The women’s side of the French Open has seen plenty of upsets. Only three of the 10 top-ranked players made it through the third round, with high-profile competitors such as No. 1 Naomi Osaka and No. 10 Serena Williams among them. After her loss to 20-year-old American Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, who has battled persistent injuries this season, was asked if she still would have entered the Open had she known the outcome. She said she would never have believed that she would be out in the third round. We’ll look at how Serena’s expectations fair against the growing parity in women’s tennis and how sharply this contrasts with the predictable cast of characters on the men’s side.
The MLB draft is underway, and as Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen describes the experience, “the draft is very risky — it has always been risky.” The Hot Takedown team breaks down how this draft differs from other major sports, plus the strategies and trends exhibited in the early rounds.
Finally, our Rabbit Hole of the Week looks at the Women’s College World Series. A dive into the key players and their professional pursuits lands us deep into the surprising world of Olympic demonstration sports.
Here’s what we’re looking at this week:
- Justine Henin, the last “Queen of Clay.”
- Last year, our colleague Tom Perrotta wrote about the increased parity in women’s tennis, and it’s never felt more timely.
- ESPN’s Jeff Passan breaks down the convoluted MLB draft.
- Some MLB hopefuls are opting to play abroad rather than participate in the draft.
- Rachel Garcia’s impressive performance in the semifinals against the University of Washington.
- You won’t want to miss these videos of skijorning and korfball.