The GIST - So long, London
From The GIST Team
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It’s Friday!
From the No. 5 USWNT’s Olympic tuneup friendly vs. No. 29 Mexico tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET to Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET UEFA Euro 2024 final between No. 8 Spain and No. 5 England (and our Scroll previewing the match), it’s about to be a footy-filled weekend.
- No better way to kick it off than with today’s newsletter.
Quote of The Day
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Y’all finally realize that women’s sports are way more exciting, obviously. | |
— The GOAT Serena Williams, spitting straight facts while hosting the ESPYs and serving with every changeover last night. She’s not like us. |
The Latest
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Wimbledon |
🎾 For so long, London
The GIST: Twelve days, 672 matches, and countless strawberries and creams later, the Wimbledon Championships — the penultimate Grand Slam of the season — are coming to a close, but not before history is made on the grass.
The men’s singles semis feature familiar faces: No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and reigning Wimbledon champ No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz meet today at 8:30 a.m. ET for a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Alcaraz won in three sets.
- While the reigning champ has been tested throughout the tourney, Medvedev also needed five sets to beat No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semis. It’s really anyone’s match in the quest to reach Sunday’s championship.
- Meanwhile, Serbian No. 2 Novak Djokovic walked over to a record-tying 13th Wimbledon semi, where he’ll face Italian No. 25 Lorenzo Musetti, who outlasted American No. 13 Taylor Fritz in five sets to reach his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal.
The women’s singles will see a different champ for the eighth straight year: There must be something in the Italian water because Italy’s No. 7 Jasmine Paolini finds herself in rare company, reaching back-to-back Grand Slam finals. The 28-year-old survived the longest Wimbledon women’s semifinal, a grueling two-hour, 51-minute three-set win over Croatia’s Donna Vekić yesterday.
- She’ll face Czech No. 31 Barbora Krejčiková, who came back from a set down to defeat the 2022 Wimbledon champion and heavy tournament favorite, Kazakhstan’s No. 4 Elena Rybakina in an inspiring three sets.
- It all comes down to tomorrow’s final, where either Paolini or Krejčiková will win their first-ever Wimbledon title. Simply smashing.
Copa América Final |
🏆 Kicking and screaming
The GIST: The 2024 Copa América final is set, pitting defending Copa and World Cup champs No. 1 Argentina against No. 12 Colombia, a squad that’s unbeaten in their last 28 matches. This one has epic written all over it.
- Here’s what to know before Sunday’s 8 p.m. ET kickoff.
Colombia boasts offensive firepower: Though they squeaked by No. 14 Uruguay 1–0 in Wednesday’s low-scoring (but high tension) semi, Los Cafeteros bring the juice on offense, posting a tourney-leading 12 goals in five matches.
- That goal production runs through midfielder James Rodríguez, who has a Copa-best six assists. They’ll certainly need his craftiness to overcome Argentina, who handed Colombia their last loss back in February 2022.
All eyes on Lionel Messi to lead Argentina: He missed one game due to injury, but the typically prolific Messi has just one goal in the tournament — perhaps the captain’s been saving them for when Argentina has the chance to clinch their third international title in three years?
- That said, La Albiceleste are in good hands on defense, having allowed just one goal all Copa behind World Cup hero goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez’s stellar play. Instant classic on deck.
Buzzer Beaters
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⚽ Gregg Berhalter is officially out as the USMNT coach following the squad’s disappointing Copa América showing. The search for a new coach is already underway, though the red, white, and blue’s top candidates might not be all that interested in the job.
⛳ There’s a three-way tie atop The Amundi Evian Championship leaderboard after yesterday’s opening round, with Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad, and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit in contention for the LPGA’s fourth major of the season.
🚴 Eritrea’s Biniam “sprint king” Girmay won his third Tour de France stage yesterday while Slovenian cyclist and two-time winner Tadej Pogačar leads the event after 12 stages. Onward and literally upward.
🏌️ American Justin Thomas leads the field at the Genesis Scottish Open following yesterday's first round, while last year’s champ Rory McIlroy is currently in eighth place and has some ground to make up in order to defend his title. The action continues from the land of unicorns this morning.
🇺🇲 Team USA men’s basketball topped Canada 86–72 in Wednesday’s pre-Olympic hoops showcase, behind 13 points from Anthony “No. 1 option” Edwards. Oui love to see it.
- Notably, Boston Celtic Derrick White will replace Kawhi Leonard on the roster while Leonard continues to rehab a knee injury. Turns out apples don’t keep the doctor away.
⚾ On the heels of last year’s No. 1 pick pitcher Paul Skenes’ outstanding outing yesterday, the 2024 MLB Draft tees off this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. Cleveland Guardians, you’re on the clock.
🏅 The road to Paris: A conversation with CanWNT’s Adriana Leon
Ever wonder what it’s like inside the mind of an Olympian? Us too, that’s why we sat down with a handful of former and current Olympic athletes on The GIST of It ahead of the Paris Games.
Our first conversation dropped yesterday, and features gold medal–winning CanWNT star Adriana Leon discussing the red and white’s rivalry with the USWNT (spicy!), how she prioritizes her mental health, and so much more. Here’s a sneak preview:
🤺 On the CanWNT vs. USWNT rivalry: “We're so matched up with them and it could be anyone's game…I think evenly matched is always the greatest rivalry. We always want to beat them. I would love to play them in Paris at the final. That would be epic.”
😴 On prep: “We like to sleep, that's kind of a fun fact. A lot.” In fact, she gets at least nine hours a night. Jealous.
🇫🇷 On Paris: “This Olympics is going to be completely different from the last one we experienced over in Tokyo..and we know all eyeballs will be on women’s soccer.” Can’t wait.
Listen to the full episode today and subscribe for even more athlete interviews to come.
As more and more athletes advocate for mental health awareness, it can be hard to know where to start on your own journey. Our suggestion: How about with convenient mental healthcare at 25% off?
- BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist wherever and however you’re most comfortable, and their already-affordable model costs even less when you use code “thegist” for 25% off your first month.
- If you’ve been looking for a sign to start therapy or switch providers, this is it. Use BetterHelp to be matched with an online therapist and make yourself No. 1 today.
The GIST's Picks
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Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped:
🛍️ What to buy
Athletes Unlimited swag, of course. The AU pro season is about to enter full swing and you can join the summer fun with pieces from their collection.
🔥 What to watch
Tennis icon Serena Williams on Hot Ones. See if the 23-time Grand Slam champ can beat the heat while spilling the tea.
📺 What to stream
Land of Women. Starring Angel City FC investor Eva Longoria, the new miniseries follows three generations of women who flee to Spain to hide from hit men. Comedy gold.
Fun & Games
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