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It appears injuries are taking their toll this grass-swing, with a significant number of players withdrawing from the Halle Open and Queen's Club Championships. These two ATP 500 tournaments on grass serve as high-level precursors to Wimbledon.
Both tournaments run in parallel, starting on June 16. However, several renowned players have adjusted their schedules and will skip these events. Whether due to injuries or simply physical precaution, it won't be easy to arrive at Wimbledon without having gained sufficient rhythm on grass courts.
Withdrawals at Halle
The main withdrawal at Halle is Arthur Fils, who turned 21 this week and was set to be the tournament's fifth seed. The Frenchman suffered a stress fracture that forced him to withdraw before playing the third round of Roland Garros, and there are serious doubts about his availability for Wimbledon.
Another withdrawal is Tallon Griekspoor. Although initially entered, he decided to pull out and will now only have one pre-Wimbledon grass-court tournament: the Mallorca Open, a week later. The same applies to Alejandro Tabilo, who, without disclosing any particular injury, will skip Halle and travel directly to Mallorca, where he is the defending champion.
Additionally, Alexander Bublik had gained entry into the main draw after other withdrawals, but was then announced as withdrawn himself. The Kazakh will be out of competition that week and will travel to Eastbourne, where he'll have to play the ATP 250 qualifiers.
Withdrawals at Queen's
A few days ago, Juan Carlos Ferrero hinted at the possibility of Carlos Alcaraz not attending the Queen's Club Championships. However, all indications now suggest the Spaniard, who won the title in 2023, will be present. Nevertheless, there are still some significant withdrawals from the draw.
Notably, world No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti is in serious doubt for Wimbledon. The Italian suffered an adductor tear (Grade 1) at Roland Garros, which forced him to retire during his match against Alcaraz. While there's optimism, his participation in Wimbledon, where he defends semifinals points, currently seems complicated.
Also pulling out of London was Tommy Paul, who was slated to be the tournament's fourth seed. He withdrew and will wait another week to appear on grass courts, as the second seed at the Eastbourne International.
Furthermore, there are some players who had only considered Queen's for Wimbledon preparation but ultimately won't play that pre-tournament event (or any other). These include Sebastian Korda, Quentin Halys, and two-time champion Matteo Berrettini.
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Bears GM speaks out after superstar goes down with injury
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Three-time All-Star placed on administrative leave amid MLB's betting investigation
Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary administrative leave through Aug. 31 as part of Major League Baseball’s ongoing investigation into sports betting, per a league announcement. Clase’s teammate, Luis Ortiz, was the first (and thus far only other) player placed on leave under the ongoing investigation. Clase will continue to be paid while the league looks into any alleged wrongdoing. He will not count against the team’s 40-man roster while on leave. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Clase was being placed on leave shortly prior to MLB’s formal announcement. “The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that as part of their sports betting investigation Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave per an agreement with the Players Association,” the team said Monday in a statement, per Mike Axisa of CBS Sports. “We have been informed that no additional players or Club personnel are expected to be impacted. The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process as we continue to fully cooperate.” Clase’s name had surfaced as a potential trade candidate this summer, as several contenders around the league have been weighing a run at impact relievers with multiple years of club control remaining. A trade wasn’t seen as likely, given Clase’s below-market contract and general track record of excellence. The 27-year-old has pitched 47 1/3 innings of 3.23 ERA ball this year — a “down” season relative to his lofty standards. The right-hander boasts a superlative 1.84 ERA in 336 2/3 innings over the past five seasons. He’s saved 181 games, fanned just under one-quarter of his opponents, issued walks at a tiny 4.8 percent clip and piled up grounders at an elite 58.5 percent rate. Clase signed a five-year, $20M extension in April 2022. He’s being paid just $4.5M this year and has a $6M guarantee for the 2026 season. His extension included a pair of $10M club options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, though he’s already maxed out a series of escalators that have pushed the value of each of those options up to $13M apiece. The news comes as a notable blow to the Guardians’ already-thin postseason hopes. Cleveland is eight games back of the division-leading Tigers and 3.5 games out of an AL wild-card spot (with three teams to leapfrog). They were already without Ortiz, their fourth starter, due to this ongoing investigation and had lost another rotation member, Ben Lively, to Tommy John surgery. Former AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber was targeting a June return but has yet to pitch in the majors after a setback in recovery from his own Tommy John procedure — though he’s on a rehab assignment and on the cusp of a return to the majors. Clase’s bullpen-mate, Cade Smith, figures to take over closing duties for the time being. He’s arguably an even better reliever at this point than Clase is, and Smith himself has received plenty of attention on the summer trade market. As with Clase, a deal has been seen as unlikely, given the 26-year-old righty’s four-plus seasons of remaining club control. Depending on how one chooses to view the Clase suspension, it could make a Smith trade more or less likely. Smith now becomes even more of a focal point in the bullpen and all the more critical to whatever playoff hopes Cleveland has left. At the same time, losing Clase further dampens those postseason odds and could make the Guards more willing to turn the page on the 2025 season and focus on the future. Smith should be an integral part of that future, but he could also net a legitimate prospect haul if moved in the next three days, potentially adding multiple long-term contributors to the Guards in 2026 and beyond.
Former Commanders quarterback already looks like a bust on his new team
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Cowboys make questionable move amid Micah Parsons stalemate
The Dallas Cowboys extended one of their stars Sunday, just not the one fans wanted them to pay. At Cowboys training camp Saturday, Dallas fans serenaded owner Jerry Jones with "Pay Micah [Parsons]" chants. The EDGE, of course, is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract this season. Jones must not have been listening. He gave tight end Jake Ferguson a new contract instead. Dallas and the 26-year-old pass-catcher agreed to a four-year, $52M contract extension, via NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. This move seems head-scratching. Parsons has won the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned two first-team All-Pro nods since the Cowboys took him with pick No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old EDGE also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Ferguson, meanwhile, is solid but not elite. In three seasons with the Cowboys, the 2022 fourth-round pick has made one Pro Bowl and has never finished with more than 761 receiving yards in a season. An extension for Parsons will devour future cap space. The Cowboys may be worried about that after giving quarterback Dak Prescott (four years, $240M) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136M) long-term deals in 2024. Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt signed a lucrative three-year, $123M extension on July 17, making him the league's highest-paid non-QB. Parsons could command a similar contract. If cap space is Dallas' primary concern, however, why would it extend Ferguson? He's now set to be the NFL's seventh-highest-paid TE. The Cowboys waited to extend Lamb and Prescott just before the start of the 2024 season. They may be doing the same with Parsons. The star defender has said, "Ownership is always gonna make [contract negotiations] drag out." Regardless, the Cowboys should've paid Parsons before Ferguson. That's a much bigger priority for the team.
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