Author: lehang

Just four minutes into Wednesday’s matchup with Connecticut, Caitlin Clark was suddenly flashed back to her ignominious debut week in the WNBA.

In her third game of the season, Clark ran aimlessly into a screen from New York’s Breanna Stewart and stumbled to her feet before the All-Star forward dove to the mid-post for an easy bucket against the Fever’s hapless defense.

Another of the WNBA’s premier players turned crushing brick wall, Alyssa Thomas this time, knocked Clark to the Gainbridge Fielhouse hardwood on Wednesday evening, and four months later Clark can admit that these devastating screens still leave a mark. “Yeah, it hurt a [little] bit,” Clark told reporters. “I would say it’s up there with one of the most physical games I’ve played so far, but you know you’re gonna get that.”

But the next 36 minutes served as a testament to both Clark and the Fever’s tremendous growth over the past four months. As a late rally from Connecticut tied the game with 90 seconds remaining, the star point guard blew by Veronica Burton for a finger-roll finish, capping off a 19-point, five-assist evening as Indiana dispatched of the WNBA’s third-best team 84-80.

“I think this is a really big win for us, I think this a team that we felt we hadn’t really given a game to at all…” Clark continued. “We didn’t feel like we were playing how we are now — the two games there [Connecticut] were about as bad as it gets for us as a team this season — so I’m just proud of our group. I thought we came in very motivated, very excited for this game.”

Stewart’s hard screen and dive to the rim back in May compounded a much more dire situation for the Fever, who fell to 0-3 after a third double-digit defeat. Clark was oscillating between erroneous shooting and devastating turnover woes — she’d finished 1-7 from 3 the game after setting the WNBA record for giveaways in a debut — as her collision with Stewart, for many, came to represent the league’s patently physical style wearing down the slight point guard.

Clark set the record for turnovers in a WNBA debut against Connecticut© Getty Images

The Fever, meanwhile, posted a noxious 112.2 defensive rating through this three-game stretch, and by June 10, one of the aforementioned blowout losses in Connecticut, Indiana was on pace for the second-worst defense in WNBA history. Their fortunes improved modestly before the Olympic break, however, and since the league’s return this month, the Fever appear a team reborn.

Over their last four games, the Fever rank sixth in defensive rating, perfectly adequate as Clark has led one of the league’s most efficient offenses in recent weeks. A clutch conclusion to Wednesday’s game embodied this improvement, shutting down the Sun on five-straight possessions to secure a fourth win in five games.

Clark is now in the upper third among 117 eligible players for effective field goal percentage while setting the all-time WNBA assist record for a rookie against the Sun. And perhaps most improbably for a team once defined by historic losing and testy locker room dynamics, Wednesday’s post-game pressure featured contagious laughter and enduring smiles.

“I think the word joy you just used is something that we couldn’t find a lot of early,” coach Christie Sides said. “You got to have fun playing this game, and that joy is so important. When we came out of the Olympic break and won those two games, it was a different feel out there… there’s this joy.”

George Gervin scored 33 points in a quarter in 1978. He held that scoring record for almost four decades until Klay Thompson dropped 37 in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings on January 23, 2015. However, if you ask the Iceman, his 33 is still greater than Klay’s 37.

george-gervin–klay-thompson-

“I’d like to see him try to get 33 or 37 in a quarter when there wasn’t no three-point line,” Gervin said via Bleacher Report. “I don’t feel—and it’s funny, everybody laughs—I don’t feel he broke my record.”

“Think about it, man,” added Gervin. “That’s like if we’re going to have a race, and you start on the 50-yard line and I start on the 1-yard line and we’re doing a 100-yard race. It’s not even.”

The San Antonio Spurs legend has an interesting point. Iceman scored 33 in the second quarter against the New Orleans Jazz in the Spurs’ last game of the 1977-78 season. Two seasons later, the league adopted a three-point line.

On the other hand, Thompson got his 37 by making nine threes, four two-point field goals, and two free throws. If the four-time NBA champ did it back in Gervin’s day, that’s only worth 28 points.

“Worst shot in basketball”

Gervin is not exactly a fan of the three-point shot, which is a bit surprising since he played in the ABA, the league that pioneered the rainbow “gimmick.”

