Układ sił 2021

[Barty]

Nie moje czasy, kolego rówieśniku.

[Kamileki]

Nie moje czasy, kolego rówieśniku.

[Barty]

Już zczaiłem.

Chciałeś powiedzieć, że Daniłek jest Jamesem Deanem obecnego ATP.

[DUN I LOVE]

Chciałeś powiedzieć, że Daniłek jest Jamesem Deanem obecnego ATP.

100%.

[Michael Scott]

Już zczaiłem.

Chciałeś powiedzieć, że Daniłek jest Jamesem Deanem obecnego ATP.

To niech lepiej uważa z szybkimi samochodami.

[DUN I LOVE]

Oby jak najczęściej zabierał nas na takie błyskawiczne wycieczki.

[Kamileki]

[DUN I LOVE]

Niby tylko zabawa, ale spadła wartość RF, co zaskoczeniem nie jest i potwierdza zmieniający się układ sił w tenisie.

[Kiefer]

No spadła, kiedy w ogóle nie grał, więc w przyszłym roku pewnie znowu wzrośnie.

[DUN I LOVE]

Moim zdaniem będzie dalej spadać.

[Damian]

3 Things to look for on The ATP Tour in 2021

Spoiler:

Even in a Covid-ridden season, tennis fans were still able to witness three of the four major tournaments, a number of smaller tournaments, and enjoy fun narratives and storylines on the ATP Tour in 2020.

Novak Djokovic had an incredible start to the season when Serbia beat Spain in the inaugural ATP Cup and he inched closer to Roger Federer in Major titles, beating Dominic Thiem in a five-set thrilling Australian Open Final. Dominic Thiem became the first player outside of the big three to win a major since Andy Murray won Wimbledon in 2016. Rafael Nadal tied Roger Federer for the most majors all-time with his twentieth. And recently Daniil Medvedev became the first player to ever beat the world’s top three players at the ATP Finals on his way to winning the title.


Just because we’re turning the page to a new year doesn’t promise we’ll get a full year of the tour in 2021. According to ESPN, the Australian Open is scheduled to start on January 18th, but it could be pushed back a week or two, maybe even further. Even with recent news of vaccines being developed and possibly being put into use before the end of 2020, we’re still not sure when things will be back to “normal”. Which affects the entire tour until further notice. But, we can still assume we will get some type of season considering how things went in the second half of this year.

Regardless of how long the 2021 season will be, here’s three things to look for:

Jannik Sinner

Photo Credit: FREY – TENNIS PHOTO NETWORK
Janik Sinner won the Next Gen ATP Finals in November of 2019. Just being a part of a Next Gen class puts on notice that a young player has potential. But, what separates Sinner from many of the younger players, and even some veterans, is poise. He’s only 19 and it’s astonishing to see someone at his age play so relaxed and show very little emotion or frustration. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two players that are known for being so calm and collected on the court, even when they’re down. To carry similar traits to the men who are tied with the most grand slams ever is exciting for Sinner and the rest of the tennis world.


Sinner is coming off of his first Quarter Finals appearance in a Major at Roland Garros and his first ATP title in Sofia. Look for his momentum to carry him into 2021 and make big leaps.


Photo credit: Twitter/@ThiemDomi
2. Dominic Thiem could have a career year

After losing in three Grand Slam Finals, Dominic Thiem finally got the monkey off his back. He beat Alexander Zverev in September in the U.S. Open Final to win his first Major title. We already knew how good Thiem was on clay and this only adds to his confidence on hard courts. In my mind, Thiem could have his best season of his career in 2021. He has one of the best forehands and one-handed backhands on the tour. He turns 28 in March, and in tennis years that’s young. He’s motivated to get back to the final at Roland Garros, after losing in the Quarter Finals this year to Diego Schwartzman. And, he’s one of the most physically fit players in Men’s Tennis, as he’s no stranger to playing long matches in Majors.


We already knew Thiem was one of the best on the tour, having been a top 10 player for almost five years now, but having won that first major is key to his success going forward. Thiem is set for a big year.


Photo credit: Michel Euler/Associated Press
3. We will have a new Grand Slam record holder

You knew this was going to be somewhere on the list. In 2020, Nadal with his 13th title at the French Open tied Roger Federer for number one on the all-time major list with his 20th overall. Many expected Novak Djokovic to keep climbing closer to Nadal and Federer, but after hitting a U.S. Open default due to hitting a linesman with a ball and a loss to Nadal in the Roland Garros Final, Djokovic sits at 17. There’s still a chance Djokovic inches closer to Federer & Nadal, but one thing is for sure: we will have a lone Grand Slam record holder. There may be no greater record in sports than Nadal’s 13 Roland Garros titles, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be the favorite after dominating Djokovic and the rest of the field at this year’s tournament. Another French Open trophy will move Nadal to 21 and pass Federer for the most Majors. As for Federer, he just turned 39 in August and will be coming off of right knee surgery he had earlier this year. It’s hard to completely count out Federer entirely after he won 3 majors following a left knee injury three years ago, but now being close to 40, and losing to Djokovic at Wimbledon last year in the fashion that he did, I’m comfortable with saying he’ll finish with 20 majors.

Twitter: @Rojas_Media_

https://lastoutmedianetwork.com/2020/11 ... r-in-2021/

[Damian]

FEATURE: Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and eight more players in need of a big bounce-back year in 2021

Spoiler:

Next season in tennis promises much, with the likes of Roger Federer and Andy Murray attempting to haul themselves back to the top.

