Who You Got?

Let's go wild, please, in these Wimbledon picks, and also read about the medical side of how to run a Grand Slam event.

Welcome back! In this edition, I’m sharing an exclusive interview with the head doctor of Roland-Garros to give you a glimpse behind the Grand Slam scene when it comes to caring for these elite bodies. Also talking about the supplements issue. I’m also discussing the storylines I’m looking forward to witnessing at Wimbledon in a few days.

I’ll be on-site from Thursday, ready to deliver! As at Roland-Garros, the content should be 50/50 between free and paid. Also, pay attention if you’re feeling in a tennis fashion shopping mood, as I have a nice discount for you on a new brand.

This publication is supported by readers, so if you like what you’re reading, don’t hesitate to spread the word, try a paid subscription, like this post, or leave a comment, as it helps TSS discoverability. You can also prefer to buy me a cuppa!

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WIMBLEDON - WHO YOU GOT?

Is Wimbledon 2025 going to say, “Hold My Pimm’s” to Roland-Garros 2025? Who knows at this point! There are obvious storylines we’re all going to be interested in, but 1) I hate writing previews, 2) Let’s have some fun instead. SO: I’m here wondering what could be the out-of-the-obvious-path storylines I’d love to see this year on the green red carpet. We’ll evacuate the “Duh” ones real quick and get into the quirkier ones.

Please join the fun and let me know what stories you hope to see come to life!

Also, let’s try to keep it together here by organizing it all through sections: Could Be, Chance Is Slim But Could Be Fun, Please Be Serious, Carole, and Do You Believe In Fairytales? Also, I’m known as The Jinx, so sorry in advance to the players mentioned below.

MEN DRAW

Duh!

Of course, THE main storyline here is to see if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will meet again after their epic Roland-Garros final. Now that their rivalry has reached the “It’s Bonkers” level, what are they plotting for the grass? The storyline inside this storyline - and maybe the most interesting part - is whether or not Sinner can heal his Parisian heartbreak on time to go for another round in London. The World No.1 still looked in a state of shock in Halle (that he might have had better skipping) and might be under more pressure than Alcaraz, who has (already!) won twice at Wimbledon. Sinner’s flat shots and his serve are just perfect for this surface, so it could be the perfect bouncing-back turf. But also, grass could be an even better ground for Alcaraz than clay.

Could Be

NovakDjokovic. That’s it, that’s the (main) word. A bit of a “Duh” take too, but sorry, the landscape ain’t that wide, okay. I know he recently said his goal was Los Angeles 2028 (okay, Novak…), but what if we’d get a Pete Sampras at the US Open 2002 instead? Djokovic clinches title n°8 at Wimbledon, equals Roger Federer’s record, and waves goodbye to tennis. We’re writers here, we love a good “curtain” moment. He’s the best grass court player left in that draw with Carlos Alcaraz and will be able to compensate for the fitness situation on that surface. If there’s still one place he could get Alcaraz or Sinner, it’s on Centre Court. He should never have lost that 2023 final against Alcaraz, and was a miraculous finalist in 2024 after tearing a meniscus in Paris. If he gets a good draw and lands fresh in that second week, watch out. We saw in Paris how good he could still be.

Jack Draper? He struggled but fought hard to get to the Queen’s semifinals last week and ended up destroying an advertising screen. This means one main thing to me: Draper wants that Wimbledon title bad. Not here to play second fiddle anymore, thank you very much. He’s been peaking since last summer and hasn’t stopped climbing. That 4th seed could also help him. His game is absolutely perfect for grass if he gets that serve going. Imagine the state of the British crowd if they were somehow to find an heir to Sir Andrew that early. I’m curious to see how he’ll have healed that Roland-Garros scar, though. It was his first time being among the favorites at a Grand Slam, and he had the mental block of all mental blocks in that fourth round.

I feel Daniil Medvedev, finalist in Halle, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Ben Shelton have to get a spot here. If anything happens to the heavy fav, they could take advantage of it.

Chance Is Slim, But It’s Tennis, so Who Knows

Alexander Bublik. Have to get the name somewhere, and seems he could belong here. Can he get a grip on his temper throughout two weeks? A grip on his serve throughout two weeks? He reached the quarters in Paris and won the title in Halle, so clearly the boiler can be put on pause. And if someone has the game for grass…

And then there’s a pack for me with Alex De Minaur (who looked so good out there last year until he got injured), Andrey Rublev, Tommy Paul (unless his abdominal injury comes to kill his hopes), Holger Rune and two players who might not even play (and that’s why they’re in this section), Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini. The latter should be an obvious pick at Wimbledon every year, but… We know… One last name that is always in my mind: Jiri Lehecka (Queen’s finalist). I just find him way too good not to have a deep run at a Grand Slam again (quarters at AO 2023) soon.

