Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about the latest happenings in the world of tennis.
First off, let’s talk about the big win by Carlos Alcaraz at the China Open in Beijing. This young Spaniard has been on fire, conquering his 16th career title and his fourth of the season. He defeated his rival Jannik Sinner in a thrilling match that lasted 3 hours and 21 minutes. Alcaraz’s victory marked his third consecutive win over Sinner this season, solidifying his lead in their head-to-head record. 
In an on-court interview, Alcaraz thanked his family, team, and the Chinese crowd for their support. He acknowledged that the last few months have been tough but emphasized that all the hard work is now bearing fruit. His words of admiration for Jannik Sinner were particularly heartfelt, highlighting Sinner’s strength and humility.
Now, let’s dive into some exciting news from the ITF Junior Circuit. The ITF Junior Circuit has been buzzing with some amazing matches recently. Jacob Lee and Jordyn Hazelitt are two American players who made waves at the ITF J60 in Mexico. Jacob Lee, a 16-year-old from Georgia, won his fourth ITF Junior Circuit title with a thrilling 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Navneet Raghuram. In doubles, Lee and his partner Anirudh Dhanwada defeated Luis Andres Flores Avila and Guillermo Marcio of Mexico 6-2, 6-2. 
Jordyn Hazelitt, an unseeded 14-year-old from the United States, took the singles title without dropping a set. She beat top seed Marianne Angel of Mexico 6-4, 6-0 and then partnered with Lyla Middleton to win the doubles title without losing a set as well. Zavier Augustin is another standout performer who won his first ITF Junior Circuit singles title at the J60 in Honduras. He also secured the doubles title with Sean Grosman, defeating top seeds Oliver Moises Aguilar Gasperin and Lucas Martin Velasco 7-5, 7-5 in the final.
In high school tennis, Ohio is heating up with some exciting matches and strong performances from various players. Loveland High School is one of the top teams in Ohio, led by coach Jennifer Kapszukiewicz. Players like Marlee Fleming, Laura Hiett, and Anna Proano-Raps are making a name for themselves in the Central District. Other notable players include Mallory Hitchcock from Eaton who defeated Sophie Jovanov of Miamisburg; Lauren Burkett from Dublin Coffman who beat Harshini Mallipeddi of Olentangy; and Elena Fleming from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin who defeated Meredith Hurley of Shaker Heights.
Now let’s talk about the upcoming Ryder Cup. The long countdown has begun that will take us straight to the 2025 Ryder Cup in Bethpage. As usual, the two captains of Team USA and Team Europe met the world press a year after the first tee shot of the competition. In New York, Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley once again had the merit of not being banal. The first by bringing the name of Sergio Garcia back into fashion, the second by imagining himself in the role of the player-captain. 
Holder of the trophy raised at the Marco Simone, Donald takes on the difficult task of winning a Ryder Cup on the other continent. Since 2012, no one has managed to confirm themselves as champion on someone else’s home turf. And that success is already history (does the miracle of Medinah ring a bell?). Since then, it has always been only victories for the home team.
Moreover, the stars and stripes ones have been quite evident. In the game of parts, Keegan Bradley claims the exact opposite of his colleague. “The Team Europe pros really love playing for Luke and they will want to come to Bethpage to silence our fans. Playing in a hostile environment can unite the team. They are all great match play players and care a lot about the Ryder Cup. Those who play at home have a small advantage but it is not necessarily decisive,” he said.
A mantra that is actually possible given the changes recently made to Team USA: in fact, the captain will also be able to call up the professionals playing on the LIV GOLF Tour, an eventuality strictly forbidden in Rome for both teams. The magic dozen that will make up the home team will include the first six in the order of merit and another six called through a wild card. Among these, there will also be professionals very low in the ranking, given that the Arab tour does not give points for the world ranking.
Bradley himself (currently ranked number 14 in the world) does not rule out being a player-captain: “If I were to finish in the top six in the rankings, I will think about it. In that case, I will have assistants capable of leading the team. Now I am only thinking about being the captain.” Three assistants have already been made official: John Wood, Brandt Snedeker, and Webb Simpson. One dream: Tiger Woods.
The subject of call-ups is a much thornier one if interpreted in a European way. To date, the DP World Tour has not actually allowed the captain to draw from the LIV GOLF Tour. The Tour asks “dropouts” to pay a fine and play at least four events on the circuit in a year in order to be eligible again.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia