Bagel Bites: Meet me at the APTPT

Internet ephemera from the tennis world and beyond. Have something you want to include? Join the Discord  – we have a really nice and active community growing there – or hmu on Bluesky.

• If it's a national competition, you know Belinda Bencic is bringing it. She goes 2-0 in Perth with wins over Jasmine Paolini and teamed with Jakub Paul for a pretty solid mixed upset over US Open champion Errani/Vavassori to give the Swiss the 2-1 win and a spot in the quarterfinals.

"Well, we living in Belinda's world again. She's showing us why we here again." – Captain Stan

• Italy's sole point came from a great effort from Flavio Cobolli to edge Stan Wawrinka 6-4,6-7(2), 7-6(4). (ATP)
• Needless to say, GIVE STAN AN AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILDCARD.
• Also in Perth, Naomi Osaka got her first win of the season. She saved set point in the first to beat Katie Swan 7-6(4), 6-1. Swan stepped in for Emma Raducanu, who pulled from the tie due to a foot injury.

• The Brits went on to beat Japan 2-1 with wins from Billy Harris and Nicholls/Skupski. That ends Japan's United Cup debut. (BBC)
• Here's a status update on Naomi's health from her press conference: "I definitely do feel better every day. But it's ironic, literally every time someone asks me, I say yes, then I start coughing. I'm just not going to jinx myself. Yeah, I definitely... I don't know. I don't know what's going on with the cough. I think it will be fine for Australian Open."

• Felix Auger-Aliassime looked VERY VERY good in his 6-4, 6-4 win over Zhang Zhizhen. So good that even he said it was some of his best tennis. That Augers well for him (sorry). Combined with a comeback win for Vicky Mboko over Zhu Lin 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, and Canada cruised the win over China. (ATP)

• In her new Lacoste kit, Eva Lys posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Suzan Lamens to help Germany to a 3-0 win over The Netherlands.
• Over at the Brisbane International, Anastasia Potapova held off a very gritty Daria Kasatkina – some might say a performance full of Aussie grit – to edge out a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win. I copy and pasted that score from somewhere else and I will be taking no further questions. Other Brisbane winners: Kessler, Tomljanovic, Cirstea, Kenin and Bouzkova.
• As for the Brisbane ATP 250, Frances Tiafoe looked good in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Alexander Vukic to set up a possible 2R against Daniil Medvedev. And Learner Tien shook off some early rust to beat Ugo Carabelli 7-6(4), 6-3.
• Bad news: Joao Fonseca withdrew from Brisbane with a lower back injury. (ATP)

• Here's your NEWS OF THE DAY: Novak Djokovic has consciously uncoupled from the PTPA and all credit to him, he said the quiet part out loud:

• Matt Futterman has a good recap of how we got here. (The Athletic)

However, as the PTPA in recent years became increasingly militant toward the ATP Tour, Djokovic began to quietly distance himself from the organization. He and his associates were frustrated that each time the PTPA did something that might be viewed as antagonistic toward the close-knit world of the tennis establishment, Djokovic got lumped in with those efforts.

He signed deals with sports investors in Saudi Arabia, to appear at events there in exchange for millions of dollars in fees. Saudi Arabia has in recent years become one of the biggest investors in tennis and will hold a new ATP Masters 1000 event — the tour’s flagship series — beginning as soon as 2028.

Djokovic’s frustration with his constant connection to the PTPA burst into public view when he decided not to become a named plaintiff in the PTPA’s antitrust actions. The PTPA had desperately wanted him to put his name to the document.

In one sense, Djokovic wanted it both ways – to be a leader of a player effort to gain greater independence and more money but not if it meant being seen as the leading antagonist of the leaders of a sport that he would like to have celebrate the final seasons of his career.

