Talk About Tennis 2.0

This keeps happening, and yet players keep launching balls out of anger into people - should have been defaulted, and hopefully a fine of sizable proportion incoming.

'you are only as good as your second serve' is an aphorism as old as the game itself, perhaps.. does the data bear it out?
From the atptour and wtatennis sites:

Men:
best is Sinner, wins 57.1% of his second serve points
Alcaraz is next, at 56.9%
Fritz is third, at 56.2 and Djokovic is right behind at 56.1
Honorable mention to Tsitsipas, at 54.7%

Women:

Swiatek is the champion with 55.3%
Shnaider is second at 51.6
Sabalenka third at 51.1%
Kalinskaya 50.6%
Nobody else above 50%

Rybakina is at 47.3%, of course, she leads the first serve stats with 72.7% points won.

all in all, good performance by the hoary old aphorism!

Not sure which direction causality runs, though!!

Yes, it seems circular. If you have a good 2nd serve, you reach a high position. But the only way you can reach a high position is if you play well in all aspects.
Interesting that both #1's are also #1 in that stat.

She was never bulky. But she looks a bit thinner to me. Or just this video?

I am surprised Zverev isn't on the 2nd serve list given how much he has improved on it

The Tennis Letter
@TheTennisLetter
Danielle Collins explains why she didn’t want a ceremony or bouquet of flowers after playing her last ever US Open singles match

“I’m not somebody that likes to celebrate my accomplishments. I’ve struggled with feeling guilt around success. I’m not great about having an all about me moment. I’d prefer to do something like that maybe in private. I feel like I’ve gotten enough attention to last a lifetime. I was thinking of that movie Meet the Parents or Meet the Fockers where Gaylord has his shrine and all his 18th place medals. I don’t wanna be like Gaylord so I think I’m good”

Folks we have a winner of our Racquet Toss Contest for 2024! I think she meets all of our criteria.

Fastbackss wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2024 12:58 pm I am surprised Zverev isn't on the 2nd serve list given how much he has improved on it

Zverev is at 54.5%, not bad at all..

ti-amie wrote: ↑Wed Aug 28, 2024 3:30 am Folks we have a winner of our Racquet Toss Contest for 2024! I think she meets all of our criteria.

This is special. Both standing and sitting... and the double-handed chop at the end is unprecedented, I believe.

That was downright Shakespeare-esque. Magnificent.
She will never be forgotten

The Saudi ‘Six Kings’ exhibition is now confirmed to place from October 16th-19th, with the 18th being a day off, as ATP rules don’t allow players to play three consecutive days of exhibitions.

Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, Medvedev, and Rune are participating.

The winner is estimated to take home $6 million, more than double the Wimbledon prize money, all players are guaranteed $1.5 million

Took me a minute...