\u2022 Joel Drucker collaborating with Charlie Pasarell? Yes please. Order Serving First here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2022 This might be my favorite tennis clip of 2026. When Tennis Channel needs research help for the Rome event, perhaps it can enlist this lovely gentleman:<\/p>\n Tennis fact-checking at its holiest\u2026. https:\/\/t.co\/YZxh0WW91R<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) October 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 A correction: Two weeks ago, when writing about Patrick McEnroe\u2019s crusade against college tennis\u2019s disproportion of international players, I wrote that there were \u201czero\u201d college coaches in Kalamazoo, site of the annual USTA boys\u2019 16 and 18 national championships. My source exaggerated; some college coaches were there. Still, the point stands: given carte blanche to recruit older, more accomplished foreign talent, college coaches don\u2019t recruit at Kalamazoo as they once did. But some coaches were there, and I own the unforced error of suggesting otherwise!<\/p>\n Onward \u2026<\/p>\n Last week, I posted<\/a> about Peng Shuai on X, and one of you responded with a GIF of a man beating a dead horse. I get it. I get that I do this every year. I get that this is not a joyous topic. I get\u2014disagree strenuously, but get nonetheless\u2014the suggestion<\/a> that calling attention to Peng Shuai might, in fact, be counterproductive and further imperil her. (My response: If we remain quiet, totalitarianism wins by default.) I get the grim battlefield that is the WTA\u2019s current balance sheets, and thus, the business case (necessity?) for slurping from the China money trough.<\/p>\n But with the ATP and WTA winding their way through one of the world\u2019s most populous countries this month, it ought to remind us that a Chinese former player has effectively been disappeared. Here was a popular, extroverted athlete who won majors in doubles, competed in the Olympics and was a WTA stalwart for years.<\/p>\n She made a public and highly specific sexual assault allegation<\/a> against a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official, and she is \u2026 well, where IS she? It is usually the instinct of kidnappers and hostage-takers to show that those held in captivity are still alive and well. You\u2019d think the CCP would trot Peng Shuai out at one of these WTA events\u2014presenting a trophy, joining in a ceremonial coin toss or shmoozing with sponsors\u2014to douse any lingering concern\u2014nothing to see here.<\/p>\n But no. There have been no tennis photo ops, media presence, social media presence or public appearances in years. There is no evidence that Peng could leave the country and show up in Miami, Monte Carlo, or Dubai, exiled but ready and free to start a new life elsewhere.<\/p>\n Years ago, I pressed the WTA on Peng\u2019s whereabouts. I was told, effectively, We know that she is in China, and we have reassurances that she is alive. I was also told I would be kept informed of any news, updates, or status changes. That was in 2023. No status updates have been forthcoming.<\/p>\n Yet the WTA\u2014and the Billie Jean King Cup, named for a great advocate of feminism, social justice and speaking truth to power\u2014returns to China as if nothing is concerning, or even unusual. \u201cPrinciples over profit<\/a>\u201d was the memorable, admirable WTA catchphrase during the boycott in 2021 and \u201922. What\u2019s unfolded since? It is the inverse of that.<\/p>\n A colleague once compared this to an NFL player leveling a complaint against a British parliamentarian, then suddenly disappearing from public life; the NFL nevertheless returned to play games at Wembley, hoping some combination of time and commerce would soften any concern or awkward appearances. This, of course, would never happen.<\/p>\n But why limit it to sports? Imagine a similar set of facts in any work context. Earl in accounting or Susie in accounts receivable made a public complaint and has now effectively disappeared in Country X, not even posting benign I\u2019m-all-good pictures on social media, and your company continues to conduct business in Country X, as though nothing chilling or unusual has occurred?<\/p>\n #whereispenghshuai? is not just a hashtag. It\u2019s an open question. If anyone had a satisfactory answer that would put this all to rest, assuage concerns and clear consciences, well, great. Asked and answered. We\u2019d happily move on and discuss the two sides\u2014impossible-not-to-like and impossible-to-defend\u2014of Daniil Medvedev,<\/a> the courage of Emma Navarro <\/a>or which billionaire should buy the WTA Tour outright. But until #whereispengshuai? remains an open matter, the disappearance of a seminal Chinese player should not go ignored.<\/p>\n Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open after hitting a ball into the stands and striking a spectator. