Welcome back to the Monday Tennis Briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court.

This week, Jannik Sinner further stamped his authority on men’s tennis by winning the ATP Tour Finals against Taylor Fritz. Elsewhere, the Billie Jean King Cup took center stage on the women’s tour and Nick Kyrgios announced his return to the sport.

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The end to a season Iga Swiatek needed?

She split with her coach, breaking up a partnership that won four Grand Slams.

She lost her No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka.

She lost a match to Coco Gauff, in a rivalry she leads 12-2.

Then Iga Swiatek went to the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga to play team tennis for Poland and got back on track. She battled back from dropping several healthy leads against Linda Noskova, who knocked her out of the Australian Open in January, then walked on court 30 minutes after that with Katarzyna Kawa for a 6-2, 6-4 win over Marie Bouzkova and doubles world No. 1 Katerina Siniakova to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 and move into the semifinals.

Swiatek skipped the past two editions to recover from the WTA Tour Finals. A flourish of wins and camaraderie in Malaga appears to be just what the doctor ordered at the start of her new partnership with Wim Fissette.

Matt Futterman

Will rankings help Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup?

Great Britain’s doubles players Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls have been spectators at the Billie Jean King Cup.

Britain have beaten Germany and 2023 champions Canada 2-0 with all four victories in straight sets — thanks to the excellent performances of singles players Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu.

The pair are No. 24 and No. 58 in the world but their rankings would be closer were it not for Raducanu’s various injuries over the last few years. They play to a very similar level and both raise their game in a team environment.

Emma Raducanu has thrived in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2024. (Fran Santiago / Getty Images for ITF)

Great Britain’s singles team effectively features two players worthy of top singles billing, a handy advantage when the second-tier players by world ranking go head-to-head in the opening rubber of a tie. Raducanu led off for Great Britain against Germany and Canada and was a level above her opponent. She thrashed world No. 91 Jule Niemeier 6-2, 6-2 in the win over Germany on Friday and then beat Canada’s world No. 103 Rebecca Marino 6-0, 7-5. Boulter followed up with straight-sets victories of her own.

Next up for Britain is a semifinal on Tuesday against Team USA’s conquerors Slovakia, with world No. 41 Rebecca Sramkova in remarkable form. If Boulter and Raducanu keep playing the way they are then Watson and Nicholls will remain as active on the Malaga match court as the rest of us watching.

GO DEEPER

Emma Raducanu has done all-or-nothing tennis. Now, can she just play?

Charlie Eccleshare

How do the ATP Tour Finals affect the Australian Open?

The biggest knock-on from the men’s tour finals to the first Grand Slam of 2025 probably happened before the event started in Turin, Italy. When Novak Djokovic decided not to play — and to relinquish his 1,300 ranking points as defending champion — he sealed his fate of falling outside the top four seeds in Melbourne, making him a pretty nightmarish quarterfinal opponent for anyone in that top four if he goes deep in Australia, the major he has won more than any other.

The rest of men’s tennis has roughly two months to obsess about how far ahead of them Jannik Sinner is. Carlos Alcaraz is excused after beating Sinner three times out of three in 2024 and winning the two majors that Sinner did not, but the Italian’s destruction of the field on Turin’s hard court made plain what all of them have sensed: the era of tennis as chess is on hiatus.

Casper Ruud, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, has declared himself a dinosaur at 25.

“I’m not going to start playing a different style of tennis now,” he said in a news conference in Turin.

“I need to flatten out the shots more. From defense, especially on hard court, I need to take a bit more risk.”

A few other strays: Alex de Minaur knows he needs to take a break and get healthy. Taylor Fritz is going to feel very good about a potential match-up with Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz will kiss the ground knowing that he will be playing an outdoor tournament.

GO DEEPER

Jannik Sinner wins ATP Tour Finals with serve masterclass against Taylor Fritz

Matt Futterman

What does Nick Kyrgios have in store for tennis?

While the best players in the world were duking it out in Turin last week, Nick Kyrgios announced that his on-court comeback is imminent.

Kyrgios hasn’t played competitively since reaching the 2022 U.S. Open quarterfinals because of serious knee and wrist injuries, but he has pencilled in a return to tennis at next month’s Brisbane International, one of the tune-up tournaments for the Australian Open. Kyrgios, 29, also intends to compete at his home Grand Slam in January.

“This is probably the best I’ve felt in two years,” Kyrgios said in an interview with Australian broadcaster 9News as he announced his comeback.

“It was a 15 percent chance that I was going to get back to playing at this level and here we are.

