Bagel Bites: What the streets are saying

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.

• I love the TOGETHXR x NIKE collab for Aryna, Qinwen, and Naomi. You can pick one up here (not available interntionally). (TOGETHXR)
• I dashed off some quick thoughts on the US Open draws, which dropped today.
• Coco Gauff has parted ways with Matt Daly. Per ESPN she will continue to work with JC Faurel and has brought in Gavin MacMillan, who is the biomechanics expert who helped Aryna Sabalenka through her yips a few years ago. (ESPN)
• To all the people who constantly think Jess Pegula doesn't care:

• The Iga and Casper Brand is strong:

CASPER RUUD: Iga and I have both played mixed doubles in United Cup in the past. We have some experience, but not together. I think we had good chemistry. We're similar people. We're easygoing. Iga is humble.

IGA SWIATEK: Rafa's kids.

CASPER RUUD: I guess that's what some say. Easy to get along, click and find some good chemistry.

OK. So. The Mixed Doubles. Here we go:

• I think Andrea Vavassori is right. If he and Sara don't come out immediately and blast the USTA's first public communique about the new Mixed Doubles "event", I don't think he and Sara would have received one of the coveted eight wild card spots for the "event". And thank goodness for the doubles discipline that they did. The defending champions were the only pure doubles specialists along with 15 singles-only teams and the proceeded to dispatch Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina, Andrey Rublev and Karolina Muchova, Christian Harrison and Danielle Collins, and then edge Casper Ruud and Iga Swiatek  6-3, 5-7, 10-6 in Wednesday night's final to win the "event".

• From last week, Tumaini Carayol's report for The Guardian:

Fritz had been asked whether he had any sympathy for the frustrated doubles specialists who had been brushed aside to make room for the transformation of this event. From his perspective, the right players were in the draw. “I’ve seen a lot of people calling it like an exhibition, or it doesn’t count,” he said. “I think this is the strongest mixed doubles field you’re going to see at a grand slam. If the mixed doubles teams that are in come in and win the event, then I’ll eat my words and say I’m wrong, but I think the level is going to be really high.”

• The Champions Speak. (US Open)
• The doubles players have every reason to gloat and I am fully in support of it. This was an "event" that was torn away from them, taking away a career-making opportunity and jobs. The USTA says they will take care of the latter issue by increasing doubles prize money to effectively make it a zero loss change. Not sure the player would agree with that, but it's not nothing.
• Doubles as a discipline got a tremendous showcase. The event was, as any sane person would have predicted, an absolute hit. It whet everyone's appetite for the tournament and got casual fans to watch something they probably have never seen before. The vibes were immaculate. The singles stars acquitted themselves well. These are all wins! And with a few format tweaks, this could really be a perfect little pre-tournament event.

• BUT. Again I ask, at what cost? Yes, an experienced and accomplished pure doubles team took down a bunch of singles players who never play the discipline and, in some cases, barely know each other as human beings – and in some other cases, probably didn't care too much about it other than to show up to collect the appearance fee.
• But here is my concern: This event was not a hit because of the doubles players, though by the end of it they were absolutely the sentimental favorites. The $1 million prize purse for the champions, the publicity, the crowd, all of it was possible because of the singles players, not to mention however much was also spent on appearance fees for the marquee players.
• So if you're a doubles specialist, I think the thought process here is probably – this is a win for doubles as a discipline but a loss for me, a doubles player trying to work for a living. The event put doubles under a huge spotlight and "the event" was compelling. Hopefully, people walk away from that thinking doubles is compelling, and that translates into more interest and attention. But the USTA just showed everyone that they can put on a commercially successful doubles "event" without more than two doubles players. That's not great for doubles players!

• Here is another concern: Whatever was the prize money and the appearance fee pot, the USTA is now, potentially, in a bind. Now that singles players know what this and understand their marketing power in "making" the "event", why wouldn't they ask for more money the next time around? And the next time around? And the next time around? Now, USTA is probably feeling okay given that the "event" was a success even without Coco, Aryna and Jannik, three stars who will remain draws for years to come. But does this event succeed without Iga, Casper, Carlos and Emma? Jess and Jack? Or without being able to put Novak and Naomi on the lead-up marketing? These aren't rhetorical questions. The answer will dictate the market value of these star players next year.
• One thing I kept thinking throughout all this is what the Australian Open and Roland Garros might do. It seems like such a no-brainer to copy but tweak the format for their own events. But Ellen Perez, who sits on the WTA Player Council, had some great insights on this as it pertains to Tennis Australia, which one would think would be the most thirsty for this:

• A very good point from Ellen. Yes, there is a WTA 500 running this week but Monterrey is not affiliated with the USTA. Adelaide is very much a Tennis Australia tournament and it already takes a bit of a hit because of United Cup. So maybe yeah, Craig Tiley would actually leave well enough alone here. They already do the thing where they have All-Star Practice Sessions and what not.
• I have spent more words and time on mixed doubles than ever so, again, this was in all ways a huge one-off success. I'm just not convinced it has long-term viability. It won't be many cycles until we go back to how it was. And maybe that's just fine.

• But in the interim....are we asterisk'ing these? Obviously not. But it is funny that if a singles team had won, the calls for an asterisk would have been deafening, but because a doubles team won, there's silence and we're like yeah that was totes legit. Like...THAT'S NOT HOW REAL COMPETITIONS WORK YOU GUYS.
• Phew ok GOD enough about that.
• Wait one more thing. I want "I don't know why it's a crime to be locked in" on a t-shirt:

And with that, back to Bageling:

• Sara Errani, what a show you put on. The Tim Wakefield of tennis. (Reddit)
• Sachia Vickery talks about her experience on OnlyFans. (Yahoo.com)
• Howard Fendrich on The State of Iga going into New York, and how Sincaraz has anchored an ATP in transition. (AP)
• Technology is crazy: Here's a look at the technology behind the "dark lights" being used at the US Open, which shine light on the court but doesn't spill into the atmosphere. Fascinating. (AP)
• Jess on CNN! Jess on CNN! (CNN)
• Sloane on CNN! Sloane on CNN! (CNN)

Stephens wasn’t aware of any other tennis players before her who had frozen their eggs, but thought it was “the most proactive” she could be about starting a family while continuing to pursue her career.

The process wasn’t straightforward. On the first occasion, she said that she “gained 15 pounds – not a great experience – and came back to competition way too early and was just not very happy.”

That prompted her to try it a second time, which she described as a “complete different experience – both times I got what I wanted out of it, but first time was very stressful, the second time, totally fine.”

• Victoria Mboko x Andy Roddick:

• Give Tennis Watchers a follow on Substack for all your U.S. tennis watching schedule needs. I also appreciated Tony's write-up of his experience as a long-time Cincy-goer attending the revamped version. (Tennis Watchers on Substack)
• Carole's glee is very, very funny. (Tennis Sweet Spot on Substack)

I laughed. And I laughed. Goodness gracious, I laughed. – Carole Bouchard

• Jon Wertheim's US Open Seed Reports are out – Women; Men. (SI.com)
• Aoi Ito is a goddamn star:

• Jannik Sinner for The Wall Street Journal. (subscription only)
• The ATP has a whole series of content called "My US Open" where players recall their experiences at the tournament. It's good! Here's Karen Khachanov. (ATP)
• Charlie Eccleshare takes a look back at the best of mixed doubles in tennis. (The Athletic)