Please Be Serious, Carole

*Throws hands in the air*
Jakub Mensik won his first Masters 1000 this year, so why couldn’t he now clinch his first Grand Slam title? That’s when I go a bit cray. But also, he needs to make people forgive him for that absolutely horrendous loss at Roland-Garros. I love his game and imagine the chaos of a 19-year-old tearing through that draw. The issue is I’m not sure that the game has had its “meet-cute” moment with grass yet, nor that his mind is fully ready to hang in there for two weeks. He was two sets up on Bublik last year in the first round before losing. Yet, if the kid starts zoning… You want to imagine a bigger teenager chaos? Joao Fonseca. Boom. Look at tennis losing its head. It’d be an even longer shot, but at some point, Flavio Cobolli (the fire in that guy’s racquet!) will have to get that Grand Slam run…

Do You Believe In Fairytales?

Why The Hell Not? So, for the dreamers, I give you the first French player to win a Grand Slam title since Yannick Noah at Roland-Garros in 1983: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. He got to the second week last year. He’s a nightmare to play on grass. Okay, he’s also struggling right now. Also, another candidate, and honestly, that would be such a heartwarming story: Grigor Dimitrov. But I’m not sure his body has recovered from the injury sustained in Paris. Talk about a natural on the surface, though! Speaking of naturals: Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian reached the semifinals in 2021, and his whole game yells Wimbledon title. A bit cursed by the “he’s so good, he’s going to be the next big thing” tennis bad habit, he deserves another shot at the prophecy. And, to finish, what about Felix Auger-Aliassime? A super long shot considering his shape right now, but he got the game for it and reached the quarterfinals twice.

WOMEN DRAW

Okay, here it will be quicker because I’m not sure there are as many potential logical or crazy-to-think-about candidates.

Duh!

Obviously, the main storyline: Aryna Sabalenka. It was the same at Roland-Garros, and we know how it ended. It’s in her racquet and her brain. If she can keep it together, she should be unplayable on that surface. She had a big win against Elena Rybakina in Berlin before losing to Vondrousova. Let’s see if this year she can go through her last mental block at Wimbledon, where she reached the semifinals in 2021 and 2023. Here, the interest lies in how she will cope with what happened at Roland-Garros if she gets to the final. The scar tissue is thick.

Coco Gauff has, for now, never gone past the fourth round in London (2019, 2021, 2024), but she could feel like flying in the British air after that Roland-Garros triumph. She lost in the first round in Berlin, and her serve issues could be tough to compensate for on grass. Yet, she’s the toughest competitor on that draw right now, good days or bad days. Imagine another Sabalenka-Gauff Grand Slam final. And SCENE. I’ll be down, not gonna lie. My last player in this section: Madison Keys. Like, Please. Keys on grass again. Keys with her 2025 form on grass again. After she had to retire last year in the fourth round against future finalist Jasmine Paolini. Netflix is already on the line.

Could Be

If there’s one thing I’ve kept from all my years alongside tennis champions, it’s that they often come back to their best at unexpected moments. So, why not imagine Iga Swiatek rising from the ashes of these Roland-Garros semifinals to win her first Wimbledon title? Yes, on the surface, she had the least convincing results as a pro. Don’t forget she won the title in juniors… Just saying! She reached the quarterfinals in 2023. Wouldn’t that be THE story? Swiatek winning Wimbledon the year she’s been struggling the most?

In that list now, the following players have to be added: Elina Svitolina (semifinals in 2019 and 2023), Mirra Andreeva (could be her year if she finds a way to be calm again…), Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina (she should be a contender every year), Diana Shnaider (that lefty paw, if on a roll…), Jelena Ostapenko (I know…), Marketa Vondrousova. I’d love that for Svitolina, by the way. She’s been so close to that Grand Slam final in her career, and she’s been fighting so hard out there, whatever life threw at her. That’d be a fantastic reward for her career, a bit like Keys in Melbourne. Someone who should be able to have a deep run there but hasn’t done so for now: Zheng Qinwen (3rd round 2022). I also wrote here about how Amanda Anisimova was showing that a tennis journey can be a rough road, but that when you’re that good, there’s always going to be a way back in. It’s never too late. She reached the final at the Queen’s and the quarterfinals in Berlin, so let’s see!

