Weird But Fun

AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Weird But Fun

TOP:

• Coach Andy. I told you from the start that these two would talk backhand a lot. Case in point just above. Anyway, how fun was it to watch Andy Murray coach Novak Djokovic through his first-round victory in Melbourne? Very. It was especially nice for Murray after Djokovic got back to one set all…

  
  But also, it still feels so weird to me! Like a pinch-me moment. How do you go from wanting to destroy an opponent to trying to make him win one of the biggest titles in the sport? Yet also, if there’s a tennis brain that can keep up with Novak’s tennis brain, it’s Murray’s. I’m still amazed that Sir Andy volunteered.

  
  Broadcasters worldwide might think they’ve hit the jackpot by now because that’s quite the blockbuster way to launch this coaching pod right on the court. Especially as Murray proved as expressive on the coaching side as he was on the court in his prime.
  

• Hady Habib. He became, at 26, the first Lebanese player to reach a Grand Slam main draw in the Open Era. “It’s a huge win, especially what we’ve been going through as a country,” he said. “I think to bring something positive, especially, we’ve been having a rough time with the war. We had our other issues in the past. It’s just nice to get this win for Lebanon and for the people,” he told The Guardian.
  

• Belinda Bencic confirmed her strong come-back following the birth of her daughter. A final in Angers in December, a fourth-round in Adelaide after going through the qualifications in January, and already a first-round win at the Australian Open against Jelena Ostapenko (6-3, 7-6(6)).
  

• Tennis is a journey at every professional level, and clearly Jodie Burrage’s one has been quite the ride the past year or so. Four surgeries later, the British player was among the feel-good stories of the first round in Melbourne when she got over Leolia Jeanjean (6-2, 6-4). “I fought so hard to get back to a position where I could even play the sport, and then I was winning matches, obviously those ITF events, making semis and stuff, but it’s not where I wanted to be and I wasn’t happy with how I was playing. I didn’t know how much more fight I had. It takes a lot,” she told The Guardian. Despite it all, Burrage hasn’t lost her British humor, by the way: “I still have PTSD every time I run for a dropshot,” said Burrage, laughing. “And I am not practising with Katie Boulter ever again. Every time I’m on the practice court with her, I hurt myself. Genuinely. I fractured my knee against her, done my ankle.”

YIKES: 

• Stefanos Tsitsipas surely needed a great start for his 2025 season after a very rough 2024. Well, it didn’t happen. The Greek lost in the first round of the Australian Open against the very promising Alex Michelsen (7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4). It was a pretty bad draw, let’s be honest, but still, it confirmed that Tsitsipas has a long way to go before getting back to where he was. If he can. 2025 might see him at a crossroads. “I also felt like I didn’t have enough power in my shot today, so I ended up playing a bit more and kind of having to work twice or three times more every single point to try to win it. I just hope I’m able to retrieve that back and use that as a strength that I have within my game.”
  

• Victoria Azarenka also struggles to start this 2025 season. Beaten in the second round in Brisbane by Marie Bouzkova (6-4, 6-4), she went down in the first round in Melbourne against Lucia Bronzetti (6-2, 7-6(2)).

MTO: 

• Grigor Dimitrov has now retired from his last three Grand Slam events (2024 US Open quarter-finals, 2024 Wimbledon fourth-round, and so Melbourne 2025). Already out of Brisbane during the semi-finals because of a groin injury, Dimitrov gave up in the middle of his first round in Melbourne on Monday.
  

• Frances Tiafoe gave everything to get that first-round win in Melbourne, even if it meant throwing up on the court.

• Marketa Vondrousova withdrew from the Australian Open only a few hours before having to play against Jana Fett. Vondrousova had shoulder surgery after Wimbledon last year and made her return to the Tour in Adelaide, where she retired in her second match.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Do you like this?

You were 72,73% to think Coco Gauff had figured things out against Iga Swiatek. “Yes, though that it doesn't necessarily mean Coco's going to beat Iga all the time now, but simply that in general the matches will probably be a lot more competitive than they were previously,” said Jo.

