Anna Kournikova is in a stage of her life where she is more accessible to those around her. Walter Iooss Jr./SI Jon Wertheim's Mailbag Jon Wertheim will answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag every Wednesday. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jon Wertheim on Twitter

Just before I get to my question, I just want to weigh in on the Anna Kournikova "Where are they now?" piece. I was on vacation to South Beach in March and I worked out at the Golds Gym on three separate occasions and each time I was there, Anna was there by herself as well, just going about her business, no entourage or anything. I even had a brief chat with her. Contrast this to when I used to go to the Australian Open each year and people used to queue for hours just to see her play, and she was more or less untouchable. What a phenomenal difference. Anyways, onto the question.

Just like yourself, I too follow both Tennis and MMA. I was wondering which weekend epic encounter you felt was more significant for their sport, Federer v. Nadal or Jackson v. Griffin? Do you feel the whole "changing of the guard" at Wimbledon was more significant or do you believe Forrest winning, and in a sense legitimizing the whole Ultimate Fighter concept, had more of an impact?
-- Robbie, Melbourne

• First, a few of you skeptically wondered if I wrote that Kournikova piece in response to L'Affaire Gimelstob. Nothing could be further from the truth. I visited with Anna K. in early May and the story was already filed before J.G.'s remarks.

Anyway, skip this question if you're not into MMA. For the rest of you, come along as we go slumming ... Honestly, there's no comparison. For one, the UFC featured a shaky decision; the tennis was 4:48 epic, decisively decided. Also, the backstory was so rich here. When Griffin-Rampage fight their 17th rematch, it might be different.

And, besides, wasn't the whole TUF concept already validated? Look at the success of, say, Josh Koscheck (the Marcelo Rios of UFC!), Diego Sanchez, Bisping, Evans, Kenny Florian, etc. We already knew the "guys in the house" were legit. In fact, this remains one of my beefs with the reality show: I wish more of an effort were made to emphasize the point that these "reality show stars" are not shlubs who applied on-line; they're accomplished fighters who, in many cases, would have made the UFC on their own merit anyway.

We all love Forrest Griffin and the "aw shucks Georgia cop" persona. But keep in mind, before he was a TUF contestant, he had beaten Jeff Monson and nearly taken down Jeremy Horn! Okay, let's put on a collared shirt, wash off the blood and get back to tennis.

Tell me again why there are three clay court men's tournaments the week after Wimbledon?
-- Terry House, West Hollywood

• Um.... I especially liked the fact that one was held in Bastad, one was held in Gstaad, and Gaz de France sponsored the one in Budapest. Nothing like keeping it simple for the fans.

Give Gwen Stefani a break! She's eight months pregnant. I too found the Federer-Nadal match riveting, but if I had been sitting in those seats that long while eight months pregnant, I probably wouldn't look thrilled either!
--Sonja Striplin, Cary, N.C.

• Right you are. She's forgiven.

I've watched at least part of 64 straight Grand Slams on TV. Am I eligible for induction into the tennis HOF?
-- Baldemar Rios, Los Angeles, CA

• Couch or chair? I'm telling you: it's a good time to be a Newport, R.I., contractor. At the rate they're going, the Hall of Fame will need annual additions.

I think it's great that the Wimbledon final made the cover of SI. I do think there is more than a little tragic irony, however, that, after everything he's done in the last four and a half years, Roger Federer finally makes the cover of an issue memorializing his most notorious loss. Your thoughts?
-- Vic Padios, Omaha, Neb.

• Agreed. Though I'm glad both Federer and Nadal got on together. While I would agree that it's a shame Federer hadn't been on the cover before this, the tennis calendar doesn't help. The Australian Open issue is usually the week before the Super Bowl. The French Open is during the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals. And the U.S. Open is usually the first week of the NFL season.

What do you make of Andrea Jaeger's so-called confession some 25 years after the event that she 'threw' the final against Martina Navratilova in 1983, ostensibly because she 'felt bad' about interrupting the latter's preparation with an unscheduled drop-in the evening before? Personally, I think this is palpable nonsense that is designed to detract from Martina's victory over a very transient star. It is also an attempt to explain away Jaeger's sudden decomposition as player. A simpler and more accurate label for her defeat is 'choking'.
-- Al Ferg, Sherbrooke, QC

• Bizarre on a few levels. Apart from the strange phrasing -- can a prohibitive underdog really "throw" a match? -- the timing was troublesome. This story, such as it was, broke the morning of the women's final. If you feel compelled to make this sort of confession, could you at least do it on a day other than a Grand Slam final?

Shots, Miscellany

• Abe Hollander of Ellicott City, MD: Jon, just an FYI regarding "24-Love" the historic color-barrier-breaking civil rights event that took place in Baltimore, MD, on July 11, 1948. Today's the 60th anniversary, and all tennis fans should take a minute or more to recognize the significance. Tennis players and protesters gathered at Baltimore's Druid Hill Park to play an interracial match on the all-white "public" courts there. 24 people were arrested. When police carted them away, the crowd began a spontaneous rendition of "My Country 'Tis Of Thee." Noted journalist H.L. Mencken wrote his last column for The Baltimore Sun newspaper on the outcome and ruling of that event. One of the players ended up marrying one of the protesters. She and another player were recently on a 50-minute radio program. Note that this took place years before Brown vs. Board of Education, or the Selma bus boycotts.

• Interesting to see Roger Federer entering the Stockholm event.

• This week's unsolicited book recommendation. Stefan Fatsis' "A Few Seconds of Panic"

• You can have your Playboy with Ashley Harkleroad. We'll be reading Shape magazine's profile of Venus Williams.

• How does Tom Perrotta manage to write novels, screenplays and do such fine work for Tennis Magazine?

• His name is Simon Bruty.

• Danica of Belgrade does Gawker Stalker for Tennis: Just to answer your question regarding Safina's whereabouts. I saw her on Heathrow, terminal 2, on Tuesday July 1. And then I boarded the plane for Belgrade with Janko Tipsarevic and Jelena Jankovic :)).

• Nice love for Daniel Nestor.

• Vern of Toronto, Ontario sends us long, lost siblings:

Rafael Nadal and Clay Guida (UFC)

[Ed: critical difference: one of them can put away a Roger and the other couldn't!...And if you get that reference, seek help immediately.]

HAVE A GOOD WEEK EVERYONE!!