👋 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.

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Today’s tennis mood rating: Exhilaration with a heavy dose of exhaustion.

Let’s tennis!

Four Points

🎾 Anisimova: After nearly two weeks in Beijing, Amanda Anisimova took home the trophy, defeating Linda Noskova in the final, 6-0, 2-6, 6-2. It adds to an already impressive 2025 season for the 24-year-old American, who has reached five finals, including two majors.

  • What she said: “It’s been quite a few weeks for me here, for sure,” she said. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself. I think I can take a lot of positives and look at it as a lot of progress for me just figuring out ways to face certain challenges and push myself in moments when it feels like I can’t go any further. I feel like in that sense I learned that I’m stronger than I think. That’s a huge win for me.”
  • Noteworthy: On the day Anisimova left for Beijing, she had a wisdom tooth extraction.

🎾 Sinner: Jannik Sinner is the newest top player to go down to injury after he retired in his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor. While the final nail in the coffin appeared to be severe cramping that barely allowed the defending champ to walk between points, Sinner looked to be struggling physically on multiple fronts in the match. Early in the match, he seemed to jam his lower leg while stretched out and sliding for a ball on the run.

  • What they said: “This is definitely not the way you want to win,” Griekspoor after the match. “Brutal conditions here in Shanghai all week already. I thought we were still a little bit lucky to play in the evening without sun, but two hours, 36 minutes on the clock, middle of the third set. Sorry for him, I wish him a speedy recovery.”
  • Intriguing: The Six Kings Slam, which is set to begin in 9 days, is filled with players who are far from 100 percent. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from Shanghai due to injury. Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas both retired in their matches. And Taylor Fritz lost to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard quite hobbled. Court Theory prediction: They all show up for a chance at a $6 million payday.

🎾 Another 2025 casualty: Daria Kasatkina has ended her 2025 season early, joining a group of players on the tour who have cited mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion as the reason for taking a break.

  • What she said: “I’ve been far from fine for a long time and truth be told, my results and performances show that, the fans aren’t stupid, they can see it too,” Kasatkina posted on social media. “I’ve kept a lid on my feelings because I don’t want to seem like I am moaning, weak or god forbid ungrateful or unappreciative of this amazing life we live as professional tennis players.”
  • A breaking point: “Truth is, I’ve hit a wall and I can’t continue. I need a break. A break from the monotonous daily grind of life on the tour, the suitcases, the results, the pressure, the same faces (sorry girls), everything that comes with this life. The schedule is too much, mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point and sadly, I am not alone.”
  • Recently: Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa have also officially ended their 2025 seasons, citing mental and physical fatigue due to the demands of the schedule.

🎾 One to watch: Columbia University senior Michael Zheng won the ATP Challenger Tour event in Tiburon on Sunday, defeating fellow American Tyler Zink, 6-4, 6-4. The win comes just two weeks after Zheng won the ATP Challenger tournament in Columbus. He also took the Challenger title in Chicago in August. All of it adds up to a career-high ranking of 178 in the ATP live rankings. Will we see him complete his senior year, or are we looking at an opportunity to turn pro that he just can’t pass up?