“Three-pointer is the worst shot in basketball. When you talk about fundamentals, you talk about two-point shot,” Iceman reasoned in an interview with BBALLBREAKDOWN. “I shot 51% in my career shooting twos. What I would teach a young person… I say make the twos because it’s closer in and you shoot a better percentage. The three-point shot is the worst shot in basketball.”

Iceman made that statement in 2015, which certainly did not age well. Mathematically, a 33% three-point shooter scores more than a 49% shooter from two on the same volume of attempts. And a 51% two-point shooter like Gervin scores less than someone who makes 34% of threes on the same attempts. Now, consider a 41% career three-point shooter like Klay, and that’s a blowout!

It’s another thing to live and die by the three-point shot. Nevertheless, making it part of a team or player’s offensive arsenal is crucial to winning basketball games.

Iceman gave Klay his flowers

Being proud of your body of work is expected at the highest level. Gervin was not trying to discredit Klay’s achievement; instead, he was in awe of Thompson’s ability as a shooter.

“I’m saying, like, wait a minute, y’all. Y’all are making it seem like what I did was just regular,” Gervin remarked. “I ain’t mad at the kid doing what he did. But what I’m saying is, let’s let the fans know what really happened, and let them be the judge of it… You can’t do anything but compliment that kid, man. That’s very impressive, for accuracy and shooting. But that’s for another record.”

“If you give a guy an advantage to break my record, it ain’t on the same playing level,” added Gervin. “So I’m saying, I ain’t going away that easy, by saying ‘Hey, he broke my record.’ Now, I don’t care what nobody say. I’m standing up for something that I’m real proud of, man…In the system that I played, my record will never be broken.”

Iceman felt his and Klay’s records did not belong in the same category. If he had his way, he would have the record for most points in a quarter in the “no three-point line era,” while Thompson would get his recognition in the context of modern basketball. Regardless, both feats are fantastic and deserve to be celebrated.

The start of the 2024 Paris Olympics was quite eventful for Team USA. While the team got excellent production from several players in its 26-point rout of Serbia, the unavoidable spotlight draped all over All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, who didn’t see the light of play.

jayson-tatum-benched-against-serbia

The NBA world was torn over what to think. Either something was wrong with Tatum, or head coach Steve Kerr lost his mind. Whatever it was, the Boston Celtics superstar has kept it mellow any time the subject has been broached.

Through it all

In many ways, how Tatum’s been evaluated on the internet this summer isn’t far from what he’s faced over his career. Being the face of a royal NBA franchise, the 26-year-old has been in the limelight throughout his seven years in the association.

Even as Boston faced little adversity in its pursuit of an NBA championship this past spring, the Duke product dealt with the basketball world, comparing him to his teammate Jaylen Brown. When the championship round settled in, he heard folks calling him a role player going along for the ride. Then, after the jolt of thrill hit him as he watched confetti rain down in the arena and celebrated his first title, Brown took home Finals MVP, and Tatum received more backlash.

A month later, now with Team USA, Jayson was met with the opportunity to secure an NBA championship and gold medal in the same summer. Weeks after arriving in Paris, he got that medal, alright. But it was delivered after events he couldn’t have anticipated.

“It was a lot. In the age of social media, you see everything,” Tatum told The Athletic. “You see all the tweets and the people on the podcasts and people on TV giving their opinion on whether they thought it was a good decision or it was an outrageous decision or whatever. Obviously, I wanted to contribute more, and I’ve never been in [this] situation. I started playing basketball at [age] 3 at the YMCA, and I’ve never not played, so it was different and it was challenging.”

Upward and onward

At least publicly, the NBA champion has been remarkably pragmatic. But then again, he is keeping things in perspective. Many players don’t even reach the apex of their performance until somewhere in their late 20s to right around 30. For a relatively young player like Tatum, he has multiple NBA All-Star and All-NBA nods, an All-Star Game MVP, an NBA championship, and now a pair of gold medals—all before turning 27.

“I have two [gold medals] now; I have a championship, and everything doesn’t necessarily go the way you expect it to go, right?” said JT. “I’ve learned to be like, ‘OK, that’s a part of it.’ You move on, and I’m getting ready to enjoy the last little weeks I have before the season starts and get ready for another season.”