“To get back out there in front of the home fans is going to be sick.”

Kyrgios, who also reached the Wimbledon final and won the men’s doubles at the Australian Open in 2022, may struggle to make a major impact straight away, but he could play a big part in Melbourne as a disruptor; no one will want to face him in front of his home fans in the early rounds.

Some of the wider tennis community will also have misgivings about his return. In early 2023, Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting former girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021, but was not convicted. In March this year, he suggested in a post on X that Sinner should be “gone for two years” following his two positive tests for clostebol, an anabolic steroid; in September 2024, Kyrgios was criticized for writing “second serve” under a picture of himself and Sinner’s girlfriend, top-20 WTA player Anna Kalinskaya.

Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice 🙄 https://t.co/13qR0F9nH2

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 20, 2024

Kyrgios, who has been praised for his analysis as a broadcaster for ESPN and the BBC at the Grand Slam tournaments during his lay-off — including interviewing WTA players on court in post-match interviews — was fined $10,000 in 2015 after on-court microphones picked up the Australian telling Stan Wawrinka that Thanasi Kokkinakis had “banged his girlfriend” during a Rogers Cup match in Montreal, Canada.

Kyrgios later apologized for the remark on Facebook, writing: “My comments were made in the heat of the moment and were unacceptable on many levels.”

Charlie Eccleshare

Shot of the week

Viktoria Hruncakova slingshotting Slovakia into the last four in Malaga.

Power 🆙

Unbelievable shot from Hruncakova🔥#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/sGrNuVFLdG

— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 17, 2024

Recommended reading:

🏆 The winners of the week

🎾 ATP: 

🏆 Jannik Sinner (1) def. Taylor Fritz (5) 6-4, 6-4 to win the ATP Tour Finals in Turin. It is the Italian’s eighth title of 2024.
🏆 Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz (8) def. Marcelo Arevalo / Mate Pavic (1) 7-6(5), 7-6(6) to win the ATP Tour Finals in Turin. It is the German pair’s third ATP title together.
🏆 Alexander Blockx def. Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 6-1 to win the Hyogo Noah Challenger (Challenger 100) in Kobe, Japan. It is the Belgian’s first ATP title.
🏆 Ethan Quinn def. Nishesh Basavareddy 6-3, 6-1 to win the Paine Schwartz Partners Challenger (Challenger 75) in Champaign, Il. It is the American’s first ATP title.

📈📉 On the rise / Down the line

📈 Fritz moves up one place to No. 4 in the world, a career-high ranking, while Casper Ruud moves up to No. 6 ahead of Novak Djokovic.
📈 Caroline Garcia benefits from compatriot Diane Parry dropping 56 ranking points, moving up one place and returning to the top 50.
📈 Blockx reaches a career-high of No. 204, up 45 places from No. 249.

📉 Daniil Medvedev falls one place from No. 4 to No. 5; Djokovic falls from No. 6 to No. 7.
📉 Harriet Dart drops out of the top 100, falling 13 places from No. 88 to No. 101.

📅 Coming up

🎾 ATP 

📍Malaga, Spain: Davis Cup featuring Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz.
📍Rovereto, Italy: Citta’ Di Rovereto (Challenger 100) featuring Borna Coric, Martin Landaluce, Luca Nardi, Dino Prizmic.
📍Montemar, Spain: Il Montemar (Challenger 75) featuring Fabio Fognini, Sumit Nagal, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

📺 UK: Sky Sports; U.S.: Tennis Channel 💻 Tennis TV, Challenger TV

🎾 WTA

📍Malaga, Spain: Billie Jean King Cup featuring Iga Swiatek, Emma Raducanu, Jasmine Paolini, Rebecca Sramkova.
📍Colina, Chile: LP Open (125) featuring Robin Montgomery, Mayar Sherif, Suzan Lamens, Chloe Paquet.
📍Charleston, South Carolina: Fifth Third Charleston (125), featuring Renata Zarazua, Alycia Parks, Iva Jovic, Varvara Lepchenko.

💻 WTA Unlocked

Tell us what you noticed this week in the comments below as the men’s and women’s tours continue.

(Top photo: Angel Martinez / Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton)

U.S. men’s soccer star Christian Pulisic put a ball into the back of the net and then got in on the dance craze sweeping the sports world.

Pulisic and the Americans were playing Jamaica in a Concacaf Nations League matchup, and it didn’t take long for the striker to put the U.S. up. He flicked the ball over the Jamaican goalkeeper and into the back of the net for the first score.

