Best Two Weeks of the Year

Love-Love Letter #21 | Aug 19- 25

Your tennis cheat sheet — for fans who like the game, but don’t want to live on Tennis Twitter.

🌍 Where in the World Are We?

We’ve made it to the US Open - the final tournament on the North America hard court circuit and the last Grand Slam of the year. It’s New York, it’s loud, and it’s the stage everyone spends their season building toward. The “big one”, if you will (which knowing you, you will).

Today marks Day 3 of the singles main draw and the final day of the first round of play.

There have been two major changes this year:

• The new-look Mixed Doubles Championship ran during Fan Week (Aug 19-20), giving doubles a rare shot at the spotlight. Over two days, singles stars and fan favorites teamed up in shortened, no-ad sets for a $1 million prize. The result? Packed stands, hype DJ sets, and a little controversy too - traditional doubles specialists weren’t thrilled about their event getting reshaped just to lure in marquee names.

• Main-draw play kicked off on Sunday instead of the traditional Monday. Organizers say it gives players an extra rest day between rounds and helps TV stretch opening week into a bigger event window. Players? Mixed reviews. Some love the built-in breathing room, others feel it just makes an already marathon event even longer. Fans, though, aren’t complaining about an extra day of tennis in New York.

✅ Results You Should Know

Sara Errani & Andrea Vavassori def. Iga Świątek & Casper Ruud 6–3, 5–7, [10–6] (Mixed Doubles Final, Aug 20)
💡 Why it matters: Wildcards (yet also last year’s mixed doubles champions?) went all the way, showing that doubles this year isn’t just a side show. These champs also beat the star-studded cast of singles major winners along the way.

Benjamin Bonzi def. Daniil Medvedev 6–3, 7–5, 6–7(5), 0–6, 6–4 (First Round, Aug 24)
💡 Why it matters: Medvedev melted down amid live-court chaos when a photographer intruded mid-point. After a prolonged delay and a crowd-fueled meltdown, he was upset by Bondi for the second straight major in five sets. Drama, entertainment value, and a lesson in composure?

Novak Djokovic def. Learner Tien 6–1, 7–6(3), 6–2 (First Round, Aug 24)
💡 Why it matters: After a rare hiatus, Djokovic returned in form - but not flawless. He logged his 80th match win at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but labored through rust and even needed treatment for a blister mid-match (see here for a gnarly picture - very much NSFW, but likely not in the way you are wishing).

Karolína Muchová def. Venus Williams 6–3, 2–6, 6–1 (First Round, Aug 25)
💡 Why it matters: Venus, at 45, rolled back the years in that second set—hammering groundstrokes, unleashing vintage power, and reminding Ashe what her magic feels like. The match slipped away in the third, but for a few shining games, it felt like time stopped.

Renata Zarazúa def. Madison Keys 6–7(10), 7–6(3), 7–5 (First Round, Aug 25)
💡 Why it matters: One of the biggest early upsets. A very nervous Keys hit 89 unforced errors and 14 double faults - numbers that doomed her. Zarazúa, ranked outside the Top 50, seized the moment for the win of her career.

🔥 Can’t-Miss Highlights

🎥 Emma Raducanu stunned 
… as doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz hits winner around the net after she gave up on the point.
▶️ Watch here (start at 9:06)

🎥 Venus Williams immaculate set at 45 years old
Powerful swinging volleys, backhand winners, and a whole lot more.
▶️ Watch here (start at 5:42)

📆 What to Watch For

📺 How to Watch 

• In the U.S., tune into the US Open on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, or stream on ESPN+. Coverage starts bright and early: matches begin mid-morning (11am), with marquee sessions on ABC later in the day.

Some final Round 1 matches to look out for today:

• Jannik Sinner [1] vs. Vit Kopřiva
  💡 Top seed Sinner begins his title bid—expect clean hitting and crowd hype.

• Alexander Zverev [3] vs. Alejandro Tabilo
  💡 Tabilo’s lefty game can be disruptive; Zverev needs focus early.

• Coco Gauff [3] vs. Ajla Tomljanović
  💡 Gauff’s first step onto Ashe—energy, pressure, and fashion watch all in one.

• Iga Świątek [2] vs. Emiliana Arango
  💡 Świątek is in Slam mode, but Arango’s fearless baseline play makes this a sneaky test.

📰 Off-Court Happenings

It’s the US Open right now!

👗 An Outfit Worth Seeing

Alcaraz’s Buzzcut Debut

• The Look: OK maybe not an outfit, but Carlos Alcaraz showed up to the US Open with a freshly shaved buzzcut, ditching his head of hair for a sharper, no-nonsense style.

• Why It Stands Out: Forget flashy kits - this was a whole identity reset. The buzzcut makes him look leaner, meaner, and locked in for business under the New York lights. Fans on social were split - half saying “military recruit,” half saying “movie star glow-up” - but everyone agreed it was impossible not to notice.

• Vibe Check: Streamlined, intense, and very “I came here to win Slams”.