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, the ATP Tour season came to an end ahead of the Davis Cup Finals. The calendar again came under scrutiny, a stacked field revealed a lot about tennis politics, and a women’s star stood up for her nation again. If you’d like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here. What is the future of the tennis calendar? At the ATP Tour Finals last week, tour chairman Andrea Gaudenzi spoke in depth about the much-discussed tennis schedule. Gaudenzi’s extension of the ATP (and by association WTA) 1, 000-level tournaments has come in for heavy criticism from players and fans through the year. Gaudenzi defended the change in Turin. “If you look at the top-line revenue, that I cannot disclose, it’s going really up high. It’s changing a lot,” he said. The financial improvements for players are undeniable, but their complaints revolve around the lack of downtime created by adding 15 “on the road” days to their calendars. Gaudenzi also stressed that, apart from the Grand Slams, the ATP Masters 1000s should be what all the top players strive to compete in. He argued that those players should not be playing ‘down’ at 250-level events, but those events, as well as 500-level events outside of the mandatory four per year, can be popular with players because they can come with hefty appearance fees. For players lower down the pyramid, ATP 250 and ATP 500 tournaments are also vital routes toward qualifying for these expanded ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, as well as for the main draws of Grand Slams. They offer a trajectory toward the top of the sport, while being hugely popular events with tennis fans all over the world, especially in places which don’t get to host the biggest tournaments. Gaudenzi wants there to be fewer of them, with 10 weeks of 250-level tournaments (with more than one per week.) “In the last few years, we’ve had the strategy to reduce the number of 250s. We are from 38 down to, I don’t remember exactly the number, I think it’s 29. [30] “The target in our effort to optimize the calendar for 2028, when the new Saudi Masters will come on board, is to continue to reduce the number of 250s,” Gaudenzi said. Streamlining the calendar with fewer low-level events was foundational to the so-called “Premium Tour” put forward by the Grand Slams in 2023 and 2024, as well as the ATP and WTA’s proposal for a restructuring of the calendar in March, which was dismissed by the slams. The plan pledged to cut the number of ATP and WTA tournaments, including the four Grand Slams, from 118 to around 75. Chipping away at the number of 250s will not have the same sort of impact, but it’s another indication of where the ATP thinks it can streamline the calendar, and how protecting and promoting its crown jewels, the 1, 000-level events, remains paramount to Gaudenzi’s vision, even with feedback from players and fans that they are not working in their current form. It also indicates the contradictory nature of both the schedule itself and some of the players’ concerns, with guarantees for players further down the rankings incompatible with a more liberal market for tournaments. There will be a review of the extension in 2030. Charlie Eccleshare How did Iga Świątek deliver for Poland again? The WTA Tour offseason began with. more tennis, as the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs to decide which nations would make it into next year’s qualifying competition for the Finals took place across the globe. Their place in the calendar meant that most nations’ elite players did not participate, but Victoria Mboko rounded off her 2025 rise by playing for Canada, Linda Nosková turned out for Czechia and world No. 2 Iga Świątek led team Poland as she has so often done in recent years. The six-time Grand Slam champion’s results against New Zealand and Romania were routine, losing just three games in two matches, as might be expected against world No. 909 Elyse Tse of New Zealand and world No. 292 Gabriela Lee of Romania. More telling was Świątek’s desire to play, even suggesting that she might play the doubles against New Zealand despite her team telling her to rest, and the hero’s welcome she received from Polish fans in Gorzów Wielkopolski. Świątek is one of several players to lament the relentlessness of the tennis calendar this year, intimating that she would be skipping more mandatory WTA Tour events in future in order to optimize her performance at the tournaments she most wants to win. So to see her forgoing a week of downtime to turn out for her country in a tie it largely had in hand was not just an indication of her pride in playing for Poland, but also of how the nature of exhaustion in tennis, and which experiences players find to be tiring outside of basic physical work, can be more individual than is assumed. James Hansen What does the United Cup field say about tennis politics? The United Cup draw takes place on Monday, with some enticing ties in store whoever is drawn against one another. Five of the world’s top 10 men and four of the world’s top 10 women have entered the event, including Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz representing the U. S. Świątek, Alexander Zverev (Germany) and Jack Draper (U. K.) are among some of the other big names signed up for the mixed tournament that