👋 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: Anxious plus a bit of quizzical.
Let’s tennis!
Four Points
🎾 Day Four: It’s day four at the WTA Tour Finals, which means this is do-or-die time for some of the players and teams. The WTA has the full rundown on today’s action.
🎾 Djokovic is in Turin?: Organizers of the ATP Tour Finals are attempting to put to rest any speculation as to whether Novak Djokovic will play next week in Turin, saying the world No. 5 will compete. “We have confirmation that Djokovic will be in Turin,” Angelo Binaghi, head of Italy’s tennis federation, told Italian radio channel Rai Gr Parlamento on Monday.
Yes, but: No confirmation has come directly from Djokovic, and it wouldn’t be the first time a tournament has said Djokovic was playing only to have to eat those words later.
Why it matters: Djokovic’s decision will have an impact on whether both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti get into Turin next week — or just one of them, depending on Musetti’s performance this week in Athens.
Next: Djokovic is playing on Tuesday in Athens in the tournament his family owns. Keep an eye on his physical condition.
🎾 It’s a date: Aryna Sabalenka will play Nick Kyrgios under the Battle of the Sexes banner after all. The match, which has been teased for months and seemed to be social media fodder more than a reality, will take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 28.
What she said: “I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women’s game. I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match.”
And what he said: “When the world No 1 challenges you, you answer the call,” Kyrgios said. “I’ve got massive respect for Aryna; she’s a powerhouse and a true champion. But I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not just here to play — I’m here to entertain.”
Noteworthy: The event is organized by Evolve, the sports agency launched by Naomi Osaka and her longtime agent Stuart Duguid, which represents both Kyrgios and Sabalenka.
🎾 TikTok Tennis: The ATP announced on Tuesday the launch of the TikTok Tennis Creator Network, which will debut next week at the ATP Tour Finals. According to an ATP press release, the aim is to give selected TikTok creators “unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the season finale in Turin and opportunities to connect fans with the sport’s biggest stars.”
What they said: “These creators represent a global community who live and breathe digital culture,” said David Slade, senior director for digital strategy and content of the ATP Tour. “By opening up access at one of our sport’s biggest stages, we’re creating a powerful bridge between tennis and the next generation of fans.”
Yes, but: This initiative marks the newest move toward the ATP controlling all aspects of content creation at a time when journalists (present company included) are finding it next to impossible to gain access to tournaments and players.
Noteworthy: Creators were selected based on location, with each of the Masters 1000 tournaments represented. Presumably, that means the ATP hopes that each creator is creating a pipeline of excited local fans from Turin to that 1000-level event.
And, that’s game.
On The Radar
Matches we’re monitoring today:
Riyadh - WTA Tour Finals (Hard)
Coco Gauff vs. Jasmine Paolini (Round Robin)
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Jessica Pegula (Round Robin)
Siniakova/Townsend vs. Dabrowski/Routliffe (Round Robin)
Andreeva/Shnaider vs. Babos/Stefani (Round Robin)
Metz - ATP 250 (Hard)
Daniel Altmaier vs. Arthur Rinderknech (1st round)
Corentin Moutet vs. Aleksandar Vukic (1st round)
Flavio Cobolli vs. Lorenzo Musetti (2nd round)
Francesco Passaro vs. Alexander Blockx (1st round)
Athens - ATP 250 (Hard)
Novak Djokovic vs. Alejandro Tabilo (2nd round)
Eliot Spizzirri vs. Nuno Borges (1st round)
Yannick Hanfmann vs. Ivan Ivanov (1st round)
Marcos Giron vs. Pedro Martinez (1st round)
📺 Learn how to watch today’s action over at Tennis Watchers.
Read, Watch, Listen
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