Daily Bagel: Closer to Fine

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.

• Before we delve into everything, can we just take a moment to remind the room that for all the "chaos" and "upsets" and whatnot, all the players we thought were going to win this title, including the World No.1s and No.2s on both sides, are still very much in the tournament? Like, in the grand scheme of things, it's been chalk.
• In one semifinal, we have a rematch of last year's final, as No.1 Aryna Sabalenka – who advanced by walkover after Rybakina-slayer Marketa Vondrousova withdrew with a knee injury – takes on No.4 Jessica Pegula, who eased past Taylor-Townsend's-heart-slayer Barbora Krejcikova. It'll be the 10th meeting between Sabs and Pegs, with Sabs leading the H2H 7-2.
• In the other, we have a rematch of last year's Wimbledon final and Olympic final, for indeed, No.2 Carlos Alcaraz will face down the OG – Old GOAT – Novak Djokovic for the second time this year. Novak beat him in four sets in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January.
• YOU'RE TELLING ME MY BRACKET STILL HAS LIFE???? (AP via Tennis.com)

• I am 100% in favor of killing the letcord rule but loooooooool A PATENT DISPUTE??? (@jon_wertheim on Twitter)
• The Top 4 seeds in Women's Doubles are into the Final Four after Taylor and Katerina ended Venus and Leylah's exciting run in the quarterfinals. (AP via Yahoo)
• I used to travel with this glass KeepCup from Blue Bottle that I loved very much and last year I was staying at a hotel in The Netherlands and the cup just disappeared one day. Hotel never did find it – though I'm not entiiiiiiiirely convinced they were looking that hard – but I was always convinced that the cleaners took it because they thought it was a glass from the hotel bar. Because who would steal a frickin' cup. Anyway, what if that happened here, too? (People via Yahoo)
• Woof. (USA Today via Yahoo)
• If he is AI, does this count as an AI girlfriend? (NY Post via Yahoo)

• We love a locked-in crowd. But let's be honest, we all know when that excitement is a liiiiiiiittle bit sus. Like the dudes chanting "Let's Go Brandon" at Brandon Nakashima's match. Or the dudes The Body Serve Boys (above) saw boisterously rooting for Billy Harris when he was playing – checks notes – FELIX AUGER ALLIASIME. Or when this happened. (BBC via Yahoo)
• Charlie Eccleshare goes long on the fashion game. (The Athletic via Yahoo)

Two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships in tennis said that Draper’s headline sponsorship is worth around $5 million per year. Neither Vuori nor Draper’s representatives commented on specifics. Nike pays top dollar to its biggest names, but its payment structure can be based on performance, both in terms of results and reliability. Women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and men’s No. 1 and No. 2 Sinner and Alcaraz — the sporting duopoly that Draper will have to crack to win tennis’ biggest prizes — are among its prized assets.

• From that same article, I have been screaming that tennis needs Fit Checks and Tunnel Walks for years now – it is absolutely insane to me that tennis has refused to capitalize on this very easy and very tried and true piece of content that every other sport that has more cache has done for years – so at least the ATP is getting it:

"The ATP did not disclose how much its first round of investment into fashion cost, but Walker confirmed that the budget will be quadrupled next year. One aim is to develop an equivalent of the NBA tunnel walk, which has become a platform for players to express themselves through their fashion choices in their sport’s immediate environment but off the field of play or court."

• Although, the obvious question as to why the ATP is leaning into the fashion elements faster and with more success than the WTA is...certainly a question!

• I enjoyed this recap of the wild Week 1 from John Wilmes at SB Nation. (via Yahoo).

Tennis may be more diverse, tolerant, and representative of all people than ever before, but this outburst betrays that some still long to keep the game’s gate fiercely, and wrench it back to its more colonial past. Back then, the competitive ascendance of a Black woman was structurally impossible. But after surviving both Ostapenko’s shot depth and her outrageous assault of words, Townsend continued to rise: two days later, in a primetime night match, she clobbered No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva, blitzing her with sensational aggression, ending many quick points with crowd-pleasing slam dunks at the net. “Welcome to the show,” she said to cheers in her post-game interview. Yes, tennis is more open than ever, but New York still sees and appreciates when certain competitors are made to play the game on hard mode.

• This is wonderful news:

• Nothing but love for the Pegula Fandom. (Tennis.com)

• JEEEEEEEBUS: The US Open gift bag is no joke. (Sporting News via Yahoo)

• OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ: D'arcy Maine tries to explain the yin and yang of Carlos Alcaraz. (ESPN)

"There's definitely a part of me that was like, 'Oh, maybe if I was tougher and didn't have that nicest-girl-on-tour reputation, maybe I would have won more matches,'" Rogers said, before deciding she had no regrets and was proud that she had remained her authentic self.

But that has not been a problem for Alcaraz. Not at the US Open, nor anywhere throughout his career. He has won 22 ATP titles and Tuesday marked his 268th victory on tour.

Alcaraz can, and usually does, beat anyone, on any given day -- typically with a wide smile on his face. While certainly not requiring the same level of focus as the main draw, Alcaraz was seen eagerly chatting with Jessica Pegula, an opponent in the mixed doubles draw, just moments before they were to walk out on court for their first-round match.

It's his enthusiasm and enjoyment that seems to endear him to fans, and perhaps even be central to what he has been able to achieve.

• If anyone asks BJK for her thoughts and she doesn't rip it to shreds, then she is extending more grace than any of this deserves. (@thebodyserve.bsky.social via Bluesky

• Interesting self-analysis from Aryna Sabalenka here. (ESPN)

"It really gave me time to think about my approach for the big matches, the mentality I have, the mentality I need, and how it's different than the matches before, and what needs to stay the same," Sabalenka told ESPN at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month. "I realize I need to respect my opponent a little bit more, really fight for every point, but also I have to respect myself more too.

"Sometimes I think I completely forget about who I am and what I went through and that I'm really strong enough to handle literally anything."

• I was really worried about where Naomi's head would be at after everything that happened in Montreal. It's such a relief and really awesome that she's feeling this zen about her career. Tennis needs her. (ESPN)
• Tigs! You gotta call me, man. I've already solved the problem of the tennis format! Best of 3, tiebreaks to 10, play the final set out! It's the perfect system! You cannot actually believe Best of Five with NO AD is better! That's insane talk! (Tennis.com)
• Join our growing Discord to chat with me and other fans during the tournament, suggest links for the Bagel Bites, and just have a general fun time.