pits 18 nations against one another. It takes place between January 2 and January 11, in Perth and Sydney, just ahead of the Australian Open. The stellar lineup is a reminder of why Tennis Australia was so resistant to Saudi Arabia’s desire for its new ATP Masters 1000 event to take place in that part of the calendar. The short Australian summer swing is key to its health as a tennis nation, and the United Cup is popular with players as a way of acclimatizing ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne. The Saudi Masters 1000 event has not yet been assigned a calendar slot, but the expectation is that it will take place in February, from 2028, with ATP chairman Gaudenzi’s ideal outcome to have one group of tournaments running in South America at that time, and another in West Asia. Which is good news for the United Cup, and arguably tennis in general, given how vibrant and fun an occasion it has become. Charlie Eccleshare Point of the week Taylor Fritz did all he could against Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Tour Finals, especially in the fifth game of the second set of their match. The world No. 1 still said no: 🏆 The winners of the week 🎾 ATP: 🏆 Jannik Sinner (2) def. Carlos Alcaraz (1) 7-6(4), 7-5 to win the ATP Tour Finals in Turin, Italy. It is the Italian’s second triumph at the event. 📈📉 On the rise / Down the line 📈 Carlos Alcaraz finishes the season as world No. 1. 📈 Félix Auger-Aliassime ascends three spots from No. 8 to No. 5 after his run at the ATP Tour Finals. 📉 Ben Shelton falls four places from No. 5 to No. 9. 📅 Coming up 🎾 ATP 📍Bologna, Italy: Davis Cup Finals featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Jakub Menšík, Flavio Cobolli 📺 UK: Sky Sports; U. S.: Tennis Channel 💻 Tennis TV Tell us what you noticed this week in the comments below as the season comes to an end. Sports Business, Tennis, Women’s Tennis 2025 The Athletic Media Company.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/season-tennis-calendar-discourse-ends-111607396.html
Tag: improvements
PSA: Here’s why your Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 didn’t get Google’s monthly update this November
Google rolled out the November Pixel update earlier this week, alongside the latest Pixel Feature Drop. This update brought new improvements and bug fixes to the Pixel 7a and newer models. However, many users quickly noticed that the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro were missing from the list of devices receiving Google’s monthly bug-fix update.
Speculation arose that Google might be shifting from monthly updates to quarterly patches for these phones. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Google does not provide a public list clearly separating Pixel devices into monthly and quarterly update groups, unlike Samsung.
However, the reason why the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 flagships were not included in the November update list has now become clear. According to Google’s Pixel Update Bulletin, any Pixel device running security patch levels dated September 5, 2025, and later has already received all the fixes included in both the November 2025 Pixel update and the November 2025 Android Security Bulletin.
In simpler terms, Google didn’t skip these phones; they simply didn’t need any additional fixes this month. Google even explicitly states, “There are no new Pixel security patches in the November 2025 Pixel Update Bulletin.”
So, it’s not that Google missed updating the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 7, and 7 Pro—the reality is there may have been nothing left to patch for these models this month.
Meanwhile, the November Pixel Feature Drop still applies to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series. This means you’ll receive all the new features rolling out with this update, even if there isn’t a fresh security patch attached.
https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-november-update-pixel-6-pixel-7-3615867/
Microsoft solves 2 Windows problems that plagued it for years
After years of frustration, Windows has quickly addressed two significant issues that have long annoyed users. One problem seemed to be a bug, while the other was maddeningly tedious. However, within a month, Microsoft introduced two key updates to its Windows operating system that finally resolve these issues for users worldwide.
These improvements are just two of many recent enhancements; Microsoft has also upgraded the Start menu, among other features.
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### Say Goodbye to a Drained Laptop Battery
Windows appears to have fixed a bug where the “Update and shut down” feature didn’t actually shut down the computer. Instead, it restarted the device, which could lead to a drained battery when users thought their laptops were turned off.
The “Update and shut down” bug was so persistent and widespread that it even became the subject of memes. Thankfully, the madness came to an end late last month with an October 28 update from Microsoft. The update plainly states the fix:
> **Improved:** Addressed underlying issue which can cause “Update and shutdown” to not actually shut down your PC after updating.
This fix means users can now trust that their laptops will fully power down after updates, preventing unexpected battery drain.
