Served 5 Setter
A Wildcard Scandal, ATP Finals Draw Announced, Iga Świątek's Bad Karma, & More
Happy Friday, everyone!
From Venus Williams’ incredible 33rd season and Agassi’s AI-powered launch to Novak Djokovic’s ATP Finals uncertainty and a wild card corruption scandal shaking the sport… this week has it all and more!
Watch the full episode to stay ahead of the game and scroll down for bonus stories that didn’t make the cut!
The “Pub Comeback” Sparks Breakthrough Season
London’s George Loffhagen is quietly becoming one of British tennis’s best stories of 2025, reaching a career-high No. 200 after stepping away from the sport for a year to work in a local pub.
The 24-year-old credits that time off, filled with studies and real-life lessons, for reigniting his passion and perspective, helping him embrace tennis’s ups and downs with new resolve.
This summer, Loffhagen stormed to his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title at the Open Castilla y León in Spain, then followed up with a semi-final run at Hamburg, knocking out the defending champion along the way.
With eight ITF titles under his belt (four of those earned in 2025 alone) he’s showing a powerful, aggressive game driven by intensity and surprising maturity.
“I didn’t want to have regrets—so I decided to start again,” he told Tennis.com, describing his comeback as fueled by patience and a desire to enjoy the process. (Read more)
CourtReserve’s $54 Million Investment
CourtReserve, the go-to club management platform for racquet and paddle sports, has raised a game-changing $54 million from Mainsail Partners.
Founded in 2016 by co-founders Tim and Ashley Owens, CourtReserve has become a trusted platform for tennis, pickleball, and paddle sports clubs across North America, offering court booking, membership management, event programming, payments, and mobile experiences.
CEO Tim Owens emphasized that the partnership will provide the capital and operational resources needed to help clubs “spend less time on admin and more time on growth and community”. This milestone underscores growing investor confidence in sports technology infrastructure as pickleball and racquet sports continue their explosive growth across the continent. (Read more)
“Best Match Ever” Delivers Instant Classic
The Men’s Doubles Final at the Rate Vegas Cup has earned the title of “best match ever” after an epic 148-minute battle that captivated the pickleball world.
Ben Johns and Gabriel Tardio survived a grueling five-game thriller against Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu, ultimately prevailing 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 4-11, 12-10 in what the PPA Tour is calling an instant classic.
The match featured incredible drama as Johns and Tardio won despite being outscored 48-49 overall and facing match point late in the fifth game. This marked the sixth meeting between these teams, with Johns and Tardio extending their series lead to 5-1 in a rivalry that continues to produce unforgettable battles. (read more)
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SERVED STATS & QUICK HITS
Novak Djokovic extended his 28-0 record in 2025 after winning the first set, reaching his 225th career quarter-final in Athens and looking sharp in his first Greek hard-court appearance.
Lorenzo Musetti was two points from defeat against Stan Wawrinka in Athens but survived, keeping his hopes alive for a Turin ATP Finals debut
Amanda Anisimova hit more than 40 winners in her victory over Iga Swiatek. She is the first player to hit that many winners during a single WTA Finals match since Caroline Garcia versus Daria Kasatkina in 2022 (42).
TIEBREAK TRIVIA
In the 5 Setter Podcast we asked: Venus Williams debuted on the WTA Tour in 1994 at the age of 14. Who is the last woman born before 1994 to win a Grand Slam singles title?
The answer: Simona Halep won the 2019 Wimbledon Singles Title. And being born in 1991, this makes her the last woman born before 1994 to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The Weekend Draw
Finals matches will be held on Saturday, November 8th for the following tournaments:
WTA Finals (Riyadh)
ATP Moselle Open (Metz)
ATP Hellenic Championship (Athens)
Nitto ATP Finals (Turin): Round 1 begins Sunday, November 9th
Full international WTA & ATP broadcast list.
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Producer Mike’s deadpan commentary on wildcards and millionaires 💀