As we settle in for a much-hyped all-American men’s quarterfinal at a sweltering U.S. Open (where I’m hoping for a Ben Shelton victory over Frances Tiafoe), here’s a smattering of unimportant thoughts on recent WTA happenings, from Venus to Coco and a rankings shake-up.
- It’s time to stop giving Venus Williams wild card entries into Slams. She’s an all-time great, a sentimental favorite, and Boyz II Men were absolutely right that “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.” But the 43-year-old — six years removed from her last Grand Slam final and 15 from her last major title — has become the Cher of the WTA, right down to her colorful hair and killer fashions. If Williams won’t call time on her never-ending farewell tour even after the indignity of being double-breadsticked by Greet freakin’ Minnen, tournament directors should do it for her.
- Defending champion Iga Świątek was bounced from the round of 16 by the mercurial Aļona Ostapenko, who imploded today against Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. Earlier this year when Gauff, a teen phenomenon, was down for the count in singles, commentator Mary Joe Fernandez went so far as to suggest she take six to eight months off to retool her forehand. She stuck around, struggled, and with help from Brad Gilbert — who mostly strengthened her confidence — she’s now Fernandez’s favorite to win the tournament. I’m not quite as sure as the ESPN brigade that Coco’s going home with the trophy, but it would be a helluva finish to a crazy year.
- In losing to Ostapenko, Świątek ceded the #1 spot to Aryna Sabalenka, another lovable headcase who can overpower just about anyone (so long as she’s not fighting herself). This is a tough loss for Świątek fans to swallow; she was 0-3 against Ostapenko, knew what to expect and showed up unprepared. Had she made it through, she would’ve found herself in the enviable position of owning the head-to-head against every remaining possible opponent, some of whom have yet to notch a single win against her. Once the stinging subsides, I hope she looks at the Sabalenka rivalry as an opportunity for them to push each other to new heights, as the Big Three did on the men’s side in the past, and as Alcaraz and Djokovic are doing currently as they trade rankings.
- Can we stop calling Ons Jabeur the Minister of Happiness? She’s suffered enough on-court emotional devastation these last couple years to last a lifetime, and her third-round clash with Marie Bouzková on Saturday was one of the grimmest matches I’ve ever seen. Jabeur narrowly prevailing against Bouzková, who was hobbled for nearly half the match with an agonizing leg injury, was not a ‘warrior’ moment; it was a pyrrhic victory. Throughout the tournament, Jabeur seemed not only ill but distressingly ill (a “mystery virus” afflicted a number of players around the same time John McEnroe announced his COVID-19 infection). At times during her battle with Bouzková, tennis seemed secondary; it was more a competition to see who’d be the last carried off on a stretcher. Qinwen Zheng put Jabeur out of her misery in the next round, something Jabeur’s team probably should’ve done earlier.
- It was great to see Caroline Wozniacki back in action, even if she was dressed for the wrong sport, and I’ll be thrilled if she stays true to her word and turns up in Australia next year. I would also be ecstatic if ESPN’s commentators could string together more than two sentences about her professional accomplishments without mentioning that she’s a mom. A comeback after two pregnancies is impressive, but so is her lengthy career, which has included obstacles such as a supremely irksome father and rheumatoid arthritis.