The 2024-25 NBA season is another opportunity for a golden leap. As the leader of the best team in the association, No. 0 is positioned to return to the NBA Finals and add to his legacy in a striking fashion.

Most of all, the superstar forward has demonstrated excellent resolve throughout his seven years. Two summers ago, he was fresh off his lowest moment, which came in a finals loss to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, when he finished the 2022 postseason with an unprecedented 100 turnovers.

Still, he bounced back the next season by tallying a career-best 30.1 points per game and was in the MVP conversation all year long. Now, he just received the ultimate payoff with his first ring.

NFL fans are losing their minds after a new video showed some awful officiating calls against the San Francisco 49ers in their Super Bowl 58 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes and Bill Vinovich (Photos via @_MLFootball)

Unfortunately, questionable officiating was once again a key storyline in the Super Bowl. One year after the Chiefs were the beneficiary of a game-sealing holding call against James Bradbery in Super Bowl 57, Kansas City was again on the wrong side of several officiating miscues in Super Bowl 58.

The ML Football X/Twitter account posted a video put together by popular social media personality Joseph Robert, also known as “Fantasy Football Counselor.” The video shows several mistakes by Bill Vinochich’s crew that went against the 49ers.

That included a questionable holding call against 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams that wiped out a Brock Purdy completion to George Kittle, prompting San Fran head coach Kyle Shanahan to tell one official to make sure holding is called “both ways.”

The video shows several more instances of officials missing blatant offensive holding calls against the Chiefs o-line:

This new video of the blown calls from Super Bowl 58 sent social media into a giant frenzy, to say the very least:

At any rate, the 49ers had their chances to win the game. They could have stopped the Chiefs’ game-tying drive in the fourth quarter after Jake Moody’s go-ahead field goal. Or they could have stopped Patrick Mahomes on 4th down during his game-winning drive before he found Mecole Hardman to walk off Super Bowl 58.

49ers Need To Learn From Super Bowl 58 Heartbreak

No team has had more heartbreak over the last five years than the 49ers, who have lost two Super Bowls to the Chiefs (Super Bowl 54 as well) and two NFC Championship Games (2021 to the Los Angeles Rams and 2022 to the Philadelphia Eagles).

Mistakes were made by the officials in Super Bowl 58, yes. But the 49ers need to use the heartbreaking loss as a learning experience and motivation in their quest to finally bring Lombardi Trophy No. 6 back to the west coast.

The Serbian legend did not impress in the first two rounds of the 2024 US Open

Novak Djokovic did not impress in the first two rounds of the 2024 US Open. The former world number 1 has not lost any sets up to this point in the tournament, but he didn’t seem 100% fit and he himself admitted that he needed more time to express his best tennis.

The Serbian champion did not play a tournament on the hard court since the Indian Wells Masters 1000 in spring, having decided to skip the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters 1000 after his triumph at the Paris Olympics. The 24-time Grand Slam champion knew he needed a break after the hard work of the last two months, when he also had to undergo knee surgery.

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios© YouTube screenshot

After defeating Radu Albot and Laslo Djere, Nole will face Alexei Popryin for a place in the round of 16. The 37-year-old from Belgrade will have to pay close attention to the Australian ace, who possesses dangerous weapons on this surface and is much more fearsome than the first two opponents faced by Novak in New York.

Popryin is playing the best tennis of his career and recently won the first Masters 1000 of his career in Montreal. The Australian will play with nothing to lose and has already shown that he can dominate the world number 2 this year at the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships.

Nole could risk today

Djokovic will have to serve and play better if he wants to avoid trouble in the third round of the US Open. The Serbian legend is aware that his current level is not enough to get far in this tournament and he intends to practice hard to reach 100% of his condition. Nole has set another impressive record in NY after winning the second round against compatriot Laslo Djere.

The Serbian champion is the first player in history to win 90 matches in all Grand Slam tournaments: a threshold reached also in New York, which was the missing competition. In fact, Nole already boasts 94 wins at the Australian Open (with 10 triumphs), 96 at Roland Garros in Paris (3 titles won) and even 97 at Wimbledon (the main cup has raised it 7 times).

