Peter Mendelsohn

Lawyer. Sports journalist. I tell stories about athletes beyond the arena. Bylines @TorontoStar, @TheAthletic, @Sportsnet, @VICE, @CBC, @SInow

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

“You walk into work, you’re shaking, and you feel awful about yourself.”

I spoke with @SNKenReid about his struggles with depression and anxiety, and how therapy helped him heal. Reid shared his story with me in the hope of helping others.

https://t.co/XRGN3YJ53b

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@roofthatpeach It depends on the cost. I'm fine with Ingram leaving regardless. I'll give up Ingram and 1 first round pick for the 40-50% chance Kawhi is healthy when the playoffs come around. If it's 2 first round picks or more, that's where it gets questionable.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@TheHoopCentral Clearly using Toronto for leverage. If he didn’t want to go back when they were absolutely stacked, he’s not going back now.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@fateanimeonly @TSNScianitti @TSN_Sports lol

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@Clipper_Revival @michaelgrange I think if the Knicks starting 5 is healthy, they will be favored next year against any East team in a playoff series. Their starting five is awesome. No other East team has their 3rd/4th best players in the same category as OG and Bridges.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@Clipper_Revival @michaelgrange I don’t know. Still don’t think there’s a shot to compete with the Knicks with a healthy Kawhi. And what are the chances that he can stay healthy through 4 playoff rounds?
20%? 25% at best?

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@Clipper_Revival @michaelgrange The Raps 2018 team was absolutely stacked. Siakam and Fred came off the bench. Team was so good that Norman Powell didn’t even get minutes. This version of the Raptors is not comparable to that 2018 team.

[Michael Grange @michaelgrange]

Kawhi Leonard didn't want to stay in Toronto after winning a title in 2019 with at least two more within his grasp -- and reportedly didn't want to come to Toronto in 2018 when they were a 59 win team. Being 'open' to coming now feels like someone who needs some leverage.

[Isaac @roundrobin42]

Lot of Zverev discourse today.

As someone who stands strongly in the anti-Zverev camp, I’d like to better articulate my thoughts.

1) Alexander Zverev is very likely a domestic abuser. The odds are, in my opinion, at least 80% (2 women, timelines/stories corroborated by others, reported photos/messages, etc).

2) There is a non-zero chance the allegations are false/made up. No charge against him has ever been proven, and the ATP’s investigation couldn’t substantiate the claims.

3) Given 2), it is not possible/fair for him to be removed from the tour.

4) This situation is objectively horrible for tennis, and there is no easy way to deal with it; taking action isn’t feasible but not taking action means lots of people will be, justifiably, furious.

5) Stuff like this is worse for tennis vs team sports because bad actors can more easily be hidden if there are 10 others on the field; in tennis there’s only one.

6) All of this is complicated further by the fact that Zverev is really good, and seemingly destined to be a fixture at the top of the game for years to come (despite being a lifelong underachiever). Also because there are parts of his story––diabetes, injury recovery, constantly coming so close and finally crossing the line––that are very inspirational.

If I knew there was an 80% chance someone punched and strangled their girlfriend, I wouldn’t send them to jail, because that is not beyond a reasonable doubt.

I would not, however, want them to be the face of a sport, or see them idolized and held up as examples for young people and fans.

For all those saying there wasn’t enough proof to convict and therefore the sport shouldn’t address it, or that we should separate one’s actions on and off the court: sure, but that strategy is bad for the long-term health of this sport. I’ve spoken to ~a dozen people this week (men and women, mostly women) who aren’t big tennis fans but are aware of the allegations and either stopped watching or expressed displeasure towards the tour because of them.

I love tennis, and want to be able to enjoy it knowing that, even if my guy loses, the other guy kinda deserves it—or at least that I don’t *actually* hate him. As a big Alcaraz fan, it stinks when Sinner beats him, but it doesn’t ruin me: Sinner is a decent guy, a good role model.

Zverev very likely isn't, and it sucks that someone who is almost certainly a horrible person has now cemented himself in tennis history.

In summary: Alexander Zverev won a grand slam, and everything is worse now.

[Vansh @vanshv2k]

Thinking about Mary Carillo forgoing her commentating/presenting duties for the 2021 Laver Cup because Alexander Zverev was in it & she felt uncomfortable with the whole abuse situation. Takes guts to make a stand like that but sends an important message. Respect to her for that.

[aniuska 🇪🇸 @anallinaresg]

he is literally a violent man who did this in public, but people don't want to believe that he assaulted two of his exes in private...

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@BenRothenberg Appreciate you still bringing attention to this. The extent to which the tennis world has ignored this is extremely disappointing.

[Ben Rothenberg @BenRothenberg]

Because it was time to address the dark clouds overhead at #RolandGarros:

I wrote about how Alexander Zverev is almost certainly going to win the French Open, and how people around the sport are feeling about that likelihood.

Read here:

https://t.co/aZZNSCpVwn

[Saoirse for President @2601Reva59892]

This is a good time to bring up this article for new tennis fans. A harrowing reminder of what victims of abuse endure and the lengths institutions go to in order to protect abusive men like Alexander Zverev.

https://t.co/FIBxFhZEfJ

[Ben Rothenberg @BenRothenberg]

Thank you to the tough crowd at Reddit for all the upvotes…

I’d be curious to hear how your local broadcasters, local media, favorite tennis podcasts, etc., are or aren’t discussing this issue in the next ~48 hours.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@MattGeorgeSAC In an alternate universe, the Raps could've kept OG and Siakam and had a Barnes, OG, Siakam core.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@Fab0o0o Meh, I think it's fine. I remember during the 2017 playoffs when the Bucks introduced the Raps with Barney theme song music. As a Raps fan, I laughed. It's part of the fun.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@ferretallen This is awesome. I hate players thinking they’re too cool to show emotion.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@Ballislife Nash deserved both MVPs. Such an idiotic and disrespectful narrative.

[Peter Mendelsohn @PeterMendel7]

@NBA Even when he makes a big shot, he still ridiculously throws his feet forward it in an unnatural manner, trying to draw a foul. Then, he complains after he doesn’t get the call. Even when he makes a big shot, he’s impossible to root for.

[Kaitlyn McGrath @kaitlyncmcgrath]

I put together a little post on what returning to journalism has been like, with links to some of my recent work. You can read it here. I know beehiiv is a newsletter platform but for now, I’ll just have semi-regular web posts: https://t.co/Z4KpH50qvN