Ben Rothenberg<\/a> for raising an interesting point: Peng Shuai would be eligible next year. What if the Hall of Fame did what so many other tennis institutions fail to do and called attention to what is, at best, a strange and disturbing set of circumstances? Yes, this would be a form of grandstanding. But also an implied acknowledgement that tennis has not forgotten her. And look at her credentials. She is the first Chinese player to reach No. 1 (in doubles in 2014), an absolute A-lister in doubles (including multiple major titles), and a top-15 singles ranking with nearly 500 wins? A pioneer figure in Chinese tennis\u2014now a major WTA market\u2014and women\u2019s sports. Putting her on the ballot would be a legit move.<\/p>\nG) The Hall of Fame marketing department deserves a raise. Not long ago, this was a little-known institution, perhaps best known for hosting a July grass-court event with, per the ranking cutoff, the softest field on the ATP Tour. Until the last decade or so, we seldom got questions about the Hall of Fame. Players were seldom asked about it. Fans rarely got exercised.<\/p>\n
Now, Hall of Fame worthiness and likelihood are major discussion topics in tennis salons (and saloons), and tennis fans debate HoF as fervently as fans in other sports.<\/p>\n
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Roger Federer is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in August 2026. \/ Mike Frey-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Jon, you mentioned [during the U.S. Open] about the changes to the ESPN broadcast team. I\u2019m curious if you can tell us more.<\/p>\n
Eric, NY<\/p>\n
\u2022 I\u2019ve been wrestling with this. It\u2019s an open secret that there are changes afoot at ESPN, and the roster behind and in front of the camera has been jostled. I\u2019ve heard of a few additions. I\u2019ve heard of a few subtractions. The Australian Open lineup will be different from the U.S. Open lineup. But inasmuch as this is \u201cnews,\u201d someone else can break it.<\/p>\n
There are some basic rules in media. Be fair. Be right. Traffic in truth. Be a human being whenever possible. After the basics, there are not really \u201crules\u201d but rather a series of judgment calls and balancing of interests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The balance here: I think the potential for harm and\/or embarrassment outweighs news value. We\u2019re not talking about a new Monday Night Football broadcast crew\u2014people making seven figures replaced by people making eight figures\u2014or bad behavior being covered up or a brewing scandal. This is just business decisions and a network seeking younger talent to serve a (hopefully) younger audience. We\u2019ll take a pass on the clicks and engagement and let those people affected make announcements at a time, place and manner of their choosing. Or not at all.<\/p>\n
Proof that we need to pay attention and develop all players no matter rank or if they play singles or doubles\u2014two of the nicest guys and former players are now the powers behind US tennis a decade after both retired\u2014Brian Vahaly heading the USTA, Eric Butorac now the US Open tournament director. That 60th ranked player or doubles semifinalist out there right now could be running Wimbledon in 2045.<\/p>\n
Bob Richter, Green Bay<\/p>\n
\u2022 One of the first tennis events I ever covered for Sports Illustrated? I flew to Milwaukee for a 1998 Davis Cup tie between Italy and the U.S. Italy won in a mild upset\u2014though celebrated decidedly un-mildly at the Pfister Hotel that night. And the hero was a grinder who released tension by speaking to the ball. His name? Andrea Gaudenzi.<\/p>\n
It sounds like so much trite boilerplate, but all this \u201csport of a lifetime\u201d and \u201cskills that translate to life\u201d? To quote tennis lover David Foster Wallace, \u201cClich\u00e9s earned their status as clich\u00e9s because they\u2019re so obviously true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maybe I\u2019m biased as a Filipino-American tennis fan. And maybe I\u2019m caught in the algorithms. But it seems like Alex Eala is the victim of numerous click-bait articles of either sponsorships with eye-popping amounts or her giving equally eye-popping amount of money to charities.<\/p>\n
Sponsorship hoaxes:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cAlex Eala signs $45 million deal with Wilson\u201d (she\u2019s with Babolat)
\u2022 \u201cEmirates Airlines offers her private jet sponsorship\u201d
\u2022 \u201cYonex gives her custom rackets engraved \u2018Philippine Icon\u2019\u201d
\u2022 Rolex, Lacoste, Adidas mega-deals that never happened<\/p>\n
Charity hoaxes (these are the most cynical):<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cAlex quietly donates $10 million to children\u2019s hospital after WTA title\u201d
\u2022 \u201cEala gives P3.9 million to homeless elderly in Quezon City\u201d
\u2022 \u201cP500 million donation to typhoon victims\u201d
\u2022 \u201cTurns down endorsement money to fund underprivileged kids\u2019 tennis programs\u201d<\/p>\n
My question: Is this level of fabricated \u201cfeel-good\u201d misinformation common for young players from emerging tennis nations, or is Eala an outlier? It feels uniquely Filipino in flavor\u2014the narratives always center on extreme humility, rejecting personal wealth, and \u201cgiving back\u201d in impossibly large amounts. Her genuine personality (soft-spoken, disciplined, visibly grateful in every interview) seems to make her an easy mark for these engagement-farming operations.<\/p>\n
\u2022 I suspect that Eala is an outlier, primarily because of the engagement she generates. Here is a young, ascendant player from a sports-mad country with a population of 120 million. By dint of algorithms alone, she is bound to generate engagement and traffic.<\/p>\n
This is a good example of a point we try to make periodically. Players today have opportunities that their forbears didn\u2019t. They also have to confront a host of new challenges\u2014many of them wrought by technology. Chris Evert, for one, is very eloquent on this, wondering how she would have reacted as a teenager to strangers from all over the world commenting on her game, looks, personality, clothes \u2026 and perhaps basing internet scams around her. Social media has given Eala exposure and opportunities (and wealth) well beyond what she would make as the world\u2019s No. 50-ranked player. It also comes with its perils.<\/p>\n
HAVE A GOOD WEEK, EVERYONE!<\/p>\n
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