• As I said in a post last week, I thought it was pretty wild that the PTPA settled with Tennis Australia and that the terms were confidential. That's understandable – terms almost always are confidential in a settlement – but it begged the question: if the PTPA settled because TA promised to do certain things...ok. But if the PTPA settled for money, it would behoove the players involved with the PTPA to know WHAT that money was going to be used for TO BENEFIT THE PLAYERS. So yeah, I think it's interesting timing that Novak peaced out pretty quickly after that tentative settlement was struck. I'm in no position to say cause and effect, but just a thought.
• One would think this would be a pretty big red flag for the players who still consider themselves an integral part of the PTPA. Is this organization looking out for your best interests? If the answer is yes, how do you know that? As Dionne Warwick famously once said, SHOW ME THE RESEEPS! A Tumi suitcase??? Have some self-respect!

• And please don't say they got you airport lounge access, because HOW THE HECK DO YOU NOT HAVE THAT ON YOUR OWN ALREADY. I was One World Emerald and I flew to HALF the tournaments y'all do. Skill issue.

• The Top 10 ATP and WTA players banding together to make unified demands, which is what they've done, is actually a thing that can effect positive change for the player body. Will it be perfect? No. The interests of the Top 10 are very different from the interests of No. 100. But if there's one thing everyone wants it's money, and the Top 10 actually can work to extract more money that will then trickle down. Is this boring work and non-glamourous work? Yes. Is it effective? It always has been.
• I hate business stuff. But if you ever catch yourself wondering why something in tennis is the way it is, just follow the money. Who needs it, how badly do they need it, who is investing it, and who needs a return on it. Fans and pundits always tend to chalk it up to stupidity or incompetence, but it's all about the money.

• ANYWAY.
• Either I knew this already and forgot, or I just never knew: ATP says it is hoping to unitize the balls by 2027. 2025 was the first season the ATP centralized "the ball-supplier selection process, in collaboration with tournaments, moving away from the previous model where tournaments independently selected their own suppliers." (ATP)

"As existing tournament contracts under the previous system expire, full alignment within swings is expected by the 2027 season."

• The ATP has also dropped the number of tournaments that count towards a player's ranking from 19 to 18 for 2026. Theoretically, that creates a bit more breathing room for players to ease off. Do I think they will, in fact, ease off? I do not! But let's look at the data at the end of the season to see.
• Side note: I have jury duty on Monday and they say you should bring reading material, so being the absolute sociopath that I am, I printed the entire WTA and ATP Rulebooks to read while I'm there. ATP OUTSIDER NO MORE!

• Michael Kosta caught up with Ireland's highest-ranked ATP player Conor Niland to talk about his memoir "The Racket", which sounds like a book I'll be adding to my Tennis TBR:

• Daria Kasatkina ain't wrong: Setting aside the finals, the women's tournaments have been far more interesting and compelling at the Grand Slams. (Reddit via YouTube)
• Now THIS is the content I'm here: 40 stats for Hsieh Su-Wei's 40th Birthday. (Tennis)
• Just 10 weeks after rupturing his achilles, Holger Rune is hitting. I really don't mean to be a party pooper but...should he be? This is way too fast. (Instagram)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holger Vitus Nødskov Rune (@holgerrune)

• As reported by Hard Court, Karen Khachanov has left Nike for Wilson.
• Magnus Norman with an inside look at Stan's Farewell Salsa Tour. (ATP)

Norman shared a favourite memory of Wawrinka's final Grand Slam triumph, a four-set win over Novak Djokovic in the 2016 US Open final. As the referee called the finalists to assemble for their escort to the court, the Swede delivered an emotional speech.

“He had been playing very good tennis and I thought he would have a good match, but against Novak you’re not sure if it will be enough," Norman said. "I told him that no matter what happens, that I’m so proud of what he had done.”

The words moved Wawrinka to tears, which then brought Norman to tears.

“The referee is calling the match and we’re both in the lockerroom crying. But it was what we needed because there had been a lot of tension. It was a little bit of a release for both of us,” Norman added.

• Today in TENNIS IS THE BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD: Legends vs. Babies! Venus and Elina will play Alex and Iva in 1R Auckland Doubles:

• I missed this last week: Taylor Fritz talking more about his knee issue before the start of United Cup. (ATP)
• Checking in on Ons Jabeur:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ons Jabeur أنس جابر (@onsjabeur)