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### Windows Now Makes It Easy to Add Em Dashes — Writers, Rejoice!
The other fix is great news for writers fond of the em dash (—). In the past, inserting an em dash required the tedious ALT + 0151 keyboard shortcut. For those who regularly switch between a MacBook and a Windows machine, this was a particularly annoying inconsistency.
If your keyboard lacked a numeric keypad, the task was even more difficult. Many users resorted to copying and pasting the em dash from a text file or using imperfect plugins and workarounds.
Now, Windows offers a simple way to insert en dashes and em dashes while typing:
– Press **Windows logo key + Minus (-)** to insert an en dash (–)
– Press **Windows logo key + Shift + Minus (-)** to insert an em dash (—)
Note: If the Magnifier tool is running, pressing Windows logo key + hyphen (-) will zoom out Magnifier instead of inserting an en dash.
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### Justice for the Em Dash?
This change could help restore the reputation of the em dash.
With the explosive rise of ChatGPT and other AI writing tools in recent years, one telltale sign that someone might be using a chatbot to generate text was the frequent use of em dashes. Writers abhorred this stereotype because phrases set off by em dashes add rhythm and voice to news articles.
Since ChatGPT is trained on millions of news articles, em dashes naturally appeared often in AI-generated content. This association unfairly gave the em dash a bad reputation, as if their presence in a text was a signal that the writer was cheating.
With Microsoft’s long-overdue update making em dashes easier to use, they may start appearing more frequently in human-written copy. As this punctuation mark becomes more common in everyday writing again, the stigma surrounding it could fade. This change might rightfully restore justice for the em dash.
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### Are More Windows Fixes on the Way?
Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 last month. Users who have been holding out on switching to Windows 11 might see these updates—and more to come—as a sign that Microsoft is committed to making its operating system more user-friendly.
These improvements aim not only at attracting new users but also at pleasing power users who have been frustrated for years by Windows quirks.
Stay tuned for more updates as Microsoft continues to refine Windows for all users.
https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-em-dash-update-and-shutdown/
Remembering the many visits with Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit
**Farewell to Thailand’s Gem**
The longer you live, the more friends you have to say goodbye to.
A lifetime ago, in Bangkok’s Chitralada Palace garden, I met Her Stunningly Gorgeous Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand. She had a tiny, perfect figure, ebony black hair, and a face like marble. Swathed in Thai silk, she was the embodiment of elegance. Over the years, we stayed friends.
She left us last week.
We shared many visits—sometimes I was there, sometimes she was here. Once, as we sat in the sweltering sun, she told me in her excellent accented English, “Due to my country’s blessed weather, I have no lines in my face. It is because I perspire so often. This is what keeps my skin smooth.”
Over the years, we did things for one another. She wished for Bloomingdale’s to open a Thai department to sell her country’s handicrafts and exquisite Thai silk. I would conduct interviews there, and she’d invite me to her parties here.
We first met in 1961. That’s a long friendship.
During my time on TV news, she granted me an exclusive one-on-one sit-down interview. I specifically wore a white Thai silk suit to honor her. The interview took place in a suite at the Plaza Hotel, where the Thai contingent was staying. In walks Her Majesty, flanked by more than just the Thai army—and what was she wearing? A stunning white Thai silk suit. She certainly wouldn’t change clothes, and asking me to go home to change would have taken too long.
I wanted to shoot myself—but that wouldn’t have been necessary because her staff would have done it for me.
Another memorable moment was a dinner she planned in my honor in upcountry Chiang Mai. I had just stepped off the plane, my hair a mess like it had been “ripped off a camel’s behind.” Wearing a big floppy hat to protect myself from the sun, I was chauffeured directly to the banquet without stopping at a hotel to freshen up.
Seated next to Her Majesty at a tightly packed table, nerves got the better of me—I dropped a utensil. Although seventy-five servants would have eagerly retrieved it, I foolishly bent down to pick it up myself. In doing so, my wide straw hat brim scraped Her Majesty’s face. She paid it no mind, but I could swear half the soldiers with bayonets in place were ready to shoot me.
