Happy Friday, everyone! Time for your weekly rally through the top stories in tennis, racket sports, culture, and beyond.

Keep reading for our trivia question that, believe it or not, connects tennis, LEGO, and the Olympics.

 1️⃣ LEGO Gifts Swiatek Wimbledon Tribute

Sweet Surprise: Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek received a very unique trophy to go with her 2025 title, a giant LEGO strawberry. The gift from LEGO Poland celebrates both her victory and her viral confession about her favorite post-match meal at SW19: pasta with strawberries.

Brick-By-Brick: The custom LEGO sculpture stands about 30 centimeters tall and contains 3,000 pieces, complete with a mini Swiatek figurine at its center. LEGO has previously gifted the Polish star a custom clay-court replica model, built with more than 11,000 bricks and features 224 figurines.

Off-Court Hobby: Swiatek is an official LEGO ambassador in Poland and has said model-building helps her reset and unwind from the pressures of tour life. Maybe the strawberry makes an appearance when she chats with Andy next week?

2️⃣ Wimbledon Serves Ratings Smash

Blockbuster Finals: Jannik Sinner’s title win over Carlos Alcaraz delivered the most-watched men’s final on ESPN in six years. The match peaked at 4 million viewers and averaged 2.9 million. Despite the women’s final lasting 57 minutes, 1.3 million people in the U.S. watched Iga Swiatek win her first trophy at the All England Club.

Digital Record Smashed: BBC Sport reported that Wimbledon delivered a record 69.3 million digital video views this year, compared to 50.1 million online requests in 2024. The network reported 8.8 million people tuned in across TV and online platforms for the men’s final, while 4.1 million viewers watched the women’s final on BBC One.

Strong Start: Early-round coverage also did well on ESPN this year. The network reported first round matches averaged more than 570,000 viewers, making it the most-watched first round in eight years. This year’s quarterfinal round was the most-watched since 2019.

12k Club: Aryna Sabalenka became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to top 12,000 WTA ranking points, reaching 12,420 after her semifinal run at Wimbledon, where she gained 780 points.

Creating Separation: She now holds a 4,751-point lead over world No. 2 Coco Gauff, the largest margin in more than two years. The last time the gap between the top two players was this wide was when then–world No. 1 Iga Swiatek led Sabalenka by 4,800 points in 2023.

What’s Next?: After recently withdrawing from Montreal due to fatigue, Sabalenka will now look to defend her titles, and her points, in Cincinnati and at the US Open. A win in New York would make it three consecutive years in which she’s captured a major.

Taking A Step Back: Ons Jabeur announced Thursday that she’s taking a break from professional tennis. The former World No. 2 and three-time Grand Slam finalist said the time away is needed to recover from injuries and burnout and to reconnect with life off the court.

Putting Herself First: In a heartfelt message on social media, Jabeur wrote that it’s time “to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living.” After a tough stretch that included early Slam exits and lingering physical setbacks, she’s choosing rest over routine.

Staying Connected: While she’s stepping back, Jabeur made it clear she’ll stay connected with her fans, while thanking them for their support and understanding. She’s been a trailblazer and a bright spot on tour and the tennis world will be ready to welcome her back whenever she’s ready. Current pros and tennis legends like Billie Jean King publicly supported her decision on Instagram.

5️⃣ 2028 Olympic Schedule Change Draws Criticism

Olympic Schedule Released: Tennis at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will take place at the Carson Courts, part of the Dignity Health Sports Park, but the mixed doubles event is causing confusion. Organizers confirmed it will be squeezed into just two days, a big change from the four-day format used in Paris.

Mixed Reactions: This decision has been criticized by fans, who are questioning the rationale behind reducing the event to a rushed format, especially when the medal matches are scheduled for just one day after all tennis events begin.

Troubling Trend?: This move seems to mirror the revamped two-day mixed doubles format which will debut in August at the US Open.

Note: The Mifel Tennis Open at Los Cabos Final will be played at 8:30 PM eastern time (5:30 PM local) on Saturday, July 19th.

What To Watch For

Mifel Tennis Open at Los Cabos (ATP 250): The first hard court tournament of the summer for the ATP Tour. Top seed Andrey Rublev headlines the field as the semifinals begin Friday night.

Swiss Open at Gstaad (ATP 250): Back from injury which forced him to miss Wimbledon, Casper Ruud is the top seed. Alexander Bublik is the No. 2 seed in the draw.

Nordea Open at Bastad (ATP 250): Defending champion Nuno Borges lost in the R16, while 2022 winner Francisco Cerundolo is the top seed.

Hamburg Ladies Open (WTA 250): Top seeds Ekaterina Alexandrova and Dayana Yastremska look to claim a trophy on the German clay. French Open Cinderella Lois Boisson is also in the quarterfinals.

Iasi Open (WTA 250): Four of the top five seeds in the draw failed to reach the quarterfinals. In the second year as a 250-level event, it’s anyone’s trophy to win.

Full international WTA & ATP broadcast list.

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