👋 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, we’ve got: the PTPA is suing every tennis governing body they can think of, the pressure on Mirra Andreeva and Jack Draper, some significant personnel changes, Katie Boulter takes on Peyton Stearns, plus more tennis news today.

Let’s tennis!

Four Points

🎾 On Tuesday, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the organization co-founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, filed an anti-trust lawsuit against tennis’s most powerful governing bodies, claiming that they act as a “cartel.” The suit, which was filed in Brussels, London, and New York City, names the ATP, the WTA, the ITF, and the ITIA as defendants, arguing the legal action will “reveal how tennis’ corrupt governing bodies systemically abuse, silence, and exploit players to drive personal profits through monopolistic control,” according to a statement announcing the legal action.

  • What the ATP said: Within hours, the ATP hit back with a statement pointing out the progress they’ve made in bringing equity to professional tennis. While some of it is certainly true, one item stood out as disingenuous: “Meanwhile, players — as independent contractors — have retained extensive control over their schedules, allowing them the flexibility to compete, train, and monetize their careers as they see fit.” Just ask any player who has to find a doctor’s note to get out of a mandatory 1000 tournament. And ask any player how they feel about all the 1000 events expanding into two weeks, with some of them putting their finals into a third.
  • What the WTA said: Later in the day, the WTA released its own statement that reads, in part: “The WTA is a nonprofit, membership organization that exists to advance women’s tennis on behalf of players, tournaments and fans. WTA players, as equal members alongside tournaments, have an essential and influential voice in the governance of the WTA. Every decision taken at the WTA Board level includes the input of players via their elected Board representatives, and athletes receive substantial financial rewards and other benefits from participation in the WTA.”
  • Missing the point: The ATP and the WTA are trying to fight another organization seemingly without taking into consideration that actual players are named as co-plaintiffs. Yes, the PTPA is an outside organization. But it’s also made of actual players.
  • Notably missing: Novak Djokovic. He and Vasek Pospisil founded the PTPA, and he remains on the executive committee. However, he is not among the other named player plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

🎾 The double Sunshine Double: There’s the Sunshine Double that goes from Indian Wells to the Miami Open, and then there’s the Sunshine Double expectation that whoever wins in Indian Wells could/should (must!) win in Miami. That’s a tall order and a rarity. Only eleven players have pulled it off. But now we march down that pressure-filled road with Mirra Andreeva and Jack Draper. Are either one ready for it? Andreeva is already on a winning streak of two 1000 events back-to-back. Why not back-to-back-to-back? As for Draper coming off his first 1000 title ever, we’ll have to wait and see how he looks in his first match to really know how he handles the bounce-back from such a high.

  • Women Sunshine Doublers: Steffi Graf (1994, 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005), Victoria Azarenka (2016), Iga Swiatek (2022)
  • Men Sunshine Doublers: Jim Courier (1991), Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios (1998), Andre Agassi (2001), Roger Federer (2005, 2006, 2017), Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016)

🎾 Unusual timing: On Tuesday, two players announced abrupt coaching changes less than three months into the year. Arthur Fils announced on Instagram that his coach, Sebastien Grosjean — noticeably absent from Indian Wells — will no longer be part of his team. And Alexei Popyrin posted on Instagram that he and coach Xavier Malisse, with whom he won his first Masters 1000 title last year, have mutually agreed to part ways.

  • What Fils said: “By mutual agreement with Sebastien, we have decided to end our collaboration, wrote Fils in French on Instagram. “I thank him for his support during the 15 months he spent on the circuit and wish him the best for the future.”
  • What Popyrin said: “Hey guys, @xavier.malisse and I have mutually decided to stop working together,” Popyrin wrote. “I just want [to] thank X for all the amazing memories, fun vibes and hard work! Thank you X-Man.”

🎾 Another change in personnel: Courtney Nguyen, the senior writer for WTA Insider, is moving on from the organization after nearly a decade on the job, she posted on Bluesky Tuesday evening. This one is going to sting. That’s because while the WTA has had its tumultuous times organizationally, Courtney continued to tell the stories of the incredible women on the WTA Tour. We got to know their ups and downs, their backstories, their inner thoughts as they achieved new heights, and so much more — all because Courtney was there to cover our sport. Some of you may have gotten to connect a name with a face as she helped guide viewers through the tour on Netflix’s Break Point. So, keep an eye out for it. I bet she’s not done with tennis just yet.

And, that’s game.

What They Said

I want to play with the big dogs so bad. I just see everyone playing so well and I want to do the same...I think my nerves have a lot to do with that. I think now it’s better, but I still find myself not really committed to the shots I want to hit. I have to remember to process. I’m just taking it one day at a time, I guess we’ll see.

-Naomi Osaka after her first-round win at the Miami Open.

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Watch This!

🔥 Katie Boulter vs. Peyton Stearns (1st round WTA 1000 - Miami Open): If their previous matches are any kind of indicator, this should be a fun battle of powerful wills and contrasting styles of play. Expect Peyton Stearns to work points so that she gets time and space to unleash on the forehand with heavy topspin from all parts of the court. Boulter will do her best to counteract that work on the ball by hugging the baseline and taking the ball early with her own pace injection at a flatter trajectory. Which ever player gets their way the most will take the match.

  • The record: Peyton Stearns leads the head-to-head record over Katie Boulter 2-0. Both wins were in 2023 on U.S. hard courts — once at the U.S. Open and once in Austin, the latter of which were three tiebreak sets.
  • On the line: Peyton Stearns needs to jumpstart her 2025 season in earnest. She’s 5-8 on the season and coming off two first-round losses in a row. She doesn’t want to make it three. Katie Boulter isn’t in much better of a position with a 2-2 record thus far in regular tournament play this year.

On The Radar

  • Sayaka Ishii vs. Emma Raducanu (1st round WTA 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Mackenzie McDonald vs. Nick Kyrgios (1st round ATP 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Dayana Yastremska vs. Belinda Bencic (1st round WTA 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Eliot Spizzirri vs. Billy Harris (1st round ATP 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Bernarda Pera (1st round WTA 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Alexandra Eala vs. Katie Volynets (1st round WTA 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Aleksandar Kovacevic vs. Miomir Kecmanovic (1st round ATP 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Arthur Rinderknech vs. Jaume Munar (1st round ATP 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Alexander Blockx vs. Corentin Moutet (1st round ATP 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Francisco Comesana vs. Federico Cina (1st round ATP 1000 - Miami Open)
  • Tyra Grant vs. Julia Grabher (1st round WTA 1000 - Miami Open)

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

Read, Watch, Listen

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Which matches are you watching? What news caught your eye today? Hit the comments below!