He ran to the corner to celebrate the score and immediately was seen doing President-elect Donald Trump’s dance move.

Pulisic scored again in the 33rd minute, and Ricardo Pepi put the U.S. up 3-0 in the 42nd minute. They had that lead at halftime. The U.S. had a 4-0 aggregate lead, and the three goals appeared to put the match out of reach for Jamaica.

Pulisic’s decision to pull off the dance move joined the line of professional athletes who did it over the weekend.

United States’ Christian Pulisic, right, is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match against Jamaica Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis.  (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

MEGAN RAPINOE ‘OVERWHELMED’ BY ANOTHER TRUMP PRESIDENCY, FEARFUL FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY

Several NFL players and UFC stars showed their support for the president-elect over the weekend. Brock Powers, Calvin Ridley, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Za’Darius Smith and Malcolm Rodriguez all pulled it off.

At UFC 309, Trump was seated cageside as Jon Jones and Bo Nickal both showed support for him. Jones did the dance move after he knocked out Stipe Miocic. 

He handed the heavyweight belt to Trump afterward. Nickal talked with Trump about golfing after his victory.

President-elect Donald Trump arrives and dances at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York, followed by Dana White.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

LPGA Tour star Charley Hull also appeared to do the move.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The WNBA Draft lottery is in the books, setting the order for April’s 2025 draft. Similar to the past two years, there shouldn’t be much drama at the top, considering the only way Paige Bueckers doesn’t get drafted first is if she elects to stay at UConn for an additional season. For the most part, this mock draft doesn’t include players who have another year of eligibility, but I’ve included a couple of exceptions, namely Bueckers, who said she is treating 2024-25 as her final season.

Take a look at the final results for the WNBA Draft Lottery presented by @StateFarm

The @DallasWings will have the #1 overall pick in the Draft on April 14th 🙌 pic.twitter.com/l9C6zpL167

— WNBA (@WNBA) November 17, 2024

This is the league’s first draft with 13 teams, as the Golden State Valkyries will begin play in the 2025 season. However, there are still only 12 picks in the first round because the Las Vegas Aces lost their pick for providing impermissible player benefits.

Let’s look at which players are the best fit for each WNBA team.

Paige Bueckers | 6-foot guard | UConn

This is a dream scenario for the Wings, who have tons of depth in the frontcourt with Satou Sabally, Teaira McCowan and Maddy Siegrist, but Dallas needs an organizing force in the backcourt. Bueckers has vacillated on the positional spectrum throughout her UConn career, but her playmaking has thrived regardless of where she is placed on the court. She has ranked in at least the 92nd percentile in assist percentage every season while also placing in the 98th percentile or above in assist-to-turnover ratio. Even if Bueckers isn’t a prototypical point guard (and won’t be asked to play that role with KK Arnold and Kaitlyn Chen on the Huskies’ roster this season), her selflessness means she’s constantly looking to create for others.

Bueckers is also an exceptionally efficient scorer who finishes at an elite rate at all three levels (in the paint, midrange and beyond the arc). On defense, Bueckers has shown the ability to guard one through four. She is strong in isolation but a menace as a help defender, reading the floor as well as she does on offense to pick off passes and jump-start the Huskies’ transition attack. The No. 1 recruit in her high school class has been as good as advertised, showcasing a complete set of skills in college that also figures to translate seamlessly to the pros.

I just fell to my knees. THANK YOU LORD! 😭😭😭😭

— Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) November 17, 2024

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Olivia Miles | 5-10 guard | Notre Dame

It’s risky to draft for need at the No. 2 pick, and Kiki Iriafen is the higher-rated prospect, but the Sparks need a guard in a bad way, especially since they already sent away their 2026 first-round pick to the Seattle Storm. There is nothing to be gained from another year of missing the playoffs. With Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson already on the roster — as well as a still-in-her-prime Dearica Hamby — Los Angeles needs someone to lead its offense, and that’s Miles.

Although she missed her junior season with a torn ACL (and can technically return to Notre Dame for one more year), Miles has looked spry through the Irish’s first four games, gliding up and down the court and showing off her trademark passing vision. Miles is always looking to generate offense in transition, and she creates windows in the half court with her accurate ball delivery. She keeps defenses honest with her drives to the hoop and seems to have used the year off to refine her shooting stroke, as she’s making 47 percent of her 3s and 83 percent of her free throws. The Irish have generally relied on perimeter talent during Miles’ tenure, but she should have minimal difficulty transitioning into a post-heavy offense with her IQ.

