How will she perform? One risks insolvency predicting anything Serena-related. Add in how draw-dependent her success is (there\u2019s a 32\/127 chance she could pull a seed in the first round), and the folly of speculating increases. It\u2019s easy to see her facing a fit, match-prepped player half her age (when she draws McCartney Kessler, you heard it here first) and losing 6\u20134, 6\u20133, time and biology retaining their undefeated records. It\u2019s also easy to see her doing what she did to No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit at the 2022 U.S. Open and outplaying a spooked opponent. It\u2019s also not beyond comprehension that Serena clocks her 120 mph serve, moves better than she did in 2022 when\u2014by her own admission\u2014she was heavier, and makes a deep run, revving up the engine for the 2026 U.S. Open.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what can be predicted with virtual certitude: Wimbledon 2026 just got immeasurably more interesting.<\/p>\n
![\"Mark\u00e9ta](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/01kvx0cwhjdwja0x4sr8.jpg\" "\\"Mark\u00e9ta")
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Mark\u00e9ta Vondrou\u0161ov\u00e1 received a four-year ban for declining a doping test. | Mike Frey-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Mark\u00e9ta Vondrou\u0161ov\u00e1 received a four-year ban for declining doping test<\/p>\n
You can read the entire decision here.<\/a><\/p>\n Long story short: On Dec. 3, 2025, Vondrou\u0161ov\u00e1 was approached near her home in the Czech Republic by an anti-doping agent. She saw the agent and acknowledged them, and then declined to provide a sample, citing \u201ca generalized anxiety disorder and acute stress reaction,\u201d which, she argued, \u201cimpaired her cognitive capacity and executive functions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This clearly was going to be a problematic defense. If any player could, in effect, claim to have had a panic attack as a valid reason to fail to provide a sample, the entire anti-doping architecture would collapse, and the protocol would be rendered toothless. There had to be a penalty here.<\/p>\n But four years? There are enough data points now to tell us this is dramatically out of proportion. Players who have tested positive for banned substances have received a fraction of that penalty. Jannik Sinner and the 90-day ban he received last year will be cited as the first comparison. But even Simona Halep, whose case also featured irregularities in her biological passport, was given a ban that was eventually dropped to nine months. There are examples of players testing positive and furnishing the most specious of explanations and alibis (see: tainted tortellini broth<\/a>), and their bans haven\u2019t come close to four years.<\/p>\n Vondrou\u0161ov\u00e1 will almost surely appeal this ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will almost surely reduce the penalty. Perhaps the tribunal prices this into their sanction, but four years for essentially declining a breathalyzer while the actual drunk drivers can make a plea bargain and get 5% to 10% of that sanction?\u00a0<\/p>\n The entire weight of the system collapses if she were allowed to skate, but so too does the weight of the system collapse under this failure of logic.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was a good week for American tennis\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to the return of Serena, Jessica Pegula reached the finals of Berlin, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the process. At Queens, Tommy Paul reached the final, before losing to Francisco Cer\u00fandolo. In Halle, Taylor Fritz beat Ben Shelton (7\u20136 in the third) and continued his ritual beatdowns of Alex Zverev (7\u20135 in the third) before losing to Frances Tiafoe, who scored the biggest win of his career, returned to the top 20 and suddenly became a Wimbledon contender. Yes, there is still a guy named Sinner (and\u00a0 Novak Djokovic) in the draw. Yes, it\u2019s been almost 23 years since an American male won a major, but simply as an exercise in probability, Wimbledon 2026 is shaping up as a real opportunity to reverse the curse.<\/p>\n One year after signing with WME, Ben Shelton left for StarWing Sports<\/p>\n This is one of the bigger upsets of the week. A year ago, Shelton left Team8 (with recruiting from Coco Gauff, we\u2019re told) to sign with WME. The move seemed logical: a big agency for a big emerging American star with interest and opportunities beyond tennis. Less than a year later, he departed for a boutique agency based in Europe whose clients include Chris Evert and Stan Wawrinka. It\u2019s an interesting, unusual move that, if nothing else, shows that Shelton isn\u2019t afraid to pull the trigger on change.<\/p>\n Q&A<\/p>\n Good day, Mr. Wertheim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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