Federer and Murray are not alone though in needing a real bounce-back year, though. Here, we take a look at those who need it the most.

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini dejected
By Berrettini’s own admission, he really struggled in 2020 with both fatigue and form.

The Italian came into the season on the back of a breakout year in 2019, reaching the ATP Finals and breaking the top ten for the first time.

He wasn’t able to back that up. The reasons for that might be understandable, but that doesn’t alter the need for a bounce-back.

Gael Monfils
Before the coronavirus crisis hit tennis, Monfils was flying. He won an ATP500 title in Rotterdam and an ATP250 title in Montpellier.

Add into that a semi-final in Dubai, and the Frenchman looked set for another fine season.

He has struggled since the resumption of the tour, though, mainly down to a neck injury that left him ‘hardly able to serve.’

Given his physical style of play, getting his recovery right will be a vital factor in whether or not he can rediscover his previous form.

Nick Kygrios
Nick Kyrgios Australian Open
Kyrgios divides opinion to the point where you wonder whether some fans would actually begrudge him a bounce-back year.

His absence has been down to concerns over the coronavirus, although he has also admitted to suffering from some unrelated mental health problems.

A happy and engaged Kyrgios though is brilliant for tennis. If you don’t love him, you probably love to hate him.

He is richly talented and, one way or another, tends to get people talking about tennis. That said, he is 25 now so can no longer be classed as a younger player, and if he doesn’t start delivery on his ability soon, he probably never will.

Ashleigh Barty
Barty is another player from Australia who decided not to put herself at risk of coronavirus, which is a wholly understandable position to take.

However, due to the temporary rankings system, she is in the unprecedented position of retaining her world number one spot without actually playing for nearly a year.

That’s going to leave her with a lot to prove, and she will need to hit the ground running if she is going to keep herself from falling down the rankings in 2020.

Kevin Anderson
Anderson was quite cruelly chopped down by injury right when he was at his career peak, and it hasn’t been an easy ride back for the South African.

His first attempt to comeback following knee surgery was at the start of 2020, but he broke down and had to have surgery in February.

He did return towards the end of the season and showed some promising signs especially at the Vienna Open, but at 35-years-old, it may not be an easy road back.

Andy Murray
Andy Murray fistpump
Speaking of players cruelly hit by injuries at their peak, how could we not mention Andy Murray? The British star was the word number one when he succumbed to his hip injury in 2017 and it has taken him three years to even get himself in a position to try to return.

The good news is he is back playing, at least semi-regularly, and pain-free. The bad news is that he is looking a bit of a pale shadow of his former self right now.

All great sporting comebacks start somewhere, though, and if Murray can get back to anywhere close to where he once was, it’ll practically be a miracle.

He has committed to a new fitness and diet routine though, and if anyone can overcome this it is surely Andy Murray. If we don’t see at least the first signs of it in 2021, though, it’s hard to see it happening at all.

Kei Nishikori
There aren’t many more universally likable players on the ATP Tour than Kei Nishikori, and he has been largely absent for far too long for our liking.

The Japanese star will be desperate to be fit and firing for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but he appears to be some way off of that after battling elbow and shoulder injuries.

As with the likes of Anderson and Murray, Nishikori’s best days are probably behind him in terms of him being a top five force, but there is still a top-quality player in there somewhere if he can rediscover it.

Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu celebrates
It has all gone just a little bit flat for Andreescu since she won the US Open with the Canadian ace struggling for fitness ever since.

She actually hasn’t played at all this year after picking up an injury at the 2019 WTA Finals in Shenzhen and is another big beneficiary of the protected rankings system that the coronavirus crisis has necessitated.

She is back on court now though and planning for a big 2021, and given the progress of Iga Swiatek, Sofia Kenin, and other WTA stars in her age-group, she definitely needs to re-establish her authority in 2021.

Roger Federer
Federer’s comeback in 2021 will be absolutely fascinating as it combines just about every thread from every other player we have mentioned here.

The Swiss star is battling age and multiple surgeries to try to re-establish his authority and regain some of his former glories at the very top of the game, although Federer has also been helped greatly by the current rankings system.

We are still talking about Roger Federer here, though. He could turn up at the Australian Open with one leg chopped off, wearing an eye-patch, and using a wooden plank for a racket and there would still be queues around Melbourne Park desperate to see him and utterly convinced he would be competitive against the very best.

Still, the fact remains that how 2021 goes for Federer may just decide whether or not we get to see any more of him at all beyond it.

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https://tennisbuzz.net/feature-roger-fe ... year-2021/

[Damian]

Mailbag: 2020 Moments of the Year and a Lookahead to 2021

Spoiler:

We’ll start with uncharacteristic sentimentality… This is going to do it for the year, not the most pleasant revolution around the sun. At the risk of getting all John Oliver here, good riddance to 2020.

But as I write this, Tennis Australia is presenting its 2021 schedule to the tour boards. (A week of his and hers tournaments before the event; a major that pays $100,000 in round one prize money; a standalone WTA event during the second week.) Both tours are scrambling to add events to the calendar and boost playing opportunities. The Miami Open is working on a creative solution. Indian Wells is, I gather, negotiating a possible move to the fall. Coaches are proposing to work with players for reduced fees. Top players—namecheck Novak Djokovic—are willing to reallocate prize money to benefit their less fortunate colleagues.

