Bagel Bites: Tug o' war

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I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.

Shel Silverstein was onto something when he dropped those twee lines in 1974. Unsurprisingly, he wrote it just a few years after professional tennis was established in the Open Era.

It is now Courtney Canon that he wrote it in response to professional tennis, which really, always, just needs to hug it out.

Sidebar: Is there a reason no one reads Shel Silverstein anymore? I get it, The Giving Tree sucks despite the fact that I was raised on it and its toxic message of martyrdom has been grafted into my DNA, but I hope the kids are reading the poems. They're fun.

And on that note: Carole Bouchard at The Tennis Sweet Spot has a very good, comprehensive, holistic look at the battle over the professional tennis calendar that has led us to here. Over the next few weeks and into the fall, you are going to hear a lot about the grueling tennis schedule, which is, in fact, grueling. Players are understandably feeling ground down. This is unequivocally not good. As Carole rightfully asks, what is the product you're selling as a tournament and tour if, in the long run, your fields are getting blown up before the draw is even made?

Now, do the players have to take some blame in that? Depends on who you ask! As Carole points out, if you're taking appearance fees or chasing points by playing non-mandatory tournaments, maybe that eats into your argument just a little bit. If you're going to spend your "off-season" jet-setting to exhibitions, one would understand if people weren't exactly sympathetic to your cries of exhaustion. If you are loudly demanding more prize money to the point of lawsuits, and the tournaments and tours respond by making rapid changes to increase the value of their product to pass that increase on to you, again, maybe that undermines your argument a little bit.

When push comes to shove, I'm always going to be on the side of labor. But it feels like we're living through the final moments of the tennis bubble. Everything is growing and the pressure is, necessarily, building. When that happens, the underlying elements of the thing change. I truly do not know what the fair solution to all this is. But the current trend just doesn't seem sustainable. And when the bubble bursts and the dust settles, what exactly are we going to have? By that, I mean what exactly is professional tennis going to look like?

I'm admittedly a bit worried. For all of us.

And by "us", I mean tennis fans.

On to the links:

• OPPENHEIMER truly might be my favorite movie of the last five years, a fact that has completely snuck up on me. If it's on a plane, I will watch it. Flying back from Australia in January, I watched it THREE TIMES on one flight. One thing I learned watching this masterpiece on airplanes: Put it on and close your eyes. This movie sounds absolutely incredible. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the film.

• This seems cool and I'm looking forward to learning more: Joao Sousa has been appointed to a new position: Director of Player Communications. I hadn't heard about the new profit-sharing model. I'm also curious as to how Player Comms is different from the role of the ATP Player Council or the Player Relations Department. On its face, seems like a very good idea though.
• You guys, I found it. I found the most "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS EXISTS" tennis tweet:

• Not only is Venus now MAX LEFT, but she's also engaged. Congrats, Venus! (AP)
• Per a tournament press release: Venus is taking singles wild card into the Cincinnati Open (WTA 1000). Her last singles win before this week came two years ago in Cincy over Veronika Kudermetova. This will be her first appearance at a WTA 1000 since 2024 Miami.
• Crazy stat from Tennis.com: After beating Andrey Rublev in D.C., Learner Tien is now 4-1 vs. Top 10 opposition. Irvine rise up! (Tennis.com)
• No one gives inspiration quote like Venus Williams (AP):

“There are no limits for excellence. It’s all about what’s in your head and how much you’re able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result,” said Williams, who will face 27-year-old Magdalena Frech on Thursday. “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down. Doesn’t matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is. If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space, for you.”

• If you're in Chicago, there's a play about Billie Jean King currently running (Chicago Tribune via Yahoo). I am an unabashed BJK stan for all the reasons, but especially because she constantly says stuff like this and I wish the players would LISTEN:

"I have always talked to the media. When younger players complain about doing so, I’ve always said, ‘Have you ever thought that this is how these people make their livings? And that if you don’t talk to them they might lose the job they are in?’ No players ever answer yes to that. I always say you have to know the business you are in." 

• This lady makes me happy:

• You know, all these players keep saying they're so tired and burnt out but they are spending a lot of time with HR – no, not like that. Jannik Sinner has rehired the fitness trainer he fired after his anti-doping violation. And Stefanos Tsitsipas has fired Goran Ivanisevic. Both moves have people scratching their heads a bit. (AP)

• Maria Sharapova and the Bryans are gearing up for their induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame next month.
• Fun story: I interviewed the Bryans in Cincinnati after they won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and Bob (I think it was Bob?) was wearing the medal and was like "Do you want to hold it?" And I was like, "Oh god absolutely not," but he took it off and put it in my hands and I was so scared to hold it that I swear to god I nearly threw it back at him. Instead, I awkwardly hoisted it back on him immediately, much to his confused amusement.

• From Bounces – Lol, Naomi:

Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: On Raducanu, what sort of similarities you might see in your trajectories? You've been around a little bit longer than she had when she won her first Grand Slam, but you both kind of got shot to stardom by these U.S. Open wins. What have you made about her journey and struggles once you win your first slam and stuff like that? Do you see some similarities or differences in your overall arcs with her?

NAOMI OSAKA: I won my second slam after I won my first slam.

• A pretty good metaphor for the current state of world affairs:

• To be fair, Taylor was clearly a little tipsy. (Reddit)
• Lifesaver: Follow these steps to turn off the Google AI summaries and get Google searches like they used to be. (TenBlueLinks)
• Fun read: Here's what happens to all that lost luggage. (The Cut)
• Play us out, Kaja:

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