Read in Browser [[link removed]]

Morning Edition

July 2, 2025

POWERED BY

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the second- and third-ranked women’s tennis players in the world, both lost in the first round of Wimbledon, both to enormous underdogs. It bodes poorly for America’s chances of ending a long women’s singles title drought.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Gauff, Pegula Out at Wimbledon in Nightmare Start for American Women, ESPN [[link removed]]

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The odds of the U.S. snapping its nine-year Wimbledon women’s singles title drought took a huge hit in the first round: Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the top two ranked American women, were both eliminated in the opening round.

Gauff, the No. 2-ranked player, lost to world No. 42 Dayana Yastremska while No. 3 Pegula fell to world No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Both Americans lost in straight sets.

The early losses come just weeks after tournament wins for both stars. Gauff snapped the decade-long French Open drought by winning at Roland-Garros in early June, while Pegula won the Bad Homburg Open, a WTA 500 tournament, in Germany over the weekend. The event was played on a grass surface, the same as in Wimbledon.

The early exits of two of the sport’s most popular and marketable American stars—if there are no deep runs by homegrown contenders—could also hurt TV ratings for ESPN, which holds the tournament’s U.S. media rights.

Gauff’s loss highlights the difficulty of the Channel Slam: winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. The tournaments are separated by only a few weeks and are played on different surfaces. (Roland-Garros is on clay.)

Only six women’s tennis players have won at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, the last being Serena Williams in 2015.

“It’s just the toughest transition in tennis,” 18-time Grand Slam champion Chrissie Evert said on the ESPN broadcast before Gauff’s loss. Evert won both tournaments in the same year in 1974.

Even on the men’s side, French Open winner Carlos Alcaraz [[link removed]] struggled out of the gate as he was pushed to a full five sets by unranked Italian Fabio Fognini. However, the 22-year-old, who is chasing his third consecutive Wimbledon championship, achieved the Channel Slam last year.

The U.S. still has 11 women left in the tournament entering the second round, led by 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys (No. 6) and Emma Navarro (No. 10).

SPONSORED BY NUVEEN

The Deal That Reimagined Retirement

[[link removed]]

Every July 1st, baseball fans celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day [[link removed]]—a reminder that smart financial planning can pay off in more ways than one. To mark the occasion this year, Front Office Sports teamed up with Nuveen to tell the story behind one of the most iconic deals in sports history—and how it continues to inspire conversations around financial confidence in retirement [[link removed]].

Through an exclusive feature with Bobby Bonilla, we explore how his innovative contract became a long-term plan that delivers steady, secure income. This collaboration highlights the power of thinking long-term—and the lasting sense of security that comes with it [[link removed]].

Watch the video [[link removed]] to learn more about the contract’s lasting legacy.

New Philadelphia Arena Was Key to City’s Successful WNBA Bid [[link removed]]

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The awarding of a WNBA expansion franchise to Philadelphia confirms a key portion of the vision within the arena deal struck earlier this year between Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Comcast Spectacor.

When HBSE, the parent company of the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Devils, and Comcast Spectacor ended years of strife with a surprise deal to build a new venue [[link removed]] in the South Philadelphia sports complex, women’s basketball was core to the agreement. The parties agreed to bid jointly for a WNBA expansion team as part of the broader pact, and less than six months later, that pursuit is reality.

Philadelphia will be the third in a three-team sequence of expansion franchises unveiled this week, with play slated to begin in 2030. The new arena is slated to open in 2031, with a possibility to accelerate that date a year earlier to coincide with the WNBA team’s debut. When the venue does open, though, the forthcoming franchise will be there from the outset, right along HBSE’s 76ers and the NHL Flyers owned by Comcast Spectacor.

That team will also have the benefit of playing in a state-of-the-art facility, joining others in the WNBA, such as the Mystics, that will similarly take advantage of large-scale arena renovations on the way.

“For me, and the community, bringing the WNBA to Philly wasn’t just a nice-to-have. It was an obligation,” said HBSE managing partner and cofounder Josh Harris.

Along similar lines, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker repeatedly touted the need for a WNBA team in Philadelphia over the past year as she lobbied for a new arena in the city.

Complex Matters

HBSE will be the majority owner and operator of the new WNBA team, with Comcast Spectacor coming in as a minority partner, and the group collectively agreeing to a $250 million expansion fee—the same as a new team starting in 2028 in Cleveland and in 2029 in Detroit. If the new Philadelphia arena is not ready when play starts, the team will begin in the existing Wells Fargo Center, about to be renamed to Xfinity Mobile Arena [[link removed]].

Regardless, the WNBA team will be a fundamental component of a remade South Philadelphia sports complex that will also include a mixed-use development partially modeled after The Battery in Atlanta [[link removed]].

“The whole ownership group has a long-term commitment to making this work in the city of Philadelphia,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who grew up in Collingswood, N.J., in suburban Philadelphia. “It’s just the right time now for the W [there]. Five years ago, it wouldn’t have been the right time, four years ago, three years ago.”

