The Weekly Serve Newsletter – July 31

VOL. 122 // FRIDAY, JULY 31ST

"I'm super proud of how I fought and how I stayed in there."

Alex Eala, after rallying from 5-1 down in the second set to topple defending champion Leylah Fernandez in Washington this week.

TODAY'S NEWSLETTER:

• TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: Eala Books A Friday Blockbuster In D.C.
• PLAYER GOSSIP: Sinner & Djokovic Both Bail On Montreal
• VIDEO OF THE WEEK: 5 Steps To Turn Your Two-Handed Backhand Into A Weapon
• PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: adidas Women's Avaluxe (Stella Court)
• INTERESTING FACT: Lleyton Hewitt's Kid Just Made History In D.C.

Let's dive in 👇

Thursday closed out the round of 16 in Washington, so Friday is all quarterfinals. Here's what just went down and the confirmed slate on deck.

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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

EALA BOOKS A FRIDAY BLOCKBUSTER IN D.C.

Here's the thing about counting out Alex Eala: it keeps not working. The 21-year-old Filipina, now at a career-high World No. 28, spent this week bullying the Mubadala DC Open draw with comebacks most of us only dream about at 4:30 on a Tuesday night. She rallied from a set down to beat reigning Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, then climbed out of a 5-1 hole in the second set to dethrone defending champion Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1) and level their head-to-head at one apiece.

Thursday night made her reward official. No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina came through the round of 16, setting up a Friday quarterfinal that should be must-watch, and here's the fun part: Eala already beat Svitolina once this season, on her run to the semifinals in Berlin. Win it and she cracks the top 25 for the first time. Let's be honest, her level dipped in patches this week and she won anyway. That's the whole lesson right there.

FRIDAY'S CONFIRMED QUARTERFINALS 👀

• 🎾 Alexandra Eala vs [2] Elina Svitolina (a rematch of Eala's Berlin win)
• 🎾 Naomi Osaka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
• 🎾 [1] Alex de Minaur vs Brandon Nakashima
• 🎾 [3] Taylor Fritz vs Alex Michelsen (all-American)
• 🎾 Rafael Jodar (19) vs [4] Lorenzo Musetti (teen vs seed)

See the full live draw here.

IN OTHER NEWS...

• 👑 Fresh off his wedding to Katie Boulter, top seed Alex de Minaur ended 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt's Cinderella run 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday. Read more →
• 💥 Brandon Nakashima upset 7th seed Jakub Mensik 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 to reach a second straight DC quarterfinal, and de Minaur next. Read more →
• 🇺🇸 Top seed Jessica Pegula rolled into the last eight on home soil Thursday. Read more →

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PLAYER GOSSIP

SINNER AND DJOKOVIC BOTH BAIL ON MONTREAL

The National Bank Open in Montreal starts next week, and its two biggest names won't be there. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, fresh off defending his Wimbledon title, and 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the Masters 1000 event. Throw in Carlos Alcaraz, still sidelined with the right wrist injury that cost him the French Open and Wimbledon, and all three of the sport's biggest draws are out. Commentators labeled it an "absolute disaster" for the tournament, organizers voiced their frustration, and the whole thing has reignited the debate over stretching Masters events to 12 days.

Sinner kept it simple: "we believe this is the right decision to prioritize my health." Here's the thing: even the guys ranked No. 1 in the world are learning to ration their bodies across a brutal calendar. If the best player alive is skipping events to show up healthy for the ones that matter, maybe that "I'll just play through it" voice in your own head deserves a second look.

NATE'S TIP OF THE WEEK

5 STEPS TO TURN YOUR TWO-HANDED BACKHAND INTO A WEAPON

Most players treat the two-hander as the safe wing, the shot you just get back in play. This week Nate flips that, walking you through five steps to turn your backhand from a rally-keeper into a point-ender. If you've ever wished you could actually hurt someone with that side, start here.

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PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

ADIDAS WOMEN'S AVALUXE (STELLA COURT)

Style and substance don't usually share a shoe, but the adidas Avaluxe makes a strong case. This is the Stella McCartney collaboration formerly known as the Stella Court, now with a lightweight, breathable Primeknit upper, responsive Boost cushioning under the heel, and a clean look that holds up on and off the court. Better still, it's built with recycled materials, so the footwork upgrade comes with a lighter footprint.

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INTERESTING TENNIS FACT

LLEYTON HEWITT'S KID JUST MADE HISTORY IN D.C.

Seventeen-year-old Cruz Hewitt, the son of former World No. 1 Lleyton, won his first ATP main-draw match on Tuesday, beating Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-4. That made him the youngest player to win a match at the Washington tournament since Kei Nishikori back in 2007, and it came 22 years after his dad lifted the DC title. The run ended Thursday against top seed de Minaur, but Cruz is walking away with a roughly 244-spot ranking jump into the top 400, and he sealed his big win with the "vicht," the four-fingers-to-the-forehead celebration his father made famous. The apple, it seems, did not roll far.

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TENNIS P*RN

An aerial look at blue courts ringed by autumn fire in Wuhan, China.

Blue courts, a halo of fall color, and a drone that clearly understands the assignment.