All of which is to say…rough as this year was, I would submit that—on balance—tennis did itself proud. In the sport’s never-ending existential rivalry, the Global Village beat the Tower of Babel. There were unforced errors (See: Adria Tour), but there were more winners. Three of the four majors went off as planned; and the fourth—the one with the good sense to buy the kind of pandemic insurance unlikely ever again to be available—gave the players a generous stipend. The USTA, long perceived as the antithesis of agile, put together a game plan and then executed. (This was after the grounds were used as an emergency hospital.) The French Federation made a power play for a fall time slot….a maneuver that looked downright shrewd by the time Iga Swiatek and Rafa Nadal were winning titles in glorious fashion.


Want more highlights? Dominic Thiem broke through as a major champion. Naomi Osaka found her voice. The WTA’s maternity leave policy paid great dividends. The Bryan Brothers exited gracefully. Venus, Serena, and Federer—combined age approaching 120—did not exit at all. Promoters resourcefully put on matches. Many of which were broadcast by the Tennis Channel, the rare media entity to lay off no workers during the pandemic.

One only hopes this spirit of innovation, this resourcefulness, this long-range thinking, this current of cooperation continues. Here’s to a happier, healthier and tennis-er 2021. As always, it’s been a pleasure talking shop with you all throughout the year. We’ll be back in 2021—what we can only hope brings a collective uptick in health, happiness and, of course, tennis.

***

Some housekeeping:

• Last week’s podcast featured former Stanford coach Dick Gould and rising ATP talent Brandon Nakashima.

• The only Daily Show correspondent with ATP points to his credit…..Mike Kosta’s comedy special is out/up and it is a clean winner.

Onward….

Mailbag
Have a question or comment for Jon? Email him at jon_wertheim@yahoo.com or tweet him @jon_wertheim.

On [your piece] for Tennis Channel: I saw that Mary Carillo did not like elbowing, I don't like it either. Nobody mentioned bowing on Tennis Channel as a greeting alternative. . .you can bow in saying to hello to somebody. No physical contact. Feel free to pass it along. I bet all of you at Tennis Channel have had people bow to you, somewhere in your travels.
—(Regrettably) Name misplaced


• Thanks. Here’s the piece the reader references:


I truly mourn the handshake and what it represents in tennis. You’ve been doing battle for hours, locked in this intense warfare against an opponent. No coaching. No pampering between rounds a la boxing. No caddy. No teammates. This is intense individual combat. And then, when it finally ends, who’s the first person with whom you have physical contact? The opponent you’ve spent all afternoon trying to defeat.

How do we replace that? It’s passable, but I don’t know anyone who loves the racket tap. (“Be very careful, Kyle Edmund!”) I rather like the bow, especially since there’s already tradition and etiquette and meaning surrounding it. There’s a nod to internationalism, too. All for it.

I’ve been watching reruns of Laver Cup matches on Tennis Channel. Too bad it’s not being played this year, because we can all agree (I think) that it’s a lot of fun. It’s great to see really top players playing singles and doubles in the much looser environment that it provides, and the team format adds an extra dimension.

But, is it fair to “The World”? Europe has all the higher ranked players, by quite a wide margin these days. In the first year (2017) the average ranking of the Europe team players was 6.3, compared to 32.8 for The World. In 2018, 7.3 to 19.5, and in 2019, 6.0 to 57.3 (yikes!), and in terms of matches, Europe won 8 to 4 in year 1, 7 to 4 in year 2, and 7 to 5 (close, but no cigar) in year 3.

Of course, thanks to the “game show” style scoring (later rounds count for more) it’s not decided till the last day, and The World could win if they could manage to get all their victories in later matches. Still, to quote Damon Runyon (or Hugh Keough?): “The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet.”

They don’t seem to have much chance, do they?
—Gavin, NYC

• New rule: any question with a Damon Runyon reference automatically gets included. (Aside: Mary Carillo appreciates a Runyon reference, too.) Yes, the “Europe-versus-the-world” distinction is…well, I wouldn’t say “unfair.” It’s not like Europe is inequitably monopolizing tennis. But, yes, it is an artificial line. And yes, the competitive balance is out of whack. The current ATP Top Ten features a grand total of one non-European. (It’s Diego Schwartzman.)


Maybe in time, the young Canadians will ascend. Or Kyrgios will get his act together. Or we can limit “Europe” to the fully paid up EU countries—freeing Djokovic and the Brits and Casper Ruud—and the dividing lines will seem lees arbitrary. Or better yet…the Laver Cup could include—wait for it— women. Of the WTA’s top ten, four come from outside of Europe. And Serena is ranked No. 11. Suddenly, we have a fair fight.

Back to Runyon: New York sports writer and author Damon Runyon (1884-1946) is often credited with adding on “—but that’s the way to bet.” Runyon himself noted that newspaper columnist Franklin P. Adams (1881-1960) had been credited by Bartlett’s Quotations, but Runyon believed the phrase to be from Chicago Tribune sportswriter Hugh Keough (1864-1912). In 1916, “F.P.A” had written: “As Hughey Keough used to say, ‘The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but that is where to look.’” A 1912 Chicago Tribune headline reads: “The Race Is Not Always with the Swift, But That’s Where to Look.”

