FYI, this is a tennis thread not a fucking golf thread or some fucking superpansy ass pickleball thread.
On the men’s side, it was looking like a really interesting draw with Djoker joining up with the rest of the tour (he typically plays the Slams and very little else) and Rafa Nadal coming back from injury after being competitive with Alcaraz in a Vegas exhibition.
Well, Nadal’s a scratch, pulled out before his first match with Milos Raonic and replaced by Nagal.
Kinduva bummer but nonetheless a strong draw, with Djoker, Alcaraz, Sinner (fresh off his Aussie Open win) and Medvedev rounding out the top four seeds. Of the American men, I’d say 12-seeded Taylor Fritz has the best chance to make a run. He’s won this tournament before (beat Rafa in the finals a few years back), is from Southern California and tends to play well in his backyard. Also won a few weeks ago at Delray Beach, FL torching fellow American Tommy Paul in the finals.
Not a clue what’s going on, on the WTA side of the house but in case you were wondering the women do play here at the same time (not typical in non Grand Slams). I thought I heard Venus Williams was in the draw but can’t confirm if she withdrew like Rafa did. If Sabalenka made the trip, her excessive grunts shall surely echo in an endless rally between the San Jacinto and Little San Bernardino mountain ranges.
