🤩 Dream final set

Not even climate change activists could stop Coco Gauff from reaching her maiden GS final at the US Open last night. Here’s what went down in the two women’s semifinals.

Gauff won over Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5. She faced an eventful night with a protester delaying play for 50 minutes, but she remained composed. Gauff is now coached by Brad Gilbert, aiming to emulate his success with Andy Roddick 20 years ago.

The semifinal saw her endure distractions, but her ability to focus and handle pressure proved crucial. A memorable 40-shot rally showcased her mental toughness. Gauff credits her improved mentality since her loss in the 2022 French Open final, emphasising relaxation and self-belief.

In the other semifinal, Aryna Sabalenka came back from a 0-6, 3-5 deficit to beat Madison Keys it what might be the match of the tournament 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(5). Sabalenka is perfect on hard court Slams this year, reaching her second Grand Slam final.

Sabalenka, having won the Australian Open, seeks her second Grand Slam title. Despite facing setbacks, she maintained a positive outlook.

Her opponent in the final, Gauff, once plagued by pressure, now plays relaxed tennis, her forehand still a work in progress but mitigated by her overall game. She's won 17 of her last 18 matches. At 19, Gauff is the youngest American to reach the US Open final since Serena Williams in 1999.

🫠 Meanwhile, the Climate Change Protesters who glued their feet to the ground at least stayed to see half of the semifinal - we’d say they are half committed to the cause…

Wimbledon on the other hand who faced climate change protesters this year was like…

 🤒 Mysterious illness at the US Open

A mysterious virus resembling Covid-19 is impacting US Open players, causing symptoms such as fatigue, fever, stomach aches, and nausea.

Dominic Thiem was the first tennis player afflicted, leading to his withdrawal from a match against Ben Shelton, describing his condition as terrible.

Other players, including Christopher Eubanks, Emil Ruusuvuori, Hubert Hurkacz, and Ons Jabeur, have reported similar symptoms.

The Tunisian tennis star Jabeur, told reporters after her second round win that she felt unwell during the match and struggled to bring her A-game onto the court due to persistent coughing and other syndromes.

'I'm a zombie because I have a flu,' said this year's finalist at Wimbledon. 'I'm taking a lot of medicine.'

Iga Swiatek, after losing to Jelena Ostapenko, also expressed concerns about the virus's potential spread during large sporting events.

John McEnroe disclosed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on the second day of the tournament in August.

'I'm watching the US Open from home & can't wait to get back to work soon,' McEnroe told ESPN.

Tournament organisers fear that McEnroe's diagnosis and the spread of troubling symptoms among players are the results of the COVID Pirola variant expanding, which experts have described as a health issue. The Pirola variant, which has surged in the US and even affected First Lady Jill Biden.

 ⏰ Shot Clock

🌮 WTA Finals event goes to Mexico in 2023 but Saudi could host in future. This year's WTA Finals will be staged in the Mexican resort of Cancun - but the one-year agreement leaves the door open for Saudi Arabia to host the event in future seasons.

😫 Following loss at US Open, Jannik Sinner pulls out of Davis Cup for Italy. Sinner announced he will skip the upcoming Davis Cup Group stage phase due to fatigue. Italy will play against Canada, Sweden and Chile between September 12-17 in front of the home fans in Bologna

🤕 Matteo Berrettini announces diagnosis after scary US Open injury. The Italian announced that he sustained a ruptured ligament but also revealed that his ankle injury "did not cause as much damage as originally feared." However, he will be forced to pull out of the Davis Cup (like Sinner) and the Asian swing.

🥒 Eugene Bouchard signs up for new professional Pickleball tour. the former world No. 5 and 2014 Wimbledon finalist, has joined the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour for the 2024 season. She has yet to comment on what this means for her tennis career.

🤩 Bopanna give us hope by reaching the US Open doubles final at 43 years old. Bopanna's second appearance in a men's doubles Slam final, makes him the oldest men's player to reach a Grand slam final in the Open era. Bopanna beats the record of Daniel Nestor of Canada, who was 43 years and 4 months when he played in a major final, by two months.

💰️Player returns first round prize money of $81,500. American Fiona Crawley who got given a wild card into qualifying and won three matches to make it to the 1st round of the US Open, had to return the $81,500 US Open prize money in order not to jeopardize her eligibility to play collage tennis.

🎉 Happy Friday!

It’s Friday and the work afternoon is dragging on. You need something to get you through to the weekend and onto the finals. We know 15 mins of fun that will do the trick 😉 

Check out the greatest trick shots in US Open history…