I hope you are well. I was considerably shocked when I read "that" comment (if it could be called that) in your last Mailbag. Not so much that trolls or fanatics like that exist, but that you actually published it on your mailbag. I guess it's a good way to subdue such activity, by killing it with kindness and professionalism. I find it an interesting notion that sport can create such fanatical ideals.

Do you think it could stem from an individual's admiration of a player twisting into a notion that if "their" player doesn't win, then they lost as well? Almost as if their belief system lost? Do you know any sports psychologists that study sport fanaticism?
—Respectfully, Anthony, Montclair, N.J.

• Thanks. I appreciate that. Yes, there’s quite a bit of social psychology here. Ed Hirt at Indiana is one of my go-to’s. One of his studies reveals that when their choices lose, superfans report not only lower self-esteem but less confidence in their ability to complete tasks having nothing to do with sports.


In other words, all those jokes, “There won’t be much productivity in Pittsburgh offices today after the Steelers’ defeat” actually has some basis in fact. (If you are interested, I can also point you to this book from Justine Gubar.)

Fandom is fascinating to me. It’s obviously deeply tribal and plays to evolutionary instincts and impulses. We see the performance (and perception) of an athlete or team as a referendum on ourselves, our country, our values, our community. While it’s easy to dismiss this or poke fun at the irrationality—remember the old ESPN line, “It’s not crazy; it’s sports”— but it’s the secret sauce of the sports economy (that benefits so many of us). If fans didn’t see their favorite player as only an athlete—and didn’t curse you for choosing someone else as MVP—we’d really have problems.

Love your columns and generally agree with you most of the time. But I don’t think Djokovic should be given a black mark for supporting a friend. Accusations should not automatically result in shunning. If a friend of mine were accused of a serious crime/transgression, I would definitely defend and support them. If it came to light later that they were guilty, I might in fact desert them. But until that day, I’d be there and I think it says something positive about Djokovic that he stands by his friends.
—Lucy M.

• That’s fair enough. Lord knows—and a number of us within tennis were here recently—it’s an unenviable position having a colleague or friend stand accused of a bad act, and then deciding how/when/whether to express support. Like buying and selling a stock, you don’t want to bail too early; you also can get burned placing yourself in the ride-or-die camp.


As far as the Zverev allegations, some might suggest that his colleagues look at the details and specificity and data surrounding the low incidence of false abuse claims…and perhaps withhold public support. But, inasmuch as Djokovic is confident in Zverev’s innocence, I suppose you could applaud him for his stand and loyalty toward a friend.

Jon, Kudos to Tennis Channel for showing the classic matches this month. I’ve been enjoying them immensely. While watching the 1982 Wimbledon final between McEnroe and Connors, I realized that one reason I was particularly enjoying this match was the vantage point. For a considerable fraction of the time, the camera was low and behind the returner. This is far superior to the classic, birds-eye view we get today. You can actually see what it’s like to return a serve from these guys. Can you use your considerable influence to get the tennis directors at Tennis Channel and elsewhere to change their ways and show this vantage point, for, say, at least 20% of the time?
—Mark Averett

• Thanks. Your point is well-taken. But do note that it’s a tournament call, not a network call. Camera positions are generally not dictated by networks, but by what positions the tournaments make available. (Often based on seats the tournament feels comfortable sacrificing). Each venue is different. (And, in fact, that lower angle at the AELTC is no longer in that same location.)


Happy Holidays! Love the ’bag. Hey in this year when racial inequality has come to the fore, is it a moment where tennis should be reconsidering its fundamental structure?

The four (very profitable, prestigious) Grand Slam tournaments are sited in four majority white countries. This offers a clear advantage in investing in player development programs, promoting the game and perhaps most obviously wildcard opportunities In those four countries. Arguably, this perpetuates unfairness and stifles representation from a diversity of countries and races that would ultimately grow the game to new populations. Is there any discussion of this dynamic among the game’s leaders?
—Josh L.

• Hey, thanks. For a variety of reasons—tradition, history, baked in commercial relations—the majors are unlikely to move. And while, yes, the four countries are “majority white,” we descend the slipperiest of slopes if we start assigning events based on the racial makeup of the citizenry. Do the countries have a moral obligation to spread the wealth to a diverse population and demographic, bringing tennis beyond a “majority white” audience? Yes. And I would submit that they generally do. (Exhibit A: note the representation among the top American women.)

But your larger point is well worth considering. The host nations of the four majors have huge built-in, structural advantages. There is money for development and travel and coaching. There are wild card spots. There is an infrastructure which leads to challenger-level events. We sometimes say, “Wow, look at Serbia, or Spain and consider their outsized impact on the sport.” I’d respond that it’s doubly so given that those countries don’t have the good fortune of hosting a major.


Any word on what the New York Open is planning on doing now that Aussie Open is starting on February 8, 2021, the New York Open's scheduled start date? I fear that if it is canceled this year it will not be able to come back in 2022. Thanks and keep up the good work.
—Terry

• Sadly the New York Open is not on the calendar for 2021. As for the future, read between the lines here. The contracts assumed by the new tenant are for the Islanders lease and the Long Island Nets lease. No word about tennis.