BUSINESS/MEDIA
Gauff Is Now Unrivaled

• Well, Coco Gauff would surely love to be unrivaled in tennis, but for now, she’ll have to do with being an investor in Unrivaled, a 3×3 basketball league. A way to make up for not having followed what was her dad’s dream for her, becoming a basketball player. The company has now secured $28 million in funding.
  

• RIP Venu. Well, in the end, it was a lot of noise and buzz for… nothing. And so David nailed Goliath again, as Fubo TV’s lawsuits delayed the project enough for it to collapse altogether, despite being led by Walt Disney, ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Hulu. Yet, it also leaves a weird taste and could still see some legal actions getting going. Why? Because Disney struck a deal with Fubo TV a week earlier to merge its Hulu service with it to create a new entity held by 70% of Disney shareholders. “The deal also includes a $220 million payment to Fubo from the Venu Sports partners—Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery—as well as a $145 million loan from Disney to Fubo scheduled for January 2026,” says a report. And then Fubo withdrew its lawsuit.
  

• The Australian Open and Pirelli have signed a new multi-year partnership which will see Pirelli become the Official Tyre Partner of the Australian Open. “The multi-faceted deal includes virtual court signage, an interactive fan activation onsite at AO 2025, influencer and social content as well as premium experiences to delight Pirelli guests,” a statement said. 

SOME BREAK POINTS… 
April, It Is Then…

• The CAS will hear Wada’s appeal against Jannik Sinner’s doping case on April 16th and 17th. At least now we have a date. But gosh, it’s a long way to go for Siner and tennis with a doping cloud about one’s head. Should he be suspended, the World No.1 could miss at least both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. He could also miss the Masters 1000 in Rome for the second year in a row. Does someone say high stakes?
  

• Andy Murray had obviously thought about landing on the wrong side of Novak Djokovic’s rants.
  

• Gaël Monfils (38) became the oldest ATP tour champion when he beat Zizou Bergs (6-3, 6-4) in the Auckland final. It was his 13th title, and it will leave a special mark as the tournament’s director in Auckland is his long-time agent, Nicolas Lamperin. Felix Auger-Aliassime couldn’t have had a better start for 2025 after he clinched the title in Adelaide.
  

• Ons Jabeur is opening up in this interview with The Guardian about wanting to use her voice and platform. “Kids are dying everywhere, in Ukraine or Gaza. I have to speak out,” says Jabeur, who is working with the World Food Programme.

PLAY HARD, TRAIN HARD, DRESS THE PART 
Lululemon > Nike? Tiafoe says yes

imgtennis

View more on Instagram

Well, we already have a winner in Melbourne! Lululemon. The brand made quite the buzz when Frances Tiafoe unveiled his new apparel sponsor. Bye-bye, Nike, hello, Lululemon? That’s quite the move! I have David Rose’s voice in my head saying, “Are we married to that color, though?” The way these smaller brands were starting to do some damage to legacy brands like Nike was all the talk last year, and it seems 2025 will only confirm that. Lululeman was already in tennis thanks to its collaboration with Leylah Fernandez.

Tennis fashion has been front and center in Melbourne as Grigor Dimitrov decided to give his feet to Adidas and as Alex Popyrin signed with Psycho Bunny (quite the name!). You can find a recap of some of the most significant brand changes here.

Side note: should tennis start to worry that Nike doesn’t seem to be fighting to keep or get its biggest names anymore?

EDITOR’S PICKS 

You can find other picks here, including my go-to newsletters for anything tech*, anything backstage* or professional sports*. 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. And if you’re a woman looking for better coverage of our lives, issues, and interests, I suggest you, Gloria. And if you’re looking at longevity tips, you should look at Livelong Newsletter*.

READ: I really liked this interview of Jack Draper for The Times. He seems to have a strong head on his shoulders and makes a point not to live in a bubble. One has to hope he remains this way (despite being already followed by Anna Wintour). “I didn’t have anything outside tennis. I didn’t know how to cook, to wash up, didn’t know how to do anything pretty much. I felt like I hadn’t taken responsibility for my life and it was bugging me a lot.”

READ More: If you like technical chat about serves and forehands, you’re going to love this piece about Coco Gauff’s new serve and forehands for 2025.

WATCH: Andy Roddick keeping it real about Nick Kyrgios and his influencer era.

*Affiliate link