The number of victories corresponding to the event in Flushing Meadows will be further increased in these days by the number 2 in the world, which has all the intention to want to defend fully the status of champion in office (No tennis player has done it since 2008, after the 5 consecutive triumphs of Roger Federer). Novak will certainly fight to find the 25th Slam of her career and the first title of a very difficult season, in which she has however achieved the goal placed at the top of the list (the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris). Novak Djokovic, US Open 2024© Stream screenshot

Djokovic will face the Australian Alexei Popyrin in the third round, who has already faced him at Wimbledon on grass: “He’s improved a lot, is a great tennis player and has just won his first Master 1000. He always had a good service and an excellent right, now he has improved also on the backhand and in the defensive phase. I know I have a great match to look forward to, I will review our previous challenges and try to better understand what I need to do,” he said in the press conference about the next opponent.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion had a stomach issue during his last match against Djere on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium: “I had stomach issues for most of the first two sets, and that was reflected in how I recovered after points. I was sweating a lot, finding it hard to breathe.”

Popyrin thinks he can win

Interviewed on the eve of the highly anticipated challenge, Popyrin said he strongly believes he can beat the legend of Belgrade: “I truly believe I could have won that match if I had taken the third set in the Australian Open. I felt like I was in the driver’s seat, very comfortable there, enjoyed every moment. Djokovic is a very solid player, but I feel like he gives you opportunities from time to time in the points. Novak Djokovic© YouTube screenshot

I think he played particularly well at Wimbledon. I didn’t have many break chances and Novak mixed his serves very well. So, I didn’t feel as comfortable as in Australia. I think that was probably the closest and that’s the one that hurt me the most. Then I felt disappointed because I felt like I was in the match and could have had my chances to win there.

What I’ve learned from those two matches is simply that I can compete with him. He’s the best of all time and one of the best players in the world right now, but I can go toe to toe with him, and only in the important points does he step up a bit, I just have to wait for that if I play with him.”

There’s no doubt that Caitlin Clark has many haters, both from fellow players and others in the media. Sheryl Swoopes has emerged as someone who is not afraid to ignore Clark or just trash her.

Sheryl Swoopes and Caitlin Clark (Photos via Getty Images)

During a Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings game that Swoopes was in the booth for, she went completely silent for 50 seconds while the other analysts discussed Clark’s being one of the players to win Player of the Week.

Sheryl Swoopes goes completely silent for 50 seconds as her co-caster talks about Caitlin Clark winning player of the week pic.twitter.com/CEeoSduczG

— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) August 28, 2024

Of course, this infuriated many WNBA fans who have had enough of the disrespect from Swoopes.

“Swoopes is classless. I don’t get the hate she spews for CC. She’s has really tarnished her legacy by being such a jealous bigot. Grow up Sheryl,” one comment said.

“She’s gonna have a miserable decade or so Caitlin is just getting started. Imagine hating on a rookie for literally no reason,” said another.

Also Read: Four-Time WNBA Champion Sheryl Swoopes Calls Out “Coward” Stephen A. Smith Over Caitlin Clark Controversy

“All she had to say was well deserved by both players and would’ve been a non story But she is so Jealous of Clark its embarrassing at this point, she’s the one that’s been making up lies about CC WNBA needs to fire her, how can an employee hate the Face of the WNBA so petty,” a third added.

“Obviously she doesn’t need to be calling a game if she can’t even respect a player and acknowledge and accomplishment of a player they need to pull her from calling any type of games or being a part of any network she can’t be professional,” a fourth continued.

It’s become very evident that Swoopes is becoming very disliked by a large amount of WNBA fans.

Sheryl Swoopes Caught More Backlash From Stephen A Smith

Smith has not been afraid to unload on Swoopes for not giving Clark any credit. He exposed Swoopes for not mentioning Clark when talking about how well the Indiana Fever played on her “Queens of the Court” Podcast.

“No Caitlin Clark?” Smith said. “Respectfully, Sheryl Swoopes, do you have any idea how that makes you look?

“You have any idea how that serves to stain any kind of critique of Caitlin Clark, because that gives fodder to those who believe she’s being hated on and ostracized to some degree?” he continued.

Folks expecting a political endorsement by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes better not get their hopes up.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes and Donald Trump (Photos via Getty Images)

Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, made headlines last week when fans noticed she “liked” a post from Donald Trump’s Instagram account. Trump is running against Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 United States presidential election:

Two of Mahomes’ teammates, tight end Travis Kelce and kicker Harrison Butker, have dropped strong hints that they’ll be voting for the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively.