Jon, I don’t know if you have mentioned this, but Ash Barty is the WTA’s No. 1 player [but] she hasn’t played a match since February? Sorry, I know, COVID. But that doesn’t sit right with me. Who do you see as being the top five WTA players a year from now?
—Thomas, Cincy

• The same factors that have enabled Barty to hold onto her top ranking make this question hard to answer. Who knows what the COVID—or, optimistically, post-COVID future—will look like. What events will be held? What will the rankings qualifications look like? We all like Swiatek but that’s a lot of points she still needs. We all like Serena but she won’t play enough (and will, of course, be 40). In a vacuum, I don’t think it looks much different from now. Maybe:

Osaka
Halep
Barty
Kenin
Sabalenka?
Jeff Sohikian makes a number of fair points in his comment about Djokovic in the Dec. 9 Mailbag. But this—"I still highly doubt Fed or Nadal would’ve been DQ'ed in New York had they committed the same offense"—is flat-out silly, and I wish you'd called him out on it.
—Srikanth


• Good point. Just to be clear…if Federer or Nadal or Billie Jean King or Marcelo Rios or any carbon-based racket-wielding organism had done the same, they would have been DQ’ed as well. This was not a close call. Consider: the most cited precedent—a player defaulted for inadvertently pelting someone—was Tim Henman. At Wimbledon. Enough said.

Re: the David Dinkins [piece] by Kristina Dell, thank you so much for including this; a lovely, lovely tribute.
—Erica W.

• Agree. And here it is again if you missed it (scroll to the bottom.)

Shots, Miscellany
• Colette Lewis, naturally, has your Orange Bowl coverage.

American Ashlyn Krueger (Highland Village, Texas) won the girls’ 18s singles title at the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships. Krueger, 16, defeated No. 7 seed Jana Kolodynska of Belarus, 6-4, 6-4. Krueger, who received a wild card into the main draw, also won the Orange Bowl 16s singles title a year ago.

France’s Arthur Fils, who was unseeded, shocked the tournament's No. 1 seed Peter Fajta of Hungary, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, to win the boys’ 18s singles title. On Saturday, Fajta partnered with fellow Hungarian Zsombor Velcz to win the boys’ 18s doubles title.

• Say this about Giles Simon, he doesn’t mince words.


• RIP Dennis Ralston. Here’s a fine piece from Joel Drucker.

• RIP Gordon Forbes.

• Leif Wellington Haase take us out:

Jon: There are a legion of politicians who, like the late David Dinkins, are tennis enthusiasts. Beyond Marat Safin, who was elected to the Russian parliament, the list of former players who have become elected politicians is pretty short. Naturally, there are power brokers like Ion Tiriac who exercise considerable political power without holding office.

John Alexander, an Australian MP and a former top ten player, would be high on the list. Richard Legendre, a former Canadian Davis Cupper, served as a cabinet minister in the Quebec assembly, Former UCLA college star Helena Konanz (Manset) who played the U.S. Open and Wimbledon became a naturalized Canadian citizen and narrowly lost a high-profile Assembly race in British Columbia in 2019.

Paradorn Srichipan made a high-profile announcement stating his intentions of running for the Thai assembly back in 2011. But he ran aground on Thailand's compulsory voting law...having failed to vote in 2007, it turned out that he was ineligible to seek office.

Individual sports in general turn out fewer politicians than team sports, partly because they tend to be dominated, relatively speaking, by iconoclasts who are less temperamentally suited to the kind of consensus-building activities that politics, at least historically, has required.

But with greater media attention and with top players now more likely to be part of extensive teams, I suspect there will be a lot more public figures that come out of the current generation of players. Novak Djokovic is one example. So is a naturally talented "people person" like the American Grand Slam doubles champion Rajeev Ram.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

https://www.si.com/tennis/2020/12/16/ma ... atp-tennis

[Barty]

THE RALLY: A MOST UNPREDICTABLE SEASON BEGINS NEXT MONTH

Spoiler:

This week we discuss the new 2021 schedules, and give thanks to Melbourne for being tennis’s much-needed port in a storm.

By Steve Tignor and Joel Drucker

December 19, 2020

A most unpredictable season begins. Steve Tignor and Joel Drucker discuss the new 2021 schedules, and gives thanks to Melbourne for being tennis’s much-needed port in a storm In this week's Rally.

Hi Joel,

Looking at the new, seven-week 2021 ATP and WTA schedules, is there a phrase comes to mind for you?

“Any port in a storm,” perhaps?

That’s what tennis, like all sports, is faced with as it tries to maneuver through a pandemic. With COVID restrictions varying from one country, one state, one city to the next, the tours can’t worry about where their seasons have traditionally begun. For now, the players can only go where they’re allowed.

With that in mind, I think the tours have done the best that could have been expected with what was available, and possibly created a model for the rest of the season. That model is similar to the bubble that we saw in New York around the US Open. This time it will be created in Melbourne, which, after a strict lockdown, has freed itself of the virus, at least for the moment. If all goes as planned, players from both tours will arrive in mid-January, quarantine for two weeks, play a warm-up tour event at Melbourne Park the first week of February, and then play the Australian Open starting Feb. 8. The men will also play the ATP Cup in Melbourne the week before the Aussie Open, and the women will play a WTA event during the second week of that Slam.

All in all, I’d say tennis owes a big thank you to the officials and people of Australia, the state of Victoria, the city of Melbourne, and Tennis Australia for giving the game that port in this pandemic storm. Can the Grand Slam bubble formula be repeated at the other majors? As of now, with the U.K. canceling Christmas, France’s president testing positive for the virus, and cases rising again in New York, the answer would seem to be no. Let’s hope the vaccines can make a difference, quickly.

