New Episode: Gambling in Tennis, Fonseca's First 500, & More
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This week on Served, Andy Roddick, Jon Wertheim, and Producer Mike dive into the darker side of tennis: gambling, match-fixing, and player harassment.
Following the news of last week’s major NBA gambling scandal, the guys explore how the current betting environment has complicated tennis, raising tough questions about the sport’s integrity and vulnerability.
They also call for stronger protections and more transparency to keep athletes safe after the surge of online abuse targeting players, driven largely by angry sports bettors.
The Rise of Betting and Abuse in Tennis
In the episode, Andy and Producer Mike reference the findings from the WTA and ITF’s first-ever season-wide report outlining the scale of abuse directed at players on social media using data from Signify Group’s Threat Matrix service.
In 2024, 458 women’s players were targeted by roughly 8,000 abusive or threatening messages and nearly a quarter of them came from just 97 accounts. According to the report, five players received 26% of all tracked abuse, with angry gamblers behind 40% of it.
Law enforcement investigated 15 cases, prompting calls for the gambling industry to take greater responsibility in addressing these issues.
Players like Jess Pegula, Leandro Riedi and Katie Boulter have publicly shared their experiences of receiving hateful messages from bettors, highlighting the urgent need for stronger protections and meaningful action.
In This Week’s Racket Rundown…
Andy’s story of the week: New mom Belinda Bencic won her second title of the season at the Pan Pacific Open and has climbed more than 900 spots in the rankings since returning to the tour from maternity leave.
Ann Li ended her four-year title drought at the WTA 250 Guangzhou Open on Sunday, becoming the eighth American woman to win a singles title in 2025.
19-year-old João Fonseca won not just the biggest title of his career in Basel, but the biggest in Brazilian tennis since 2001. Andy explains why the teenager is “the real deal”.
Jannik Sinner won his 22nd career title at the Vienna Open after beating Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final.
Dimitrov Wins First Match Since Wimbledon Injury
The last time Grigor Dimitrov was on court he was leading then-World No. 1 Jannik Sinner two sets to love at Wimbledon before suffering a pectoral injury that forced his retirement and sidelined him for more than three months.
The Bulgarian returned in style at the Paris Masters on Monday, beating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6 (5), 6-1.
“It doesn’t matter how much experience you have. There’s always that added stress, especially after so many months away. But listen, it’s a good night. I’m taking it in and just going one day at a time at the moment,” Dimitrov said.
The World No. 38 will next face the winner of Jaume Munar and Daniil Medvedev in the second round. He’s also playing doubles with Nicolas Mahut, who’s playing his last tournament before retirement.
The “Super Match”: Alcaraz and Sinner Bring Rivalry to South Korea
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have taken their rivalry to new heights, meeting in the last three Grand Slam finals and splitting the last eight major titles. Now, the two young stars are set for their first solo exhibition at the “Super Match” in South Korea.
The match is reportedly set for January 10, according to South Korea’s Chosun Daily. A spokesperson for the event told Tennis.com that confirmation of the date, venue, ticket sales, and other details will happen soon.
The Hyundai Card Super Match series has featured tennis legends like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova in past events. Now, the ‘Sincaraz’ rivalry will bring its global stardom to center stage…again.
Paolini Named as a Torchbearer for 2026 Winter Olympics
Jasmine Paolini has been chosen as one of the 10,001 torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame across Italy ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Torch Relay of Milano Cortina 2026 begins in Rome on December 6 after the flame arrives from Olympia, Greece, and will travel over 12,000 kilometers through 63 cities before the Opening Ceremony on February 6, 2026.
The honor makes sense for Paolini as she and Sara Errani became the first Italian tennis players to win an Olympic gold medal last summer in Paris, and the World No. 8 helped Italy win back-to-back Billie Jean King Cup titles.
Have You Checked Out the Served 5 Setter ?
Padel Cup Results: Spain swept the FIP Euro Padel Cup with both the men and women winning titles. The UAE won the first-ever men’s FIP Asia Padel Cup while Japan claimed the women’s title.
Heineken Swings Into Padel: The international brand will become the official Global Beer Partner of Premier Padel starting in 2026, marking its debut in the fast-growing sport.
Grab Your Goggles: According to a new study, pickleball-related eye injuries have increased at an alarming rate. Researchers are now calling for standardized eye protection guidelines.
Pickleball Christmas Movie: You read that right. “A Pickleball Christmas” was announced as part of Lifetime’s Holiday movie slate. The movie staring James Lafferty and Zibby Allen premiers on December 20.
Our October 21st Newsletter Poll Results: 76% of respondents correctly predicted Elena Rybakina would qualify for the last spot in the WTA Finals.
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oof, Alcaraz :( I gusss 34% of people can be wrong