But during an interview with TIME that was published in April, Patrick Mahomes made it clear that he won’t be publicly endorsing either nominee in this year’s election:

“I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain President. I want people to use their voice, whoever they believe in. I want them to do the research”

Trump has received political endorsements from other notable athletes (past and present), including Brett Favre, Mike Ditka, Antonio Brown, John Elway, Mike Tyson, Mike Piazza, Mariano Rivera, Johnny Damon, Curt Schilling, Bob Cousy, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman.

But like most other high-profile professional athletes, Patrick Mahomes has understandably decided to avoid controversy by keeping his political opinions to himself. Regardless of his voting intentions, offering any endorsement would just upset a large number of Mahomes’ fanbase.

Mahomes and the Chiefs will kick off the 2024 NFL season on Sept. 5 when they welcome reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens to Arrowhead Stadium.

Patrick Mahomes & Chiefs Eye A Three-Peat

No team in NFL history has won three straight Lombardi Trophies, and only the 1971-73 Miami Dolphins, 1990-93 Buffalo Bills and 2016-18 New England Patriots have played in three straight Super Bowls.

Kansas City is two-thirds of the way there, having defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58 to complete the first repeat in 19 years. If the Chiefs can make it three straight, they’ll have completed the first three-peat in the “big four” professional sports leagues since the 2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers.

Brittany Mahomes has hit back at her critics after the wife of the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback was slammed for being caught liking a post related to the campaign of Donald Trump.

Brittany Mahomes (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes, posted a strong but intriguing message on her Instagram story amid the significant backlash she has received.

The 28-year-old mother of two, soon to be three, “liked” one of the posts from the Republican nominee as many called for Tayor Swift to stop being around her.

Brittany Mahomes shared a quote from Shane Pruitt on Instagram: “Contrary to the tone of the world today… You can disagree with someone and still love them. You can have differing views and still be kind.”

Brittany herself appeared to send a message to her critics on social media by adding her own personal caption of, “Read that again!”

Brittany herself appeared to send a message to her critics on social media by adding her own personal caption of, “Read that again!”

That is a clear shot at anybody who has had something to say about her and her friendship with Taylor Swift amid this controversy.

Patrick Mahomes Remains Quiet While Brittany Mahomes Goes Back-And-Forth With

Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes, dropped another strong but rather intriguing message late last week, amid social media coming for her due to her support for Donald Trump.

“I mean honestly, to be a hater as an adult you have to have some deep rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood,” she told her audience on Instagram. “There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.”

In the middle of this drama has been Patrick Mahomes, who has not said a word as he has chosen to stay out of this.

Patrick has not made his political stance clear and likely will not to avoid what his wife s going through.

LeBron James and Derrick White were teammates on Team USA at the Paris Olympics, where they won gold together. LeBron played in every game and earned MVP honors for his performance. In contrast, Derrick White’s role was more limited; he was added to the roster after Kawhi Leonard withdrew due to injury.

 

Derrick White, LeBron James and Michael Jordan (Images Credit: Getty Images)

Throughout the tournament, from the group stage to the gold medal game, White had the opportunity to witness LeBron’s extraordinary athleticism up close. This experience left a lasting impression on White, who did not hesitate to declare LeBron as his GOAT, even over Michael Jordan.

When asked about who he considers the GOAT, White provided a straightforward answer, showing no doubt.

“He is the GOAT,” White said.

He reiterated his stance, adding, “LeBron is the GOAT. Not MJ. LeBron, LeGOAT, my king.”

LeBron wrapped up his impressive Olympics run by averaging 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and a team-best 10.2 assists per game.

Fans React to Derrick White’s Bold Claim on LeBron James

The GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and the Lakers’ LeBron James never seems to end. While Jordan has won more championships and MVP awards than James, LeBron has surpassed Jordan in points, rebounds, and assists. As a result, the criteria you use to determine the GOAT is crucial in this debate.

After Derrick White recently expressed his opinion by choosing James as his GOAT, NBA fans quickly joined the conversation. They took to social media to voice their thoughts, reigniting the longstanding debate.