Among her gifts to me were a handmade, woven dark straw basket evening bag, lined with Thai silk, featuring an 18-karat gold handle and trimmed with diamonds. I still have it. Another gift was a brooch—a 24-karat gold beetle with actual beetle wings laminated on its sides. When I asked why, she said, “Because beetles are earth’s longest lasting creatures.” I still treasure that as well.
What did she want from me? A small drugstore packet of Kleenex.
My last time with her was during Thailand’s massive tsunami disaster. People were washed away, homes destroyed, lives lost. My friend Geoffrey Weill—one of the world’s most successful travel experts—and I had two longtime close South African friends, young teenage sisters, who were missing. We were frantic.
I flew with Geoffrey to Thailand. Queen Sirikit assigned us a high-ranking air force officer who commandeered an army plane. We flew to Phuket, where the Israeli army, experienced in handling death, was in charge of the recovery of bodies and severed parts. One of our friends had a South African map tattooed on her side, which helped identify her.
After that, Her Majesty was not well. She had stepped down. Her once gorgeous figure had taken on weight. She was no longer receiving visitors. I did not see her again—but I will love her always.
Speaking of international matters, a related anecdote comes to mind from Saudi Arabia. Once, a violent sandstorm disrupted all wire services, and suddenly this sign appeared:
**“Until further notice, please limit calls to four wives.”**
https://nypost.com/2025/10/28/opinion/remembering-the-many-visits-with-thailands-queen-mother-sirikit/
How ASUS’s developers feel about ROG Xbox Ally and collaboration with Microsoft
Late last week, at the preview event for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, I had the opportunity not only to get hands-on time with the upcoming devices but also to speak with ASUS’s gaming division marketing team. Our conversation covered the devices’ reception, the current handheld ecosystem, improvements from the original ROG Ally series, and more.
**Shacknews:** Since you folks were at Gamescom, how was the reception for the ROG Xbox Ally, considering that was a more public event?
**Sascha Krohn, Director of Technical Marketing, ASUS:** The reception was great. People were super excited. Especially at Gamescom, which is all about games, seeing enthusiasm for hardware is always a very positive sign. People loved it.
We had numerous demos set up, and attendees tried all sorts of games on the device. The feedback was really great. Interestingly, most people initially had concerns about the aesthetics. But once they held the device, they were like, “Oh wow, this feels amazing. It’s so comfortable. It doesn’t feel heavy at all.” All those concerns melted away.
There were some skeptics, of course. But they came over, got hands-on experience, smiled, enjoyed themselves, and walked away happy. Overall, the reception was very positive.
**Shacknews:** For people who already own a handheld system like the Nintendo Switch 2 or Steam Deck, how does Microsoft want to entice players who already have a means to play handheld games?
**Krohn:** From our perspective, we have so many different products, and often people ask why we release something similar again. The answer is simple: more options are better. We’re not one size fits all. We want to provide people with as many choices as possible.
We welcome competition in the market. For PC gaming handhelds, we believe we’ve nailed it and are dominating the competition. We’re actually getting copied a lot—others are using the same panels, internal layouts, and joysticks as us. It’s great to see what others are doing.
Even those who are happy with their Steam Deck or Switch 2 will appreciate having more alternatives. I encourage gamers to give the ROG Xbox Ally a try. It offers really interesting and fun performance, especially for those who want more power.
Many people like the Steam Deck for its ergonomics, but personally, I think our device’s ergonomics are even better. No offense—I love you, Gabe [Newell].
**Shacknews:** When playing intensive games, handhelds can overheat quickly or have very loud fans. How does the ROG Xbox Ally address cooling and noise for high-profile games?
**Krohn:** For both the original ROG Ally and the Ally X, we already did a good job with cooling and performance—most users are happy with it.
For the ROG Xbox Ally series, we improved cooling even further: the fan is much thicker, and airflow has been significantly increased. This was necessary because the Z2 Extreme processor now has a higher Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 35 watts instead of 30.
Our goal was to maintain the same low fan noise and acoustics as the previous generation despite the higher wattage. As a result, whether in performance mode or silent mode, the new ROG Xbox Ally produces the same noise level as before, with potential headroom to reduce noise by 2-3 decibels even further.
This is important because many people play in bed at night with the device close to their face—where even a whisper can be noticeable. We’ve enhanced both thermal management and acoustics to improve the overall experience.