As far as the first seven weeks are concerned, my one question is: Should the ATP really kick off its season in Delray Beach? It’s a great location and tournament, but there have been 20,000 COVID deaths in Florida, and 1,800 in Palm Beach County. The state has few restrictions, which is why the men are going there, but couldn’t the event be played later in the year, when, presumably, the virus will be better controlled?


Getty Images

Hi Steve,

Spot on about ports, storms and the attendant, highly sensitive logistical challenges tennis will face in 2021.

Agree with you about Delray Beach and how treacherous things are in Florida. And yet, where is this not the case? Tennis must start somewhere, and while we fans are grateful for the chance to watch the pros from our sheltered homes, there’s no question that the 2021 tennis year is going to be very tough for all the players and tournament organizers—arguably even more challenging than 2020.

In 2020, after five months of no ATP and WTA events, all were glad merely for the chance to at last play and get in a bunch of matches at the close of the year at tournaments in North America and Europe.

But now, as the start of a new year nears, tennis’ geographic sprawl really comes into the spotlight. An ATP event in Delray Beach. Australian Open qualifying in Doha. A WTA tournament in Abu Dhabi. And then, of course, off to Melbourne. At least these are all outdoor events. Still, there’s lots of travel. Lots of security checks. Lots of COVID tests. Uncertainty of what’s to come, both in the near term and for the balance of the year. And, as all these factors compound, tons of stress. Call it, The Year of Playing Dangerously.

So how can a player be best-equipped to compete effectively? When I read how tournaments are limiting player entourages to a select few people, I’m reminded of a classic line from The Godfather: leave the gun, take the cannoli. The tennis equivalent might go like this: leave the coach, take the physio. For my suspicion is that, at least during tournaments, it’s most important for a player to have someone near-at-hand who can keep his or her body exquisitely tuned. As much as I respect Roger Federer’s coaching team, my belief is that the real genius behind his longevity is his personal trainer, Pierre Paganini.

My hope is that a great many players have followed Federer’s example and have worked extensively with their teams to be as fit and healthy as possible. Certainly, there are longstanding stretches and other training routines that aid the body. Might the pandemic have also generated inquiries into the best nutritional practices? Who knows, maybe there’s a new kind of COVID-inspired smoothie that will become the new hit in player lounges.

Steve, what do you think will be the key for players thriving in 2021?


Getty Images

Joel,

The Year of Playing Dangerously—an apropos name for 2021. You’re right about the effort it will take to travel in 2021, from COVID tests to security checks to quarantine rules. It may be hard to know where and when you can move from one country to the next. Patience will be the utmost virtue, and an ability not to worry about the future too much, because we have no idea what it’s going to hold from one month to the next.

Yet once everyone is ensconced in Melbourne, the conditions should be ideal for the players to thrive, or at least to focus on the job ahead. They will be allotted five hours of training time per day, which seems like a lot until you realize there’s essentially nothing else for them to do; it’s that or the hotel room.

I wonder who will benefit most from two weeks of boot camp. On the one hand, you might think that these unusual conditions could lead to unusual results; on the other hand, the hyper-restricted conditions in Melbourne might help the best players find their best form. For example, I could see Serena working herself into a fearsome groove over after two weeks of five-hour sessions. Could the same thing happen to Roger Federer, or will his body balk at that kind of training block? He has committed to traveling to Australia, but is still unsure of whether he’ll be able to play after his most recent knee surgery.

Speaking of focused, each player will only be allowed one other training partner during the first week in Melbourne, and then two more the second week. Rafael Nadal and the young Italian Jannik Sinner will start together. An interesting pick for Rafa (assuming he made the choice, and not the other way around). He’s probably thinking that if he can get used to Sinner’s pace, he’ll be ready for anyone. For Sinner, what could be better than two weeks of watching and absorbing that famous Nadal intensity?

Joel, do the conditions that the players will face in Australia make you rethink your predictions for the start of the year?


Getty Images

Steve,

Predictions? Yikes. These are always difficult to make even we’re seeing the players in action frequently. Now, in the wake of so much disruption, who can dare say how these tournaments will go?

As a tip of my hat to your zeal for music, I’m dubbing the two weeks of pre-Australian quarantine and practice, “The Melbourne Sessions”—a blend of the exiled Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes and the youthful Elvis Presley’s Sun Sessions.

It will be fascinating to see how the players treat those two weeks. As a start, how do they spend time when they can’t be training? The usual mode at tournaments is to enjoy the city in many of the ways you’d expect from a young, well-compensated athlete—most of all by heading to lots of local restaurants. And when it comes to food, Melbourne is as good as it gets.

But all that’s off the table (pun intended), so will players who can afford it bring tons of their own food, or personal chefs? Will others rely relentlessly on room service? Besides meals, then what? An ex-pro once explained to me that in a sport when you rarely know what time you’re playing, much of the day is spent finding ways to creatively kill time without squandering your competitive firepower. Jimmy Connors told me he didn’t want to watch Western movies lest he get caught up in a chase scene.

These days, figure that the Internet will get quite the workout. Not sure, though, if I’d want to engage too heavily in an arduous game of Words with Friends. Maybe better to watch clips on YouTube or TikTok. Or perhaps some of the more theatrical pros like Bethanie Mattek-Sands will make their own videos—or even create a hotel lobby talk show? Maybe, in a more low-key way, one future Gordon Forbes will be keeping a diary, later known as A Nose Full of Test Strips.

