DAY 
Does it feel the same to you?

You were 66.67% to think Stefanos Tsitsipas would bounce back in 2025. Yet some had advice at the ready for the Greet: “There are a few technical aspects in Stef's game that have never improved, his bhand and bhand slice, he needs a proper coach, quite frankly he is running out of time, as the youngsters like Alcaraz and Sinner have overtaken him,” said Margaret.

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO 
Pegula’s knee. Osaka and Gauff’s hearts.

Well, now we know why Jessica Pegula withdrew from the BJK Cup Final before the start of the WTA Finals. And why she didn’t seem able to play her best game during the first couple of matches in Riyadh. Pegula withdrew before her third match, against Iga Swiatek, due to a left knee injury.

"Just been kind of struggling with a little bit of an injury, and for whatever reason, it kind of really flared up this week. Not really sure why," Pegula said. "In the few days before practice, it felt really, really good, but it started creeping up right before my first match,” she explained. She had a pretty packed summer with a title in Toronto, a final in Cincinnati, and a final at the US Open, and she didn’t take a break as she went on to play in Beijing (3rd round) and Wuhan (2nd round).

November 6. That’s all.

SOME BREAK POINTS… 
Tennis tries to do its rescue part

• The ITF, the BJK Cup, and the Davis Cup announced they were joining forces to support severe flood relief in Spain. "Our hearts go out to the communities and families in Spain affected by the recent severe flooding. The BJK Cup and Davis Cup are coming together to support the relief and recovery efforts. Together with the International Tennis Federation, we are donating to the Cruz Roja, and we encourage all our fans and followers to contribute as well. Your donations will help provide essential aid and support on the ground to those most in need. Together, we can make a difference. Please donate today to the Cruz Roja and assist in the recovery efforts by visiting Cruzroja.es,” a statement said.
  

• The Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy and Carlos Alcaraz are also doing their part to help the community by setting up a charity auction.
  

• A couple of players who had a tough year for different reasons are showing signs of hope for 2025. Jiri Lehecka, who broke a part of his spine in Madrid, will play in the semi-finals in Belgrade and confirms how strong he keeps coming back (4th round in Cincinnati and at the US Open, quarter-final in Beijing, final in Anvers). Denis Shapovalov will also play in the semi-finals in Belgrade: the Canadian has been grinding all season long to find his best game and force some luck in these draws. The Tour needs “Shapo.”

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.

WATCH: Jelena Dokic has gone through hell, walking out of it head high and with a lifetime of lessons to share. The former World No.4 (gosh, she was such a great player!) should be front and center of any WTA campaign regarding physical and psychological abuse in the sport. She should be both the cautionary tale and the role model: she’s, unfortunately, the best example of a tennis player who survived a crazy tennis parent and walked away to tell the tale of the price one has to pay for it. She published two books about her journey and now releases a documentary, “Unbreakable, The Jelena Dokic Story.” It should be a mandatory watch.

READ: “A lot of people have asked me why the hell I was going through this!” I talked to Marin Cilic in Paris about his comeback from two knee surgeries, why he still wanted to play, and his thoughts on the Tour now that the Big 4 era was coming to an end. I liked his view on injuries and scheduling and how he explained why it wouldn’t have been true to him not to try to come back.