All Hands On The Bad One

It's the last week before Wimbledon. The WTA and ATP semifinals are set. Wimbledon draw is Friday and Media Days are underway at SW19.

You know what that means: It's Business Time.

Here's where we're at:

Bad Homburg (WTA 500): We nearly got Seeds No.1 through No.4 through but future Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova had something to say about that by knocking out Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-3.

But, thanks to WTA depth and the wackiness of grass-court tennis, the semis are still must-see because....yeah IDK what's going to happen here:

[1] Jessica Pegula vs. Linda Noskova (Noskova 1-0)
[2] Jasmine Paolini vs. [3] Iga Swiatek (Swiatek 4-0)

Dumb thoughts:

• I truly in bones believe that if the roof doesn't close, Jess makes the 2023 Wimbledon final. I said what I said. But nice to see her back up last year's Berlin run. Aside from the wonky bounces that wreak havoc on precision hitters like Jess, there's no reason she shouldn't have her chances on the low bouncing grass.
• Hey remember when Jaz went into last year's grass season having never won a tour-level main draw match on grass? So funny. I loved the chat we had about all that ahead of Eastbourne last year. Three weeks later, she was a Wimbledon finalist.

• Everyone talks about Iga on grass the same way they used to talk about Maria on clay. And look how that turned out. I want Iga to drop a "cow on ice"-like reference to herself so that we can quote it again when she, A JUNIOR WIMLBEDON CHAMPION WHO DID NOT LOSE A SET THAT YEAR, gets her hands on that Venus Rosewater Dish sometime in the next decade. I really do think she will. She just needs cycles to get the experience in.
• I hope she doesn't pull out of Bad Homburg. It feels like winning a title, let alone one on grass, could take a lot of weight off her shoulders. She'll be seeded No.8 at Wimbledon but, depending on what happens over the next two days, she could go into it ranked No.4.

• And while we're on the topic: Can we please think twice before recklessly throwing gas onto the so-called dumpster fire of Iga's season? Like, be serious for five minutes. She's No.4 in the Race and if she beats Jaz she'll move up to No.3. She made the semis at both majors this year. She played three tournaments after Wimbledon last year because of the Olympics (skipped Canada) and her failed test (missed Asia). Despite a 2-1 record, she didn't advance out of group and into the semifinals in Riyadh by the slimmest of mathematical margins. Don't be intentionally obtuse with how you paint her dip in form. It's weird! People do this to Coco too and it drives me nuts!

Eastbourne (WTA and ATP 250s)

WTA
[Q] Alex Eala vs. [Q] Varvara Gracheva (Eala 1-0)
Maya Joint vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (0-0)

ATP
[1] Taylor Fritz vs. [6] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Foki 3-1)
[4] Ugo Humbert vs. [LL] Jenson Brooksby (Humbert 1-0)

Dumb thoughts:

• Ok so I absolutely have WhatsApp proof that I was calling Maya Joint the GOAT since mid-January. I was watching a bunch of her matches in Hobart and was floored by how clean she can hit the ball. I was convinced she was going to beat Jess in 1R AO, so much so that I sat on a one-on-one interview and planned to run it after the upset (there was no upset). I still text "Maya Joint GOAT" to WTA Comms managers every time she wins a match. She's trying to make her third final of the year after beating Ons, Radders, and Blinky.
• If you're going to boast your Ws, you have to own your Ls. Here's my 2025 L: I did not think Alex Eala was going to be able to put up the results she's put up this year. I thought she was too small and overpowered and she'd be bullied off the court. So color me incredibly impressed. Miami SF to make her Top 100 debut and now another quality run to make another semi. She's an incredible competitor and that goes a long way.

• Here's a tip from your friendly neighborhood WTA insider (lower case): If you want clicks or likes or clout, talk about Alex Eala.
• Hello, ATP Outsider checking in now but I was NOT expecting that head-to-head between Taylor and Foki. Nor was I expecting to see Foki beat Mensik in straight sets on grass.
• Can you even imagine the "MARRIAGE WORKS" posts that will drop if Foki wins this title?
• Ok wait, I'm back after looking up his grass results and fair enough, I shouldn't be THAT surprised. He's got wins over Hubi and Demon on the turf.
• Nice stuff from Jenson Brooksby. And just a polite reminder: a person doesn't "suffer" from autism. It's not an illness or disease. It's a neurological condition.

Mallorca (ATP 250)

[2] Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. [4] Tallon Griekspoor
[3] Alex Michelson vs. Corentin Moutet

Dumb thoughts:

• Who is tied with Carlos Alcaraz for the most ATP semifinals this year? Wild, no?
• I'm guessing Tallon's documentary "Under Pressure" is only available in Europe but if you can find it, you should watch it.
• ATP Outsider: Boy, Moutet is just mad all the time huh? I mean... I get it. I've been playing backgammon non-stop for the last week and I keep getting my ass kicked and, yes, I keep slapping my desk in anger. So we're the same, basically.

The Wimbledon draw drops on Friday and I'll be streaming on Twitch starting at 12pm PT to talk about...whatever. Tune in if you like!