As far as the on-court aspect goes, practice will take a different dimension than it does during a tournament. When the event is happening, it strikes me that players are most invested in keeping fresh, the kind of knife-sharpening practice useful in the thick of competition. But now, several weeks ahead of the competition, what shape will practice take? For some, lots of practice sets. For others, drills, or hitting, or certain drill-based games. And again, looming over all of this, the threat of COVID and the uncertain ways it can be transmitted.

One thing for sure about tennis in the year 2021: It won’t be boring.

https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2020/12 ... vid/92205/

[DUN I LOVE]

Szokującą rzecz wyczytałem na jednym z zagranicznych portali.

Djoković faworytem buków do triumfu w AO, Wimby i USO, Nadal na RG.

[Damian]

Djokovic, Nadal To Pursue History In 2021

Spoiler:

ATPTour.com looks at some of the biggest storylines to watch in 2021

There are many intriguing storylines to watch for in the 2021 ATP Tour season.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal lead the way as the Top 2 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings and both men will be chasing history in 2021, as they look to add to their extraordinary resumés. The pair was given an early warning for next season at the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals by Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev, who both earned victories against the Top 2 stars en route to the championship match.

World No. 3 Thiem and London champion Medvedev lead a growing list of challengers to the dominance of Djokovic and Nadal. That group includes former Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and 2020 Most Improved Player of the Year Andrey Rublev. Before the new season, ATPTour.com looks at five of the top storylines to watch:

1) Novak’s Push For History
After becoming only the second man to hold the top spot in the FedEx ATP Rankings for 300 weeks on 21 December, Djokovic will have his sights set on one of the most prestigious records in tennis in the first quarter of the 2021 ATP Tour season. The Serbian is currently nine weeks behind Roger Federer’s record of 310 weeks at the top of the sport.

Djokovic, who leads longtime rival and World No. 2 Nadal by 2,180 points, will pass Federer’s mark if he can maintain his position at the top of the sport until 8 March 2021. It is not the only FedEx ATP Rankings record the Serbian is chasing next year.

In 2020, Djokovic tied his idol Pete Sampras’ record of six year-end World No. 1 finishes. The 33-year-old will be aiming to take sole ownership of that record by completing back-to-back year-end World No. 1 finishes for the third time (also 2011-12, ’14-15).

All-Time Weeks At No. 1 (as of 28 December 2020)

No. 1 Player
Total Weeks
Longest Streak
1) Roger Federer
310
237 weeks
2) Novak Djokovic
301
122 weeks
3) Pete Sampras
286
102 weeks
4) Ivan Lendl
270
157 weeks
5) Jimmy Connors
268
160 weeks
2) Does Rafa Have Another Surge In Him?
Rafael Nadal equalled Federer’s record haul of 20 Grand Slam trophies at Roland Garros in 2020 and finished the year with a record 12th Top 2 finish in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The question is, will the Spaniard be able to bounce back to the top spot in 2021? History suggests he is more than capable.

Nadal and Djokovic are the only two men to have immediately recovered the year-end World No. 1 position twice. Nadal finished 2008 and 2010 as World No. 1 and repeated the feat by finishing in the top spot in 2017 and 2019. The 34-year-old, who also finished as No. 1 in 2013, will be aiming to match Djokovic and Sampras’ tally of six year-end No. 1 finishes in 2021.

The 20-time major champion’s hopes of returning to the top position will rest on his ability to continue adding to his impressive Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000 trophy collections. Nadal will attempt to move clear of Federer with a 21st major title next year and regain the top position in the Masters 1000 trophy leaderboard. Djokovic currently leads 35-time Masters 1000 champion Nadal by one trophy at the level.


3) Can Domi Take the Next Step?
After becoming the first player in six years to win his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open, Thiem defeated his main rivals Djokovic and Nadal en route to his second consecutive runner-up finish at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. The Austrian is now within touching distance of a major milestone in 2021.

Thiem currently sits just 725 FedEx ATP Ranking points behind World No. 2 Nadal. The last player outside the Big Four of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray to occupy a Top 2 position was Lleyton Hewitt in July 2005. One of the keys for Thiem to achieve that goal will be his ability to maintain his recent success against his main rivals. Since the start of the 2019 ATP Tour season, Thiem has compiled a 9-3 record against Federer (3-0), Nadal (3-1) and Djokovic (3-2).

You May Also Like: Djokovic-Thiem Epic Tops ATP Tour Matches Of 2020
4) Can Medvedev Maintain His Momentum?
Daniil Medvedev ended 2020 as the in-form player on the ATP Tour. The Russian claimed back-to-back titles at the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals to finish the year on a 10-match winning streak, which included seven Top 10 victories.

If Medvedev can translate his indoor form to outdoor success, he could join Thiem as a challenger to Djokovic and Nadal’s stranglehold on the Top 2 positions in the sport. The World No. 4 has started his season strong in the past. He opened his 2020 campaign with seven wins from nine matches in Australia.


5) Moving To Turin
After 12 editions at The O2 in London, the Nitto ATP Finals moves to Turin from 2021-2025. The biggest singles and doubles stars on the ATP Tour will all be aiming to finish the year by competing at Italy’s largest indoor sporting arena: the Pala Alpitour.

The season finale is moving to a nation where tennis is firmly on the rise. There are currently eight Italian men in the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, highlighted by 2019 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier and Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini.

