👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.

On tap today: Carlos Alcaraz has some words for his critics, Reilly Opelka says he was threatened over PTPA lawsuit, Serena Williams takes on a new role, Stan Wawrinka takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, plus more in tennis news today.

Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 PTPA suit gets uglier: Reilly Opelka testified last week that the ATP threatened his livelihood for adding his name to the PTPA lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, ITF, and the ITIA. According to Opelka, a player was sent by ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi to warn him he would lose his pension and be saddled with millions of dollars in legal fees if he didn’t back off, Front Office Sports reported. For its part, the ATP denies the claims.

🎾 A word for the critics: Ahead of his first-round match in Barcelona this week, Carlos Alcaraz took on his critics, who have had a lot to say about the prospects of the young Spaniard given his erratic start to 2025.

  • What he said: “It is true that perhaps there have been results that have not been enough for some people, even for myself,” said Alcaraz. “I’ve reached a point where no defeat is just nothing but (instead) it is a learning process, and we have to move forward...It is easy and free to talk, when someone has an expectation that is not met. It is very easy to talk, that is what I can say.”
  • Recently: After not winning a single match at Monte Carlo in previous years, Alcaraz won the 1000-level event last week, albeit without facing a top 10 opponent.
  • Next: Alcaraz faces Ethan Quinn in the first round of Barcelona on Tuesday.

🎾 Super producer: Serena Williams is set to produce Carrie Soto is Back, a Netflix series adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling tennis-themed novel. “My incredible respect for the Williams sisters is part of what makes me interested in tennis,” Taylor Jenkins Reid said at the time of the book release. “I wouldn’t write a book about tennis without the influence of just the absolute glory that has been their journey, but also specifically Serena’s quest to get as many Grand Slam titles as she has managed to do.” According to Deadline, the series is also expected to be inspired by the Serena Williams story.

And, that’s game.

What They Said

It’s still a challenge because it’s not like I come to play [on clay] and everything is perfect suddenly. We play on a hard court most of the year, so coming to clay court I still need some time to adjust to. But for sure I feel like I’m in the right place. With a good amount of work and focus, quickly I’m going to be able to start playing my game.

-Iga Swiatek on adjusting to clay in Stuttgart.

Watch This!

🔥 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Stan Wawrinka (1st round ATP 500 - Barcelona): Stan Wawrinka during clay season is a thing we don’t miss here at Court Theory HQ, and that is doubly so for a power match-up against a player like Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Who wins this one? Given recent form, the edge goes to Davidovich Fokina. However, if Wawrinka gets off to a strong start and avoids three sets, he could pull off the win.

  • The record: Stan Wawrinka leads the head-to-head record over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 1-0. Their only meeting was a tight three-set battle last year on the indoor hard courts of Stockholm.
  • On the line: Davidovich Fokina is looking to build on his successful run to the semifinals last week in Monte Carlo, and he doesn’t want to disappoint a home crowd. Meanwhile, Wawrinka wants to prove he can still hang with the top players in the world. A main draw win would go a long way toward that.
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On The Radar

More tennis matches we’re monitoring today:

Stuttgart - WTA 500 (Clay)

  • Jelena Ostapenko vs. Dayana Yastremska (1st round)
  • Eva Lys vs. Jasmine Paolini (1st round)
  • Emma Navarro vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia (1st round)

Rouen - WTA 250 (Clay)

  • Maria Sakkari vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (1st round)
  • Varvara Gracheva vs. Sonay Kartal (1st round)
  • Linda Fruhvirtova vs. Anna Blinkova (1st round)
  • Camilia Rosatello vs. Alycia Parks (1st round)

Munich - ATP 500 (Clay)

  • Yannick Hanfmann vs. Jakub Mensik (1st round)
  • Francisco Cerundolo vs. Jan-Lennard Struff (1st round)
  • Mariano Navone vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime (1st round)
  • Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Botic van de Zandschulp (1st round)
  • Zizou Bergs vs. Alexander Bublik (1st round)

Barcelona - ATP 500 (Clay)

  • Carlos Alcaraz vs. Ethan Quinn (1st round)
  • Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Arthur Fils (1st round)
  • Frances Tiafoe vs. Jaume Munar (1st round)
  • Laslo Djere vs. Arthur Rinderknech (1st round)

📺 Learn how to watch today’s action over at Tennis Watchers.

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