👋 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: Djokovic shows us, Coco gets real, Tommy Paul fades, Goran Ivanisevic quits, Madison Keys to take on Elina Svitolina, plus a whole bunch more from the Australian Open.
Let’s tennis!
Four Points
🎾 An ace down the tee: In their first match since that blockbuster of a match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in four sets, putting to rest the question as to whether or not, at 38, he’s still up to par against the younger stars of the game. In a little more than three-and-a-half hours, Djokovic outsmarted, outlasted, and generally outplayed the 21-year-old. “Every set was super close, the crowd was into it, so much energy on the court, it was amazing,”Djokovic said. “It felt like it was finals of a slam. I wish it was.”Up next: Alexander Zverev and some hamstring rehab.
🎾 Coco’s perspective: Some of Coco Gauff’s fans (or detractors) may have spent the waking hours following her quarterfinal loss to Spain’s Paula Badosa emoting over her future. Get a grip, says Coco: “Paula was playing great. Maybe some moments in the first set could have gone my way, could have been a different outcome in the first set,” Gauff said. “I think it’s just a lot more work to do, but I’m obviously disappointed, but I’m not completely crushed. I’m looking forward to a lot.”
🎾 Where’s the belief?!?: American Tommy Paul let what should have been his match against Alexander Zverev inexplicably slip through his fingers, which astonishingly included winning only one point across the first two set tiebreaks. Nobody was more shocked than Zverev: “To be honest, I should have been down two sets to love, he served [for] both of those sets. He played better than me,” Zverev said. “I was not playing great and I thought he was. I somehow won the first set, somehow won the second set, [then] I’m up two sets to love all of a sudden and I only need one more set.”
🎾 Ivanisevic, out: Goran Ivanisevic has reportedly quit Elena Rybakina’s team after the world number seven welcomed Stefano Vukov back into her camp. According to The Athletic, Ivanisevic tried to quit earlier but relented after an emotional plea from Rybakina. Sources said Ivanisevic found it difficult to coach Rybakina when she would take calls from Vukov before and after matches. The move leaves Rybakina without a full-time coach since Vukov is provisionally suspended from the WTA Tour ostensibly for the mistreatment of Rybakina.
And, that’s game.
