👋 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: Coco Gauff knocked it out of the park, Iga Swiatek took it pretty hard, Aryna Sabalenka is just glad people stayed, Casper Ruud faces Francisco Cerundolo, Jack Draper takes on Lorenzo Musetti, plus more in today’s tennis news.

Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 A first: Coco Gauff delivered a blistering defeat to Iga Swiatek on Thursday, with a final scoreline of 6-1, 6-1. The match was a combination of Gauff seemingly unable to do anything wrong and Swiatek seemingly unable to do anything right. That dichotomy allowed Gauff to defeat Swiatek for the first time on clay.

  • What she said: “I was aggressive and I played with margin,” Gauff said during her on-court interview. “Maybe her level wasn’t her best, but I think I forced her into some awkward positions.” She added: “When you’re playing someone like Iga, at any moment she can come back and play great tennis. So for me, it was just making sure my level stayed the same.”
  • Next: On Saturday, Gauff faces Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Elina Svitolina in the other semifinal.

🎾 A rough day at the office: On the other side of the net was Iga Swiatek, who could never seem to get going in the match, collecting 28 unforced errors in just 14 games. All of it took a mental toll as the match wore on, and she became visibly emotional in the second set, covering her head with a towel as she broke down in tears during the changeover at 6-1, 3-0.

  • What she said: “Coco played good, but I think it’s, you know, on me that I didn’t move well,” Swiatek said after the match. “I wasn’t ready to play back the shots with heaviness, and, yeah, with that kind of game, like, yeah, it was pretty bad.”
  • An outside voice of encouragement: On X, Casper Ruud quoted a video clip of the moment and wrote: “Hey @iga_swiatek keep your head up🙏🙏 Like millions of other people I love watching you play. Not your day today, but you inspire so many and you’ll be back stronger than ever!!😊🤩👏🎾

🎾 A new beginning: The International Tennis Hall of Fame Open put tickets on sale Thursday. This year will be a new version of the event, going from an ATP 250 to a combined ATP/WTA 125 event competing for equal prize money. This marks the first year women’s pro tennis will be played in Newport since 1990.

  • When: July 6-13, 2025, the second week of Wimbledon. The plan is that this will become a super Challenger like the tours have been experimenting with during the second week of 1000-level tournaments. It’s aimed at top players who bow out early to compete against solid Challenger players.
  • Who’s playing: It’s a bit early for player announcements. In promo materials, Marcos Giron, Chris Eubanks, Ajla Tomljanovic, Katie Volynets, and Alycia Parks, among others are pictured.

And, that’s game.

What They Said

Honestly, I hate playing the second [match] in the night session. It’s the worst as usually people are not staying for the last match – they always come for the night session match. I was like: ‘Please guys, stay.’ Thank you so much for staying.

-Aryna Sabalenka after defeating Elina Svitolina on Thursday.

Watch These!

🔥 Francisco Cerundolo vs. Casper Ruud (Semifinals ATP 1000 - Madrid): If you’re looking for a battle between two dirtballers, this is your match. Expect an extremely physical match between two players who know each other’s games well. Two key factors: how well Cerundolo holds his nerve and how well Ruud serves.

  • The record: Francisco Cerundolo leads the head-t0-head record over Casper Ruud 5-3, including their two most recent meetings. Ruud, however, won their most recent match on clay at the Olympics last year.
  • On the line: Casper Ruud is trying to get back into the top 10 after some early exits and puzzling losses this year. One more win should do the trick. As for Cerundolo, he’s set to rejoin the top 20 on Monday with a new career-high ranking. But why stop now?

🔥 Jack Draper vs. Lorenzo Musetti (Semifinals ATP 1000 - Madrid): This is a match of contrasts: pure power against elegant finesse, lefty against righty, two-hander against one-hander. Both work well in Madrid. Yes, it’s clay. But it’s also semi-indoors and high altitude, giving a power player a boost. Who wins this one? No idea. This one is meant to be enjoyed.

  • The record: Jack Draper leads the head-to-head record over Lorenzo Musetti 3-0. However, all three of those matches have been played on indoor hard courts.
  • On the line: As the highest-ranked player left in the draw, Draper wants to prove that he’s a man of all surfaces by taking another 1000 title. On the other hand, Musetti wants everyone to know he’s the man of this clay court season by being the most consistent going into his home 1000 in Rome and then Roland-Garros. Both players will hit career-high rankings on Monday, no matter the outcome.
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