👋 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: that Stefanos Tsitsipas mystery racket, Jannik Sinner get salt in the wound, Daniil Medvedev still has beef with tennis balls, and more tennis news.

Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 Mystery racket: There’s been a ton of chatter over the blacked-out racket Stefanos Tsitsipas has been playing with this week in Dubai. Of course, there have been more opportunities because Tsitsipas has won more matches this week than he has in all of his tournament play in 2025 thus far.

  • But what’s the deal with the frame? Tsitsipas noted after his first-round win that balls and courts have become slower on the tour, and many players are looking for ways to adapt. Still, Tsitsipas has offered no details on the new set-up. Some equipment experts say the head shape means it’s a Babolat frame, while others think it’s a new yet-to-be-released model from Wilson, the company he’s been with his entire career. It seems we’ll just have to wait and see.

🎾 More Sinner fallout: On Thursday, the Laureus World Sports Academy withdrew Jannik Sinner’s nomination for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.

  • What they said: “We have followed this case, the decisions of the relevant global bodies and - whilst we note the extenuating circumstances involved - feel that the three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible. Jannik and his team have been informed,” the organization said in a statement.
  • Why it matters: It’s a prestigious award that has only been awarded to three pro tennis players: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. There is little doubt Sinner would have wanted to be in that company.

🎾 Beefed-up security: Emma Raducanu will receive extra security at Indian Wells following a stalking incident in Dubai, according to the BBC. At a tournament that is lauded for its relaxed atmosphere for players, this will be a markedly different experience for Raducanu. Hopefully, it gives her peace of mind.