Chance Is Slim, But It’s Tennis, so Who Knows

Ukrainians Marta Kostyuk and Dayana Yastremska would for sure provide a big dose of popcorn, and you can tell they’re circling a deep run. Emma Raducanu, just to see how big the British media would lose it. I’m French, I love drama. Sorry, not sorry. Also: Sofia Kenin. Imagine that! I’ll add Clara Tauson because it’s time for her to make some Grand Slam damage. I’m not being like “wow, it’d be so great,” but players like Emma Navarro or Ekaterina Alexandrova could take advantage of any opening doors.

Please Be Serious, Carole
*Throws hands in the air*
Victoria Mboko, from qualifications to the Wimbledon title. BOOM. People would lose it. Her blockbuster game on grass? A teen phenom? Where do we sign? Where?? Who else would make you all lose your minds? Naomi Osaka. Danielle Collins. Imagine that. A last name? Bianca Andreescu. Come on, you know we deserve another Bianca run at some point!

Do You Believe In Fairytales?

I’d cry if Ons Jabeur would finally win that Wimbledon title. It makes no sense to hope for that this year as she’s clearly struggling, but tennis, if you have another fairytale à la Jana Novotna in store, please give it to Jabeur. We’re all still kind of traumatized by her loss in that 2023 final against Vondrousova. If not Jabeur, then imagine Barbora Krejcikova coming back from nowhere to win here a second year in a row? Donna Vekic, who had a miraculous run to the semifinals last year, going one more step would be kinda amazing. Also, Belinda Bencic on her return-to-competition year? The player that should be up there in the “fav” list every freaking year but who keeps being derailed by her body: Karolina Muchova. If someone has the game for grass…

SO, Who Would Be Your Quirky Picks?!

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TRAIN HARD, PLAY HARD, DRESS THE PART

Spence

There’s a cute new tennis brand in town, and you know I’m always going to be in for a new addition in tennis fashion. Like, we can’t really count on Nike anymore, so… Here enters Spence, and you can have a look at the shop here. They reached out to present themselves, and I immediately liked the cuts of the collections as they’re not that common out there. It looks like a good “ComfyCute” combo, and I’d be here for it. Also, that silver pouch/bag is a massive win. Anyway, it’s not sponsored, but I asked them if they’d have a discount code for all of you, and they were nice enough to give me one.

Here’s Monday’s gift at TSS: from today, Monday, 23rd, to July 7, you'll receive 15% off your entire order, with no minimum purchase requirement (one use per customer). What’s the code? sweetspot15. Enjoy! And let me know :)

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MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO

Everybody in tennis still remembers Novak Djokovic tearing a meniscus last year during Roland-Garros and, more recently, Arthur Fils suffering a stress fracture in his spine in Paris. Many of us who were there can still hear Bethanie Mattek-Sands yelling for what seemed like ages in 2017 when she severely injured a knee at Wimbledon. And others still remember Milos Raonic during his first Wimbledon, going down on the same grass at just 20 years old in 2011, damaging a hip.

We’re all seeing the trainers coming on the court at the speed of light from Day 1 of a Grand Slam to sometimes the last. Players talk about going for treatments. Doctors are also often coming to the courts. You don’t run a tennis event without a medical team. And you absolutely don’t run a Grand Slam event without a rock-solid medical system able to diagnose and treat things in days, whereas it’d take weeks for us common mortals.

I had a great talk about it all by the end of Roland-Garros with Vincent Guillard, who is the head doctor of the French Federation during Roland-Garros. How do they deal with all these players from day 1? How do they manage the cultural differences? What about what seems like the new paranoia over supplements? What’s the psychology around announcing bad news or trying to get players to make the best decision? Doctors, physio, nurses, radiologists: backstage every Grand Slam, there’s a layer of health professionals dedicated to making sure the show must go on players stay safe while sometimes defying what one thought were human boundaries.

“You need a lot of honesty,” says Vincent Guillard, Roland-Garros head doctor, about how to deal with pro players’ health despite the stakes of a Grand Slam quest.