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Q&A\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s try to combine a few questions and address Daniil Medvedev, who, you likely know by now, struck a ball into the stands,<\/a> hitting a spectator late in his semifinal against Novak Djokovic at the China Open, and was summarily defaulted. Djokovic\u2014who, of course, has been in this position himself\u2014could empathize with the injured fan and also the disgraced player. Medvedev lost his head, but was wise enough to know there was no ambiguity here. We talked about this on Served, and I\u2019m not sure what more there is to say, but:<\/p>\n A) First, one hopes the fan is O.K.\u00a0<\/p>\n B) This has to stop. Tennis is frustrating and brings with it pressure. Losing is hard. Neurochemistry makes us act out of character. All that said, this business of slapping a ball into the crowd has become a trend. It\u2019s veterans and younger players<\/a>. Male and female.<\/a> It has to stop. Maybe this Medvedev embarrassment leads to behavior modification. Then again, six years ago Djokovic squandered a good chance of winning a Rafael Nadal- and Roger Federer-less U.S. Open when he hit a lineswoman. And the trend continued. This is not just ugly behavior; it\u2019s dangerous. Yell at your coach. Hell, break a racket. Endangering the paying public with projectiles is reckless.<\/p>\n C) New rule: Any player violently and dangerously slapping a ball into the stands must be defaulted. Does it matter whether it hits someone, narrowly misses someone, or hits someone on the bounce<\/a> rather than directly? It\u2019s silly. If part of the motivation here is deterrence, the act should be addressed, not the consequence.<\/p>\n D) It\u2019s hard to watch Medvedev interact with fans, his family, the media and the tennis community and not be a fan. It\u2019s also hard to watch him during a match and not find some of his conduct indefensible. (Before getting defaulted, Medvedev appeared to mock Djokovic<\/a> in a state of fatigue.) Especially at this point in his career\/life, it\u2019s a pity that he shows more impulse control and acts more consistently with his off-court self.\u00a0<\/p>\n E) Sadly, this unfortunate incident overshadowed Djokovic\u2014that guy\u2014whose next birthday starts with a \u201c4.\u201d He\u2019s still winning. He beat Alexander Zverev in the previous round and Alex de Minaur in the subsequent round. And it\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n [I] suggest bringing back the Super Saturday to the U.S. Open with women\u2019s final in the afternoon and men\u2019s final in primetime at night. No more going head to head with Goodell on opening NFL Sunday. That’s just USTA doing USTA things.<\/p>\n @catscane<\/p>\n \u2022 The issue is that you\u2019d be dark on a Sunday, the best day for sports\u2014even conflicting with the NFL\u2019s opening week. Also, I\u2019m not sure ESPN goes for that\u2014giving up the Saturday college football real estate\u2014and the rights holders call the shots.<\/p>\n My old friend Jimmy Traina\u2014whom I encourage you to follow<\/a>, like and subscribe\u2014suggests holding the men\u2019s final on Monday afternoon as a lead-in to Monday Night Football on ESPN. The hitch: What happens if it\u2019s a five-hour match? You\u2019re not holding up football for tennis. That means adding a day to an event that already seems like an extended dance version of a tournament.<\/p>\n Bonne chance, Arthur Fils. Hi Jon, I saw this new kid, Arthur Fils, make it out of qualifiers and into the main draw in Tokyo. Great on him\u2014I predict a real future for him in tennis!<\/p>\n Bonne chance Monsieur Fils! \u2022 Good call. If you missed it, Arthur Fils didn\u2019t make the Tokyo draw because of a clerical error. Though he is on the cusp of the top 10, he decided to honor his commitment and schedule and go anyway, even though it meant having to go through the qualifying draw. He survived. He beat Frances Tiafoe and acquitted himself well.<\/p>\n It was framed as a cute tennis story, and it is. But at a time when top players are rationing their matches and speaking openly about demands, I\u2019m sure he would rather not have played six sets that\u2014all things being equal; all paperwork filed on time\u2014he didn\u2019t have to. Good for him.<\/p>\n Any news on the new WTA CEO? It has been almost six months without a person in charge.<\/p>\n @goytamaz<\/p>\n \u2022 I wonder if that position goes unfilled. The WTA has a chairperson (Valerie Camillo) at the top of the org chart, and I\u2019m not sure a new CEO is necessary.<\/p>\n![\"Daniil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m4bectwjavvpp0v3h7.jpg\" "\\"Daniil")
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Bob in Milwaukee<\/p>\n
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