Miles is also a strong defender with good size for her position. It’s easy to imagine her covering ones in isolation but also switching on the perimeter alongside Rae Burrell and Jackson.

Could Kiki Iriafen thrive with the Sky despite their bevy of bigs? (Catherine Steenkeste / Getty Images)

Kiki Iriafen | 6-3 forward/center | USC

This isn’t an ideal fit for the Sky, who already have Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. However, the franchise is only one year out of the playoffs and can afford to be patient in the rebuild, even if that means overloading in the frontcourt to get another talented player.

Iriafen came on a little late in her college career because of the glut of bigs ahead of her at Stanford, but she excelled when given a regular role. She’s a high-usage, high-efficiency scorer, and she improves when the lights are brighter. Iriafen’s athleticism pops on the floor, whether it’s her first step when facing up, her elevation at the rim or her competitiveness on the glass. Ideally, she’d harness that athleticism more on defense, where she hasn’t been an elite playmaker — the Cardinal’s defense wasn’t noticeably different with her on or off the court. However, her physical tools suggest she can be impactful on this end, and USC will be reliant on that.

Stanford’s history of producing high-level frontcourt players also works in Iriafen’s favor. Before the 2024 draft, WNBA general managers compared her game to Nneka Ogwumike’s. The 2012 No. 1 pick’s college career was far more decorated than that of Iriafen, but they have similar builds and play styles, providing an ideal ceiling for Iriafen in the W.

Dominique Malonga | 6-6 center | Lyon (France)

The Mystics are yet to hire a GM or coach, so the decision-making falls to Michael Winger, the president of Monumental Basketball for the Mystics and the NBA’s Wizards. What we know about Winger from his NBA experience is that he believes in building patiently through the draft. From his two drafts with the men’s team, it’s clear he loves young French prospects, as the Wizards drafted 18-year-old Bilal Coulibaly in 2023 and 19-year-old Alex Sarr in 2024. That makes this the perfect franchise to swing big on Malonga, who will turn 20 before the draft.

Malonga is a special athlete, vertically and laterally, as the first Frenchwoman to dunk in a game. She averaged 11.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in the French league in 2023-24 despite being several years younger than most of her competition, and she improved those numbers to 19.3 points and 13.3 rebounds during the playoffs. She also came off the bench for France during the Olympics as the home team won a silver medal. Her ability to create with the ball in her hands is also unique for a frontcourt prospect.

Dominique Malonga au dunk, c’est trop 🤯#PassionnémentBleu pic.twitter.com/VmVA90et06

— Équipes de France de Basket (@FRABasketball) October 30, 2024

The Mystics already have Shakira Austin as a young center, but injuries have limited her to 31 games through the past two seasons. Malonga’s age and the uncertainty over Austin’s health make taking a shot on the young French star worth it.

5. Golden State Valkyries

Georgia Amoore | 5-6 guard | Kentucky

It is challenging to pick a player for a team with an empty roster, so expect this spot to change significantly until the draft. For now, let’s start with a point guard who knows how to run a pro-style offense: Amoore. Amoore has been confidently operating out of the pick-and-roll for three years, leading one of the country’s best offenses at Virginia Tech. She’s a superb ballhandler and decision-maker, even if her flair sometimes gets her into trouble.

Like another point guard who plays for a Golden State team, Amoore also loves to shoot from long distance, creating massive space despite her small frame thanks to her side-step takeoff. Her percentage has cratered on self-created 3s, though those shots are often forced upon her when the offense can’t generate a better look; however, she shot 43 percent on spot-up 3s over the past two seasons and has great shooting form provided she can limit her volume.

Amoore has been learning from fellow small guard Kelsey Plum for the past two seasons and would benefit from playing for Natalie Nakase, Plum’s former assistant who happens to be another short guard. Amoore is personable and marketable, and she makes a ton of sense as a building block for a new franchise.

6. Washington Mystics (from Atlanta Dream via Dallas)

Sonia Citron | 6-1 wing | Notre Dame

Ideally, Citron would land on a team better positioned to compete immediately — and perhaps someone will trade up for her — but she’s simply too talented and productive to fall below this spot. Citron is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter and 83.4 percent free-throw shooter who can also drive and finish through contact. She rebounds well for a perimeter player and is also a terrific defender from one to three. She’s overtaxed creating with the ball in her hand but is an outstanding secondary option. In a league thin on wings, Citron will have a role to play for years.

The Indiana Fever would be a perfect landing spot for Citron if they are willing to fork over some assets to Washington. As it stands, the Mystics would be fortunate to have her as part of their rebuild.