**Shacknews:** For Xbox players, is it easy to transfer their game library to the ROG Xbox Ally? Is it a seamless experience?
**Whitson Gordon, Senior Manager of Marketing Content, Gaming at ASUS:** I’ll explain how the game library functions. Different games respond a bit differently.
If you have a game that’s playable anywhere—over a thousand games in the Xbox Library fall into this category—your saves will sync automatically, and you won’t need to think about it.
For older Xbox titles that aren’t playable anywhere, many can be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming. So regardless of the game, your library is generally accessible and synced across devices.
**Shacknews:** Typically, it takes many years to release an improved version of a product. How did you manage to do it in just two years? When did you expedite development?
**Gordon:** Both our team and Xbox’s team have been working extremely hard on this. Microsoft wanted to get a handheld out quickly, recognizing that this space allows for agility since we are primarily a hardware manufacturer.
We already had the original handheld and were thinking about the next generation. When Microsoft expressed the desire to deliver a handheld as soon as possible, collaboration with ASUS made sense to achieve a release in about a year.
We strive to offer a seamless console experience and foster strong relationships with developers so they can target this hardware and enhance the gaming experience.
The collaboration between Xbox and Windows teams has been unprecedented. Their ability to discuss and optimize background processes is new and exciting for them.
Hardware-wise, we’re very agile. For instance, just a year after the original ROG Ally, we released the Ally X. We can quickly adapt when there is clear demand and enthusiastic user support.
The reaction from the community to the original ROG Ally was one of the most passionate we’ve ever seen. We’re always thinking about what’s next, though we can’t always disclose our plans publicly. But make no mistake—we’re actively working on the future.
**Shacknews:** How has the public reception been for the ROG Xbox Ally so far?
**Gordon:** It’s been very positive. We had early media previews with good responses, but seeing the public try it is different.
At Gamescom, it was exciting to watch people test it and hear their feedback. One common piece of feedback was that the device “feels so much lighter than expected.”
This surprised me, but it makes sense—the ergonomic grips spread the weight distribution differently compared to the original Ally, which rested more on the palms and put more pressure on them.
When a device is more comfortable, your brain perceives it as lighter. You never know what changes will resonate most with people until you see their reactions.
**Shacknews:** One major issue with the predecessor was battery life—some intensive games lasted only about an hour. How have you addressed battery life this time around?
**Gordon:** When building the original ROG Ally, weight was a top priority with the aim of making it as lightweight as possible.
However, we quickly learned that users care more about battery life than just the weight.
That’s why, with the Ally X, we doubled the battery size—slapping in an 80-watt battery.
Now, battery life is a top priority. For anyone holding onto an older handheld, this device represents a significant and exciting leap forward in many respects.
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The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X exemplify ASUS’s commitment to creating high-performance, portable gaming devices. With improvements in ergonomics, battery life, cooling, and game compatibility, the new generation sets a new standard in the handheld gaming landscape.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146354/asus-developer-rog-xbox-ally-interview
Issues with Windows 11’s dark mode are finally being fixed
**Issues with Windows 11’s Dark Mode Are Finally Being Fixed**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Oct 07, 2025, 08:02 PM*
Microsoft is officially addressing the dark mode inconsistencies in Windows 11. The tech giant began testing these improvements in the August preview builds of the operating system, and now it is rolling out updates to enhance dark mode consistency across various File Explorer actions such as copying, moving, or deleting files and folders.
### Enhancing User Experience with Dark Mode
One of the most noticeable dark mode issues appeared when users tried to copy large files. Despite having dark mode enabled, the system would display a light mode dialog, creating a jarring and inconsistent user experience. This is set to change with the latest update from Microsoft, which also extends fixes to move and delete dialogs and other parts of the OS.
### What’s Next for Dark Mode in Windows 11?
Looking ahead, Microsoft is working toward a more consistent dark mode experience across additional elements such as progress bars, charts, confirmation and error dialogs, and prompts related to skipping, overriding, and file selection.
Dark mode was first introduced in Windows 10 back in 2016. However, it has taken several years for Microsoft to refine this feature and bring consistent dark mode support to the wider Windows ecosystem. With these latest improvements, users can expect a more seamless and visually cohesive experience moving forward.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/microsoft-fixes-dark-mode-inconsistencies-in-windows-11/story