Submissions have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity
As it is written, Wednesday is mailbag day.
• Here’s the latest Served podcast:
• Is the job apocalypse nigh?
• Kim Clijsters is coming to Brooklyn.
• Joel Drucker collaborating with Charlie Pasarell? Yes please. Order Serving First here.
• This might be my favorite tennis clip of 2026. When Tennis Channel needs research help for the Rome event, perhaps it can enlist this lovely gentleman:
• A correction: Two weeks ago, when writing about Patrick McEnroe’s crusade against college tennis’s disproportion of international players, I wrote that there were “zero” college coaches in Kalamazoo, site of the annual USTA boys’ 16 and 18 national championships. My source exaggerated; some college coaches were there. Still, the point stands: given carte blanche to recruit older, more accomplished foreign talent, college coaches don’t recruit at Kalamazoo as they once did. But some coaches were there, and I own the unforced error of suggesting otherwise!
Onward …
Last week,I posted about Peng Shuai on X, and one of you responded with a GIF of a man beating a dead horse. I get it. I get that I do this every year. I get that this is not a joyous topic. I get—disagree strenuously, but get nonetheless—the suggestion that calling attention to Peng Shuai might, in fact, be counterproductive and further imperil her. (My response: If we remain quiet, totalitarianism wins by default.) I get the grim battlefield that is the WTA’s current balance sheets, and thus, the business case (necessity?) for slurping from the China money trough.
But with the ATP and WTA winding their way through one of the world’s most populous countries this month, it ought to remind us that a Chinese former player has effectively been disappeared. Here was a popular, extroverted athlete who won majors in doubles, competed in the Olympics and was a WTA stalwart for years.
She made a public and highly specific sexual assault allegation against a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official, and she is … well, where IS she? It is usually the instinct of kidnappers and hostage-takers to show that those held in captivity are still alive and well. You’d think the CCP would trot Peng Shuai out at one of these WTA events—presenting a trophy, joining in a ceremonial coin toss or shmoozing with sponsors—to douse any lingering concern—nothing to see here.
But no. There have been no tennis photo ops, media presence, social media presence or public appearances in years. There is no evidence that Peng could leave the country and show up in Miami, Monte Carlo, or Dubai, exiled but ready and free to start a new life elsewhere.
Years ago, I pressed the WTA on Peng’s whereabouts. I was told, effectively, We know that she is in China, and we have reassurances that she is alive. I was also told I would be kept informed of any news, updates, or status changes. That was in 2023. No status updates have been forthcoming.
Yet the WTA—and the Billie Jean King Cup, named for a great advocate of feminism, social justice and speaking truth to power—returns to China as if nothing is concerning, or even unusual. “Principles over profit” was the memorable, admirable WTA catchphrase during the boycott in 2021 and ’22. What’s unfolded since? It is the inverse of that.
A colleague once compared this to an NFL player leveling a complaint against a British parliamentarian, then suddenly disappearing from public life; the NFL nevertheless returned to play games at Wembley, hoping some combination of time and commerce would soften any concern or awkward appearances. This, of course, would never happen.
But why limit it to sports? Imagine a similar set of facts in any work context. Earl in accounting or Susie in accounts receivable made a public complaint and has now effectively disappeared in Country X, not even posting benign I’m-all-good pictures on social media, and your company continues to conduct business in Country X, as though nothing chilling or unusual has occurred?
#whereispenghshuai? is not just a hashtag. It’s an open question. If anyone had a satisfactory answer that would put this all to rest, assuage concerns and clear consciences, well, great. Asked and answered. We’d happily move on and discuss the two sides—impossible-not-to-like and impossible-to-defend—of Daniil Medvedev, the courage of Emma Navarro or which billionaire should buy the WTA Tour outright. But until #whereispengshuai? remains an open matter, the disappearance of a seminal Chinese player should not go ignored.
Let’s try to combine a few questions and address Daniil Medvedev, who, you likely know by now,struck a ball into the stands, hitting a spectator late in his semifinal against Novak Djokovic at the China Open, and was summarily defaulted. Djokovic—who, of course, has been in this position himself—could empathize with the injured fan and also the disgraced player. Medvedev lost his head, but was wise enough to know there was no ambiguity here. We talked about this on Served, and I’m not sure what more there is to say, but:
A) First, one hopes the fan is O.K.