The presence of Comcast Spectacor in the Philadelphia expansion team has some additional corporate overlap, as sister Comcast-owned entity NBCUniversal has WNBA media rights beginning next year. Reflecting that multi-layered involvement, Comcast chair and CEO Brian Roberts attended the WNBA expansion announcement this week.

LIV Golf CEO Pushes Back On PGA Tour Merger [[link removed]]

Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has pushed back on the idea of merging with the PGA Tour, as the future of men’s professional golf continues to look murky.

During an interview on The Rick Shiels Golf Show [[link removed]] (which is hosted by the golf content creator who has a media deal with LIV), O’Neil was asked, “What would a merger look like?”

“I’m not sure it’s the right question,” O’Neil said.

Negotiations between the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, LIV’s financial backers, about a potential $1.5 billion investment deal that could bring the rival tours together have been stalled for months. Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are finalizing their 2026 season schedules, signaling yet another year that they will spend apart.

“If you go to the root of the question, saying: Are there opportunities for our golfers to play more golf together? Absolutely,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil didn’t elaborate on what those combined playing opportunities could look like, but said that new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp [[link removed]] will “help facilitate that at a faster pace than [they] otherwise would.”

Peacemaking On the Way?

O’Neil said he and Rolapp “know each other pretty well,” as they went to Harvard Business School together and are both Mormon.

During Rolapp’s 22 years at the NFL, where he was most recently chief media and business officer, O’Neil had executive positions with Madison Square Garden Sports (overseeing the Knicks and New York Rangers) and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (overseeing the 76ers and Devils).

“There’s only so many people running the world of sports in the U.S., and we go to the same church,” O’Neil said. “So, we’re friends.”

O’Neil said he expected to speak with Rolapp at the Open Championship later this month.

LIV’s Future

LIV continues to operate without Official World Golf Rankings points, and O’Neil called his recent conversations with OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman “robust, sometimes raw, but always constructive.” LIV has not yet submitted a new application to the OWGR board, nearly two years after its first attempt, led by former commissioner and CEO Greg Norman, was denied in October 2023 [[link removed]].

Moving forward, O’Neil said LIV’s expansion could include adding more teams beyond the 13 four-player squads it currently has, and even a women’s golf league.

LOUD AND CLEAR Far Apart

Arizona Republic

“We got a proposal from the league, which was honestly a slap in the face.”

—Satou Sabally, a WNBPA player representative and 2025 WNBA All-Star starter, told the media Tuesday [[link removed]]. The Phoenix Mercury forward called the WNBA’s announcement Monday of three new expansion teams [[link removed]] “amazing,” but said it’s important to focus on the “teams that have everything set up right now.” She mentioned roster expansion [[link removed]] as an important point of focus.

Following the WNBA’s announcement of expansion teams, the WNBPA released the following statement:

“Today’s expansion news reinforces what players, fans, and countless metrics have already proven: the WNBA is thriving and a great investment. As the league grows, it’s essential we secure a CBA that ensures players fully share in the success they drive.”

SPONSORED BY NUVEEN

Guaranteed Income No Matter the Market

[[link removed]]

Having guaranteed retirement income isn’t just a luxury anymore—it’s a necessity. While traditional retirement savings are vulnerable to market swings, lifetime income [[link removed]] provides the security of knowing exactly how much you’ll receive each month.

At Nuveen [[link removed]], we’re committed to delivering steady, simple, and secure income for all workers. Build the retirement you’ve always dreamed of with a solution designed to get to—and through—retirement.

Visit Nuveen.com/lifetimeincome [[link removed]] to learn more.

Conversation Starters Caitlin Clark was the leading vote-getter for the WNBA All-Star Game with nearly 1.3 million votes, 13 times more [[link removed]] than the vote leader in 2023 (A’ja Wilson). Clark also topped the list in 2024 with 700,735 votes. Hugo Rodallega stayed on the pitch despite an injury and scored the game-winning goal to carry Santa Fe to the championship of the top pro soccer league in Colombia. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Netflix is releasing a documentary on the rise of the Cowboys—America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys—on Aug. 19. Check out [[link removed]] the trailer. Editors’ Picks ‘Existential Threat’: Underdog Sports Sues to Stop AG’s Fantasy Sports Opinion [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]The California AG is expected to release his opinion by Thursday. Pacers Sour on Paying Luxury Tax and Let Myles Turner Walk [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The team had seemed willing to cross the threshold for their center. WNBA Cutdown Deadline Could Spur Deals for DeWanna Bonner, Emma Meesseman [[link removed]]by Annie Costabile [[link removed]]The two big-name free agents could find their WNBA homes in July. Question of the Day

Will you still watch Wimbledon after Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula were eliminated?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Tuesday’s result: 53% of respondents don’t believe Tony Clark will still be the MLBPA’s executive director a year from now.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2025 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016