Maddy Westbeld | 6-3 forward | Notre Dame

The Liberty thrived with a wing-heavy, physical identity last season, particularly during the postseason and especially when they went with three bigs in the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. Even if Maddy Westbeld seems positionally redundant, New York will find a way to get her on the court given her toughness, ability to defend multiple positions and 3-point shooting. It’s easy to imagine Westbeld eventually taking over for Kayla Thornton as an interior defender — nobody gave Elizabeth Kitley more difficulty than Westbeld during the All-American’s 2023-24 season. Although Westbeld doesn’t have noteworthy athleticism, her production has never suffered for it.

Westbeld is also an intuitive offensive player who moves off the ball well, a necessity in New York’s system. If worse comes to worst and Westbeld’s injury issues to start the season linger, New York has proved it’s among the best places to rehab in the WNBA.

8. Indiana Fever

Te-Hina Paopao | 5-9 guard | South Carolina

The Fever need to improve their defense and perhaps find a combo forward who can improve on what NaLyssa Smith brought last season. However, that type of player isn’t available at this point in the draft, so why not double down on what Indiana does well? The Fever already have offensive firepower with the backcourt of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and bringing in Paopao as a sub for either keeps the level high. Paopao is one of college basketball’s most outstanding shooters in recent memory; she made 46.8 percent of her attempts last season, leading the nation. She also runs a mean pick-and-roll, reads the floor well, has a developing floater and generally executes everything you would want from a lead guard or two-guard offensively.

GO DEEPER

To keep South Carolina on top, Dawn Staley had to change

Defensively, being at South Carolina has worked wonders for Paopao. She has improved at staying in front at the point of attack, and she positions herself well in help defense. Paopao isn’t the type of player who will single-handedly raise Indiana’s defensive floor, but she can earn minutes by avoiding mistakes.

But this pick isn’t about the defense. Just imagine trying to defend a Clark/Aliyah Boston pick-and-roll with Mitchell and Paopao surrounding them. It seems physically impossible.

Shyanne Sellers might be a steal late in the first round. (Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images)

9. Seattle Storm

Shyanne Sellers | 6-2 guard/wing | Maryland

The Storm need some young talent with upside. They have Jordan Horston but no one else who is realistically on the front end of their development curve now that Nika Mühl is out for the season with a torn ACL. This feels like an opportune moment to bring in Sellers, a player with great athleticism and a high IQ. Sellers is a dynamic downhill attacker who has a good-looking jump shot. She has incredible pace in the open court and is the foundation for Maryland’s transition attack. Her point guard reps in college have been useful, but at 6-2, she can play multiple positions, giving her additional utility in the pros. The sky is the limit with Sellers.

Saniya Rivers | 6-1 guard/wing | NC State

The early returns from Rivers’ senior season have indicated she is best with the ball in her hands as the lead guard, which makes Chicago a useful landing spot, since Lindsay Allen is a capable caretaker point guard, but not the option for the future. Joining Tyler Marsh is also a boon for Rivers. She is hyper-athletic and gets into the paint with ease, and being disruptive doesn’t begin to describe the defensive havoc she can wreak. But her jumper and decision-making need some work. Rivers’ physical tools bring to mind a younger Jackie Young. Marsh helped turn the Aces star into an efficient offensive player, and that will be the task with Rivers.

Charlisse Leger-Walker | 5-10 guard | UCLA

The Lynx got quality play out of their lead guard spot from Courtney Williams, but they could still use a true point guard to set up their scorers. Leger-Walker is a wonderful passer in the half court — her skip passes out of the pick-and-roll demand multiple rewatches. She’s been inconsistent as a shooter, but perhaps sitting out for a year with a torn ACL will force her to develop her jumper. Leger-Walker hasn’t brought much to the floor as a defender, but Minnesota drafted Alissa Pili last year, so that doesn’t seem to be a prerequisite.

12. Phoenix Mercury (swap with New York)

Aneesah Morrow | 6-1 forward | LSU

Phoenix played most of last season without a true power forward, which creates an opening for Morrow. She puts pressure on the basket, rebounds the ball better than almost anyone at her position, consistently makes plays on defense and gets buckets no matter who else is on the court. Those attributes would benefit the Mercury. The one issue for Morrow in Nate Tibbetts’ system is that she doesn’t take or make 3s, but she does so many other things well that it would be hard to pass on her at the end of the first round.

Also in consideration: South Carolina’s Raven Johnson, Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee and Ole Miss’ Madison Scott.

(Top photo: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images)