👋 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: Alexander Zverev’s lack of fortitude, the LTA needs a history lesson, a blackout in Santiago, Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Karen Khachanov, plus more in tennis news.

Let’s tennis!

Four Points

🎾 Fading away: Ever since Alexander Zverev uttered the self-pity words “I’m just not good enough,” in his speech after losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets of the Australian Open final, that’s exactly how he’s been acting. In the following two tournaments, as the number two player in the world and the top seed, Zverev lost in the quarterfinals against players ranked much lower than him.

  • Squandering an opportunity: When the Sinner-WADA deal was announced that would take Sinner out of contention of points and titles, it became clear that Zverev had the greatest opportunity in men’s tennis. He could show what he’s made of and become number one in the absence of the best player on tour. Some may say he is showing what he’s made of and he won’t challenge Sinner for the top spot in the rankings.
  • What’s next: After barely eking out a win last night against world number 33 Matteo Arnaldi in a three-hour three-set match, Zverev will face tonight a young Learner Tien — a player who will let Zverev defeat himself. We’ll see if he does.

🎾 The wrong takeaway: Tennis fans love a cross-cultural moment. That’s, in part, why everyone went nuts when Serena Williams appeared in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. The problem is that not everybody understands the cultural and historical references in his “Not Like Us.” That’s where the Lawn Tennis Association — the UK’s equivalent of the USTA — unfortunately comes in.

  • What they did: In an Instagram Reel meant to celebrate the impressive shot-making by Jack Draper, they used the Kendrick Lamar track as background music and flashed the lyrics that include “40 acres and mule” in large, bold type. It’s a baffling mistake for such a large organization. On Wednesday, the LTA finally removed the reel but offered no apology or explanation. It’s as though it didn’t happen.

🎾 Here’s a first: Tournament organizers in Santiago suspended play on Tuesday night because of a major blackout across Chile, forcing a government-imposed curfew. “By instruction of the authorities, we suspend the match and evacuate the venue,” organizers wrote in a statement on Tuesday evening. The curfew, scheduled from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., has forced tennis to resume at 2 p.m. local time. (h/t: Tick Tock Tennis)

🎾 Not again (still): Barbora Krejcikova has pulled out of Indian Wells and Miami with a continued back issue. Last year’s Wimbledon champ hasn’t played a tournament yet this year. It’s an ongoing theme for the Czech player who surprises people every time she does well (like winning a major). If that’s not a data point in favor of experience, I don’t know what is.