Vincent Guillard (@Philippe Montigny / FFT)

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: How many people do you have for medical care?
Vincent Guillard: A lot of people, but they're not all there at the same time. There's a rotation. We also work with doctors who have their own offices in the city, so they're not here for the entire three weeks. The only doctor who's here for these three weeks is me. So, over the three weeks, we have 12 doctors, 11 nurses, 9 radiologists, and 35 physiotherapists. On-site, at the medical level, we have 6 doctors a day: Two under Lenglen, two under Chatrier, and one under Mathieu. We also have another doctor whose location is more flexible: the national training center, Jean-Bouin (where practices are held), and the players’ hotels, in case of any problems. We have two or three nurses on duty a day: one at Lenglen, one at Chatrier, and then there's one who handles the rotations. And a radiologist every day.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Is that a number that's gone up over the years, or has it always been at the base?
Vincent Guillard: The number of doctors has gone up a little bit since the creation of the Simonne-Mathieu court, because it’s a little too far away for the interventions, so we have to leave someone there.

“Today, the rising issue is the wrist, which makes it a little harder in terms of prevention to offer a specific reinforcement.”

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Did the problems that you face during the event, or the injuries that occur, change? Have you noticed trends? Is it more or less serious now than before?
Vincent Guillard: Well, the severity is still a bit the same. But, in fact, yes, the injuries have evolved a little bit, in the sense that if we look at the statistics, about ten or fifteen years ago, there were a lot of injuries to the shoulder. I think that on the shoulder, a lot of work has now been done in terms of prevention, so we see a lot less. Today, the rising issue is the wrist. We see more and more wrist problems. Players say it's due to regular ball changes, but there is also a circuit that is heavier and denser. Players play every week with lighter racquets to have a bigger whip effect. There are also racquets that vibrate, too, at times. So today it's the wrist, which makes it a little harder in terms of prevention to offer a specific reinforcement. The rest is pretty much the same. We hurt more in the lower limbs, but it's normal since we run.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: How does the relationship with the players work? Do you stay in touch with their medical staff? Are they coming to see you before the event starts?
Vincent Guillard: The tough thing with tennis players is that they are nomads. They keep traveling the world, so for them, it's still complicated because at each tournament, they have a different medical staff. Some players are organized with medical staff, and we receive warnings of injuries and are asked to provide a diagnosis. And then, during the tournament, the mission we give ourselves is to ensure that the player, who may not necessarily be treated at home, leaves with a definitive diagnosis. That is to say that they leave with enough complementary tests to have a diagnosis, and then we propose a plan. However, it's the player who decides, along with his staff. We might not execute the plan, but we’re here to give them answers. The pressure is on the diagnosis. We must not make a mistake in the diagnosis.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: You end up with some players that you may not know at all. There’s a big responsibility overall. As a professional, how challenging is it to then make the correct diagnosis and propose the appropriate plan?
Vincent Guillard: Actually, we are fortunate because our organization enables us to have diagnostics quite quickly. We still have, beyond the people who are on site, a number of professionals outside who help us and provide us with advice. We have access to imaging quite quickly. We have agreements with clinics. We can typically make a diagnosis within two to three days. It's a bit like the mission we give ourselves. We know that the player is unlikely to stay long, so we give ourselves three days to make a thorough diagnosis. And then they leave with a real file and decide what to do.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Do you sometimes feel like, “This one should have listened to me…”
Vincent Guillard: Sure, it’s always something you think about. However, the most important thing for us is to provide them with accurate information. That is to say, to give them a real diagnosis. The risks, if they continue, or if there are no risks. We have to give them real information, and then they decide. It's true that sometimes they don't listen to us, and it's a mistake. But we can understand. They also get other opinions elsewhere. Our goal is really to try to be as fair as possible. Once we've been fair, if they don't listen, it's not our fault.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: There is a lot of pressure on the players. Is there a lot of pressure on you, too? You have to put them back on their feet quickly. Do they make you go through their stress?
Vincent Guillard: No, no, no. Also, anyway, they're always stressed when they come to see us. So, it's up to us to create a calming moment and try to absorb some of their stress. What you have to understand is that for a tennis player, every injury is a stress. And it's complicated because they're not necessarily going to be able to go home. An Australian player today is not going to go home, so a small injury can take on huge proportions. But no, they’re not putting us under pressure. We take care of all the players, and the message I convey to all the doctors is that, regardless of the player's level, we must treat them the same way. We must take into account their problem and provide an answer.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Are the trainers we see on the court always the same? Or is there a team of trainers reserved for these on-court interventions?
Vincent Guillard: Those you see on the court, on the main draw, are either the WTA or the ATP trainers. The players know them, so these trainers are able to ensure regular follow-ups throughout the year.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Do you keep in touch with the teams from the other Grand Slam events?
Vincent Guillard: More and more. We now have more and more exchanges, especially with Australia and the United States. We try to think a little about how to offer the same quality of care and not do things that are completely opposite.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: There are different cultures, too, to deal with amongst the players…
Vincent Guillard: There are different cultures, there are different injury plans. There are exams that we can do in France that are more difficult in the United States, for example. And then some medications are used in some countries but not in France. We try to organize ourselves. The Federation also gives me the chance today to accompany the French players on the Grand Slams, so this allows us to create a link.

