👋 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: Carlos Alcaraz has some words for his critics, Reilly Opelka says he was threatened over PTPA lawsuit, Serena Williams takes on a new role, Stan Wawrinka takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, plus more in tennis news today.

Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 PTPA suit gets uglier: Reilly Opelka testified last week that the ATP threatened his livelihood for adding his name to the PTPA lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, ITF, and the ITIA. According to Opelka, a player was sent by ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi to warn him he would lose his pension and be saddled with millions of dollars in legal fees if he didn’t back off, Front Office Sports reported. For its part, the ATP denies the claims.

🎾 A word for the critics: Ahead of his first-round match in Barcelona this week, Carlos Alcaraz took on his critics, who have had a lot to say about the prospects of the young Spaniard given his erratic start to 2025.

  • What he said: “It is true that perhaps there have been results that have not been enough for some people, even for myself,” said Alcaraz. “I’ve reached a point where no defeat is just nothing but (instead) it is a learning process, and we have to move forward...It is easy and free to talk, when someone has an expectation that is not met. It is very easy to talk, that is what I can say.”
  • Recently: After not winning a single match at Monte Carlo in previous years, Alcaraz won the 1000-level event last week, albeit without facing a top 10 opponent.
  • Next: Alcaraz faces Ethan Quinn in the first round of Barcelona on Tuesday.

🎾 Super producer: Serena Williams is set to produce Carrie Soto is Back, a Netflix series adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling tennis-themed novel. “My incredible respect for the Williams sisters is part of what makes me interested in tennis,” Taylor Jenkins Reid said at the time of the book release. “I wouldn’t write a book about tennis without the influence of just the absolute glory that has been their journey, but also specifically Serena’s quest to get as many Grand Slam titles as she has managed to do.” According to Deadline, the series is also expected to be inspired by the Serena Williams story.