Good morning, Court Theorists! ☕️☀️
Today’s tennis mood: Ignoring more Svitolina-Monfils news and lining up a great day of match watching.
Let’s tennis!
-Allen
🎾 On tap: We’re in the second round across the board in Ningbo, Osaka, Almaty, Brussels, and Lyon. There is one exception, however. That’s Stan Wawrinka playing Martin Landaluce in the first round of Brussels. Also in action today: Alex Eala, Ann Li, Elena Rybakina, Moise Kouame, and Tommy Paul, among others.
Noteworthy: David Goffin will play what could be his final match before a home crowd when he takes on Remy Bertola in Brussels.
🎾 Done for the year: Iga Swiatek has called time on 2026, saying she needed rest after an intense and demanding year.
What she said: “This has been one of the most demanding seasons of my career, with a lot of challenges, changes and lessons along the way,” she posted on Instagram. “I’m especially proud of the work we’ve done in the second half of the year and the progress that came with it. It gives me a lot of confidence in what’s ahead.” She added: “The past few months, or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense and I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully. So that’s exactly what I will do, a bit longer this time. 😉”
By the numbers: With Swiatek out of the picture for the WTA Tour Finals, that leaves Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk vying for the final slot.
The big picture: It’s rough seeing so many fan favorites ending their seasons before they intended. The tours can say pros have control over their schedules all they want. It’s simply not true.
🎾 One to watch: Iva Jovic vs. Jasmine Paolini (2nd round - WTA 500 - Ningbo): Watch this one because it’s always a battle. Expect long points with a ton of running from corner to corner on both ends of the court.
The record: Jasmine Paolini leads the head-to-head record over Iva Jovic 2-1.
On the line: Jovic didn’t play Ningbo last year, so she’s trying to stack points and hopefully get into the top 10 by year’s end. For Paolini, who was top 10 this time last year (and now number 29), she’s trying to keep from dropping her semifinalist points at last year’s tournament to stay in the top 30 after a rough year with an injured foot.
🎾 🏆 🎤 YOUR CALL
And that’s game.
