According to announcers, the players participating in this year’s U.S. Open are living in a bubble. This is true of course, but – having covered the Open one year, as well as the Miami Open – I know that tennis players are always in a bubble. This year’s is simply more airtight.
And I suspect that except for the crowd energy during matches, most players are not missing the fans. They can hit on the practice courts without anyone watching; they can stroll the grounds without being hounded for autographs. The top-ranked players have been given corporate boxes, and during matches the camera will occasionally zoom in on – not a famous actor or celebrity athlete – but a shirtless Sasha Zverev or a chopstick-wielding Naomi Osaka. The players are the only stars in attendance, and they have been given the run of the place. For many it must be the ideal tournament.
Yesterday at the U.S. Open Novak Djokovic - the #1 seed who was chasing history - got defaulted for accidentally hitting a linesperson with a ball struck in anger. His action left many questions, including: How soon after the default did Roger Federer call Rafael Nadal?
The first-place Marlins are headed home from a 23-day road trip, where tomorrow they'll play in an empty stadium.
Well, there was no game at Marlins Park last night because more than a dozen players and coaches tested positive for Covid-19. The game in Philadelphia, between the Phillies and the Yankees, was also cancelled as the Marlins had just used the visiting team’s dugout and locker room. One of baseball’s most beautiful qualities – its constancy – was once again laid low by the virus, three games into the season.
I'm curious to see if the cardboard cutouts at Marlins Park tonight will be of famous Cuban exiles.