Hey everyone. Time for an offseason Mailbag. But first, as always…
• A Sportsperson of the Year vote for Naomi Osaka.
• Our most recent podcast guest: Jimmy Arias, the new head of player development at the famed IMG Academy.
• Next up: a wide-ranging, free-flowing conversation with the irrepressible Mary Carillo.
• Two player sightings sent in by readers: 1) Serena practicing on Thanksgiving day in Florida, with Richard Williams picking up balls in the backcourt like old times. 2) Nadal playing low-stakes craps in the Bahamas, "having fun, but not really knowing what he was doing; wearing a baseball cap so not recognized by other players or by the dealer.