Vincent Guillard (@Marine Andrieux / FFT)

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Did you have to start focusing differently on the supplements and the medication you might prescribe following the last contamination cases we had?
Vincent Guillard: No, not really. Regarding the French players, I’ve found that they were well educated about all that. Before taking any medication, they send me pictures all the time to know if they can or can’t take it. However, we then find ourselves in a very challenging situation regarding food supplements, as there is no database available to inform us whether a supplement has doping potential or not. So here we are, we give them little tips to try to buy food supplements that are made in companies that deal only with these supplements. We also advise them to buy French.

“We’re in a very tough spot concerning food supplements because there is no database that tells us whether the supplement has doping potential or not.”

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Are there a lot of players from other countries asking you advice about that now?
Vincent Guillard: A little less, actually. On food supplements, we have very few requests. But these are supplements that are chosen with their staff. What can happen, though, is that they’ve been prescribed a medication at the previous tournament, and then they come and ask us if it’s really allowed or not. However, when sports drinks or food supplements are concerned, it's chosen with their staff, so usually, they don't ask us. And often, we can't answer, which is the problem. We don't have a database that tells us if it's safe or not, so we can't tell them.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Are players making their lives more complicated by taking these supplements, or do they really need them?
Vincent Guillard: Food supplements have existed for a long time, but maybe we are in a period where we take too much of them, and yet there are things that are mandatory here as we’re dealing with a situation that is extra-physiological. Playing on a tennis court for 5 hours is going beyond our own skills. That’s my opinion, but I think natural food can bring you everything you need.

But here, we are in extra-physiology, and so there are vitamins that are more or less used, and so you need supplementation for muscle reconstruction. If I go for a run, I can afford to take three days to recover. But for them, they have to be back at their best the next morning. So we try to bring things that help their muscle recovery in a natural way. So today, I think that supplementation is part of the sport. We have no choice. Now we have to manage to find healthy things and, above all, safe things.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: What happened to Novak Djokovic here last year was, I guess, quite the worst-case scenario. Is there a crisis-mode setup for these types of situations?
Vincent Guillard: We are caught in the tournament, and it is a patient who I’m tempted to say is like the others, but with a special aura, because here you’re dealing with the best level in the world. We still try to bring the best possible response, and last year, for Novak, it worked because he was taken care of by the French system from start to finish and was able to return to competition very quickly. With Novak, we had a trusting relationship last year, and we did our best to provide the best possible advice, which ultimately worked. We’re also dealing with extraordinary athletes, so they will always recover faster.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Are there cases where you think it’s a shame you can’t, like, prevent a player to keep going because you know it’s not going to end well?
Vincent Guillard: No… I mean, yes, there are cases like this, but we tell the players. We have to be honest, so when we think they can't play, we tell them. After that, they choose, but we tell them. The important thing is not to judge: The player wanted to go and play, he did, but he didn’t work, okay, but there is no judgment to be made when he comes back to see us. It's not, “Yes, but I told you so.” We don't make a judgment. We told him. It's complicated because a Grand Slam tournament is important, Roland-Garros is one of the most beautiful tournaments in the world, so when you are in a tournament like this, you necessarily want to play. Even more so if you are French, so it's complicated.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: There’s a lot of psychology in that job, too...
Vincent Guillard: You need a lot of honesty. We can't hide the bad news because we don't want to hurt. In fact, at some point, we have to announce it. If we take a type of injury, like an ACL tear, you can't tell a player who has this type of pathology that it's going to be fine. We know it's between 6 and 12 months.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: Lucas Pouille’s Achilles this year...
Vincent Guillard: Things like that, yes. We can't tell Lucas, “It's an Achilles tendon, but it's not a big deal.” No, it's a severe injury.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: It's true that, with the amazing progress in science, athletes now come back from nearly everything, it seems. Injuries that once ended careers not so long ago are no longer a concern. Loïs Boisson and Daria Saville came back from ACL tears, and we say it's incredible that they came back. Do you think it's incredible, and that it demands incredible athletes, or is it now becoming the norm because of the significant improvements in treatment and recovery processes?
Vincent Guillard: No, there are still injuries where you can never really be sure of how it’s going to end. We know it can be complicated. We know that not everyone is going to start their careers again. And we don't hide it from the players. On the other hand, we put everything in place for it to go well. Yet, there are parameters that we don't control, like genetics or the psychological aspect. You have players who, after an injury like that, will be hesitant for the rest of their lives, will have trouble engaging themselves fully. It's specific to each player, but we try to provide them with all the support needed for it to work and for them to come back.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: There are injuries, ranging from moderately severe to very severe, that appear to be increasing in frequency. Like stress fractures, shoulder and wrist injuries. Back issues. And it happens to younger and younger players. Is it an impression, because they play a lot more and more often, or is there actually too much training on bodies that are still a little young?
Vincent Guillard: It's complicated because if we take the stress fracture in the back, in young people, it has always existed. It's already 6% of the population, and then, in the world of high-level sports, we reach statistics of about 20%. So we know that it is sport that causes this. Injuries have always existed. There may be a slight increase because of the higher volume, but you also have people who are genetically predisposed to have them. So it's a little difficult. And then, unfortunately, if you participate in high-level sports, injuries happen.

