The Stick Shoots

It turns out the stick shoots more than once a year. Elena Rybakina snatched the #1 ranking and the US Open title from Aryna Sabalenka with her suffocating, nearly nonchalant power game. On the men’s final Sunday, we witnessed the first match between two openly gay ATP players, as Mika Brunold and Joao Reis da Silva faced off in Austria. Also, yes, That Guy won his second major by defeating a revelatory Ben Shelton. We also chat about kits, the ickiness of an official “prediction market partnership,” and the best quarterfinal day in a long time, featuring a generous gesture from Frances Tiafoe and an epic that played Sabalenka into form. 1:20 Elena Rybakina sewed up #1 and never looked back  15:40 Aryna Sabalenka’s sour grapes 20:40 Other notes from the women’s draw: the top 4 seeds reach the semis 25:15 The real men’s final: Mika Brunold d. Joao Reis da Silva 28:40 There are no asterisks (unfortunately) 33:55 Ben Shelton breaks through 46:30 "Just let it go" … no  54:00 Throw it back into the ocean 58:15 A partnership with Kalshi: why this stinks