B) This has to stop. Tennis is frustrating and brings with it pressure. Losing is hard. Neurochemistry makes us act out of character. All that said, this business of slapping a ball into the crowd has become a trend. It’s veterans and younger players. Male and female. It has to stop. Maybe this Medvedev embarrassment leads to behavior modification. Then again, six years ago Djokovic squandered a good chance of winning a Rafael Nadal- and Roger Federer-less U.S. Open when he hit a lineswoman. And the trend continued. This is not just ugly behavior; it’s dangerous. Yell at your coach. Hell, break a racket. Endangering the paying public with projectiles is reckless.
C) New rule: Any player violently and dangerously slapping a ball into the stands must be defaulted. Does it matter whether it hits someone, narrowly misses someone, or hits someone on the bounce rather than directly? It’s silly. If part of the motivation here is deterrence, the act should be addressed, not the consequence.
D) It’s hard to watch Medvedev interact with fans, his family, the media and the tennis community and not be a fan. It’s also hard to watch him during a match and not find some of his conduct indefensible. (Before getting defaulted, Medvedev appeared to mock Djokovic in a state of fatigue.) Especially at this point in his career/life, it’s a pity that he shows more impulse control and acts more consistently with his off-court self.
E) Sadly, this unfortunate incident overshadowed Djokovic—that guy—whose next birthday starts with a “4.” He’s still winning. He beat Alexander Zverev in the previous round and Alex de Minaur in the subsequent round. And it’s amazing.
[I] suggest bringing back the Super Saturday to the U.S. Open with women’s final in the afternoon and men’s final in primetime at night. No more going head to head with Goodell on opening NFL Sunday. That’s just USTA doing USTA things.
@catscane
• The issue is that you’d be dark on a Sunday, the best day for sports—even conflicting with the NFL’s opening week. Also, I’m not sure ESPN goes for that—giving up the Saturday college football real estate—and the rights holders call the shots.
My old friend Jimmy Traina—whom I encourage you to follow, like and subscribe—suggests holding the men’s final on Monday afternoon as a lead-in to Monday Night Football on ESPN. The hitch: What happens if it’s a five-hour match? You’re not holding up football for tennis. That means adding a day to an event that already seems like an extended dance version of a tournament.
Bonne chance, Arthur Fils. Hi Jon, I saw this new kid, Arthur Fils, make it out of qualifiers and into the main draw in Tokyo. Great on him—I predict a real future for him in tennis!
Bonne chance Monsieur Fils!
Bob in Milwaukee
• Good call. If you missed it, Arthur Fils didn’t make the Tokyo draw because of a clerical error. Though he is on the cusp of the top 10, he decided to honor his commitment and schedule and go anyway, even though it meant having to go through the qualifying draw. He survived. He beat Frances Tiafoe and acquitted himself well.
It was framed as a cute tennis story, and it is. But at a time when top players are rationing their matches and speaking openly about demands, I’m sure he would rather not have played six sets that—all things being equal; all paperwork filed on time—he didn’t have to. Good for him.
Any news on the new WTA CEO? It has been almost six months without a person in charge.
@goytamaz
• I wonder if that position goes unfilled. The WTA has a chairperson (Valerie Camillo) at the top of the org chart, and I’m not sure a new CEO is necessary.
Some straight talk: The WTA’s financial books are a mess. Per Simon Briggs’s reporting, at the current run rate, it will run out of money next year. My moles tell me costs will need to come down by 30% to 40% in 2027.
Equal prize money—such an admirable goal—is a huge problem here. Most of us support it, want it, find it equitable. We hate the idea that men and women playing simultaneously would be paid different wages. But the WTA has “achieved” equal prize money in part by contracting with private equity to fill the shortfall. And it is exacting a brutal price.
I am still awaiting an explanation of how you engage private equity not for growth or long-term investment but simply to cover a prize money shortfall. Unless I am missing something—and my DM’s are open—this will go down as a potentially fatal unforced error.
Anyway, back to your question, until/unless the financial picture brightens—and we all should hope it does—the WTA needs fewer, not more, employees drawing seven-figure salaries.
Jon I feel like we tennis fans gets used to all sorts of weirdness. Players bouncing balls a million times before serving. Players yelling at their coaches, who sit there and take it. Ballkids grabbing sweaty towels from players. What is your favorite tennis “quirk” that would seem weird when you stop to think about it.
Paul L.
• Good question! I want to be clear that I am all for this. It’s quirky, fun and harmless. But I will never get over players stalking the court like plundering Vikings to swipe … free tournament towels? The top players often have net worths that go well into nine figures. They have just finished, say, a Round of 16 match at a major that guarantees them roughly $500,000. Their attire comes covered with endorsement patches. Yet—win or lose—they will orbit the court to grab every available linen and stuff this sweaty swag into their bag.
HAVE A GOOD WEEK, EVERYONE!
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