LeBron has also surpassed Jordan in terms of Olympic gold medals, with three to Jordan’s two. Following LeBron’s performance at the Paris Olympics, many fans, like White, are convinced that James is the true GOAT.

They were quick to share their admiration for James, praising his achievements and claiming his legacy over Jordan’s. What’s more, some fans appreciated White’s honesty in expressing his opinion.

The GOAT debate continues to be a hot topic among current and former NBA stars, and it will be interesting to see who weighs in next with their perspective on this ongoing discussion.

Alcaraz will play in the night session on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium once again

Carlos Alcaraz will play in the night session on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium once again, as he did in his first round match at the 2024 US Open against Australian ace Li Tu. The former world number 1 – champion in New York in 2022 – is still not expressing his best tennis and needs to regain energy after the hard work of the last two months.

Carlos Alcaraz© @tifosasainz Xa ccount

The 21-year-old from Murcia has won the French Open, the Wimbledon Championships and the silver medal at the Paris Olympics, proving to be a predestined player. Carlitos missed the Montreal Masters 1000 and played rather badly in Cincinnati, where he was eliminated by French veteran Gael Monfils in the second round.

The four-time Grand Slam champion wants to win his third consecutive Major, so he will become the youngest ever to win five Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz is aware that he has to play better if he wants to get far in this tournament, which has often offered surprising results over the last 10-15 years.

The young Spaniard had many ups and downs during his first-round match, giving up the second set to Tu and committing several unforced unusual errors. Besides Alcaraz, Italian Jannik Sinner and Serbian legend Novak Djokovic also struggled more than expected in the first days of the tournament.

Alcaraz will play in the night session

Carlos Alcaraz will face Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the 2024 US Open. The Spaniard – who won both matches against the Dutch – will have to be careful of an opponent who can play without pressure.

“It will be a great match because he is one of the best players in the world. He can do anything with a tennis ball. You don’t know what to expect, in a positive sense; I just have to play. It’s fun to play against him because he varies a lot, and that’s what I like. I’m definitely looking forward to it” – Botic van de Zandschulp said before the match. The former world number 1 will have to perform more regularly if he wants to avoid danger and get to the third round without wasting too much energy.

According to top coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Alcaraz is not the top favourite at the 2024 US Open: “They have chances, but Novak is a step above. Carlos performed poorly in Cincinnati and I see him mentally exhausted, while Sinner continues to struggle with his hip, and his level of play has dropped recently.” Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2024© Stream screenshot

Tennis legend John McEnroe also warned Carlitos: “Alcaraz is my favourite player to watch right now. He can do everything and he does it all so well. It seems almost impossible that he would be that positive every week, that he can win as often as he does at that age. The smile, everything about him, it’s hard to believe he doesn’t get frustrated in a sport that is as frustrating as tennis is.

Trust me, I know what it’s like to get frustrated in tennis! I think that defeat in Cincinnati was a combination of a lot of factors. Doing what he did in Paris, playing as amazing as he did at Wimbledon, getting to the gold medal match Olympics and playing an amazing match against Novak. I’m sure he felt he needed a little bit more of a break after that. Novak didn’t play, he pulled out of Montreal and Cincinnati, but he is 37 and felt like he needed a break.

Then for Carlos, there is a bit of pressure from the powers that be to play and I think, in retrospect, it would have been better if he hadn’t played at all. So I think that was a bit of a blip in Cincinnati, but I do think it’s going to be a big ask for him to win the US Open emotionally after everything that’s happened over the last few months. How much is in the tank? So that’s why I think it opens the door for someone other than the three guys that we think could win it.”

Carlitos won two Slams this year

If he wants to finish the season at the top of the ATP ranking, Alcaraz needs a great result at the 2024 US Open (where last year he was eliminated by Medvedev in the semifinals). Carlos Alcaraz, US Open 2024© Stream screenshot

During the last press conference, the Spaniard also reflected on his relationship with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic: “We have a good rivalry. Every time that we step on the court, we played really high tennis. Every time that we faced against each other, it has been a really good and intense match. But we have a really good friendship off the court. We talk a lot in the lockers every time that we see each other around. With his team as well. Once we step on the court, there are no friends here on tour, but after that, after the court, I have a really good relationship with a lot of players, and one of them is Novak.”