What I say all the time is that high-level sport is a balancing act, like a tightrope walker. If you do not train, you do not progress, yet if you train too much, you risk getting hurt. So you have to find the balance, and sometimes, unfortunately, we lean on one side or the other, that is to say that we are not trained enough, we have no result, and from time to time, we are a little too trained, so we have injuries. I'm not going to say that getting injured is normal, it's part of the game, but it's there and will always be.

You must ensure that injuries are as rare as possible and that you avoid avoidable ones, because some are preventable. So avoid avoidable injuries, and once it happens, even if everything has been done right before, make sure that it is taken care of in the best possible way so that it does not leave after-effects.

Carole Bouchard, The Tennis Sweet Spot: How do you judge if your tournament has been a success?
Vincent Guillard: It's difficult. There are no criteria. But for us in the medical field, it's a good one when there’s no talk about us. It means that we worked well.

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SOME BREAK POINTS…

• Carlos Alcaraz stays winning. He clinched the title at the Queen’s for a second time on Sunday after a hard-fought week and a hard-fought final against Jiri Lehecka (7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2), who had beaten Jack Draper in the semifinals. In Halle, Alexander Bublik didn’t stop at beating Jannik Sinner in the second round; he went on to win the title, for the second time, beating Daniil Medvedev in the final (6-3, 7-6(4)). It was Bublik’s first win over Medvedev in seven confrontations.

• Marketa Vondrousova, winner at Wimbledon in 2023, is seeing the end of the tunnel. After going through injuries and surgeries, the Czech found her way to a new title in Berlin. It’s her first trophy since her infamous run in London.

• McCartney Kessler won her third title in her career and the first that’s not been on a hard court, in Nottingham against Dayana Yastremska (6-4, 7-5).

• Casper Ruud, Arthur Fils, and Caroline Garcia are now all out of Wimbledon this year. And for the French player, it means she’s done with the tournament forever, as she will retire this year. What happened? Ruud’s knee is just getting back on court, Fils is still dealing with that stress fracture, and Garcia’s back is saying no more. Grass being very rough on the joints, nobody is willing to come on it with touchy limbs.

• Wimbledon grass status? High maintenance. You need proof? Watch this:
  

  cbssaturday

  

  A post shared by @cbssaturday

• Do you have 6k to spare for these damaged-in-anger Holger Rune’s racquets? Yes? Then, you can get one here. “Only a few exist,” it says. Status of my eyebrows when I discovered that? Up.

• Death, Taxes, and Yulia Putintseva. This time it’s Maria Sakkari having a go at her. Also, look at how well the “Everybody hates you” Andy Murray legacy lives! Awwww! Some things never change…

• Roland-Garros changed its status. The French Federation (FFT) announced on Monday that it voted to add, in its status, that Roland-Garros couldn’t be sold to a third person, fully or partially. My brain: “Hmmm, because someone wanted to buy it?”