Italy also possesses the youngest player in the Top 100: 19-year-old Jannik Sinner. The World No. 37, who captured his maiden ATP Tour trophy at the Sofia Open in November, has already achieved success at a round-robin event on home soil. In 2019, the San Candido native charged to victory on his tournament debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/2021-se ... ew-part-1-

[Kamileki]

[Damian]

Sinner Targets More Success, Federer Chases Record In 2021

Spoiler:

ATPTour.com looks ahead to the 2021 ATP Tour season

On Thursday, ATPTour.com discussed the first five of 10 key storylines for the 2021 ATP Tour season. These included Novak Djokovic’s bid to make FedEx ATP Rankings history and Rafael Nadal’s charge to return to World No. 1.

From the rise of Jannik Sinner to Roger Federer's return, discover the five remaining storylines to look out for in 2021.

6) How High Will Sinner Climb?
Following his run to the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals title in Milan, Jannik Sinner raised his game to new heights in 2020. The Italian soared from No. 78 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the start of the year to finish the season at No. 37. The youngest player in the Top 100 earned three Top 10 wins in 2020 and became the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2005 to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals on his tournament debut. In his quarter-final in Paris, Sinner pushed Nadal in the opening two sets before falling 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1.

If his 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals triumph was a sign of things to come in 2020, Sinner has already signalled his intent for 2021. The 19-year-old ended his 2020 campaign with his maiden ATP Tour title at the Sofia Open. The Italian will be motivated by opportunities to finish the year on home soil, with both the Nitto ATP Finals (Turin) and the Next Gen ATP Finals (Milan) to be held in Italy. Sinner will open his 2020 campaign at the Antalya Open, to be held from 7-13 January.

<a href='/en/players/jannik-sinner/s0ag/overview'>Jannik Sinner</a> is the first Italian to win an ATP Tour singles title in 2020.

7) Roger’s Return
When Roger Federer returns to the court, the 39-year-old will be making his first appearance since his run to the 2020 Australian Open semi-finals. The Swiss, who recently won the ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite Award for the 18th straight year, will continue his bid to overtake Jimmy Connors in two key areas in 2021.
The American legend currently owns a record 109 crowns and 1,274 wins at tour level, while Federer holds 103 titles and 1,242 victories. In his last full season on the ATP Tour in 2019, Federer captured four trophies and earned 53 wins.


Murray Hopes For More Magic
Following injury and the ATP Tour suspension due to COVID-19, Andy Murray made just four appearances on the ATP Tour in 2020. The former World No. 1 recently received a main draw wild card for the Australian Open, which will be held from 8-21 February.

Murray will be making his 14th appearance at the opening Grand Slam event of the year. The 33-year-old has finished as a runner-up at Melbourne Park on five occasions and is tied with Andre Agassi and former coach Ivan Lendl in fifth position on the tournament wins list (48). Murray will look to add to his impressive resume in 2021, which includes 46 titles and 676 wins at tour-level.

You May Also Like: Murray, Kokkinakis Headline Australian Open Wild Cards
9) Who Will Be 2021’s Andrey Rublev?
Andrey Rublev enjoyed a breakthrough 2020 season, as he earned a tour-leading five titles and 41 match wins. The Russian claimed 15 consecutive wins at ATP 500-level and reached back-to-back Grand Slam quarter-finals at the US Open and Roland Garros to book his place at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. Who will follow in the footsteps of Rublev and become the breakthrough star of 2021?

Aside from rising star Sinner, four of the many young talents entering 2021 with big expectations are Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Ugo Humbert. Rome semi-finalist Shapovalov will aim to build on his 2020 campaign and re-enter the Top 10 in the FedEx Rankings, while countryman Auger-Aliassime will continue his pursuit of a maiden ATP Tour trophy. Auger-Aliassime has finished as a runner-up at six ATP Tour events since February 2019.

Casper Ruud made history in 2020 when he became the first Norwegian player to capture an ATP Tour trophy at the Argentina Open. The Oslo native compiled a tour-leading 17 victories on the dirt in 2020 and will be a leading contender at clay events in 2021.

Ugo Humbert will also be confident of adding to his trophy collection in 2021. The Frenchman was the youngest player to win multiple ATP Tour crowns in 2020, following title runs in Auckland and Antwerp. Humbert proved his capabilities with two Top 10 wins during the year and finished the 2020 season with a run to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Rolex Paris Masters. Other players to watch include Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Hubert Hurkacz and Reilly Opelka.

<a href='/en/players/felix-auger-aliassime/ag37/overview'>Felix Auger-Aliassime</a>, <a href='/en/players/rafael-nadal/n409/overview'>Rafael Nadal</a>

Felix Auger-Aliassime travelled to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in December to prepare for the 2021 ATP Tour season.
10) New Year, New Teams
One of the key features of the 2021 ATP Tour season will be the large number of changes to doubles pairings. Many of the top doubles stars will start the new year with a fresh partner, including 2020 year-end World No. 1 FedEx ATP Doubles Team Ranking holders Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares and Nitto ATP Finals champions Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic.

Pavic and Mektic will form an all-Croatian partnership in 2021, Soares will reunite with Jamie Murray and Koolhof will join forces with Lukasz Kubot. Other new partnerships include Marcelo Melo and Jean-Julien Rojer, Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski, Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Henri Kontinen and Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/2021-se ... iew-part-2

[Kamileki]

[Barty]

Nadal Chases Major Milestone In 2021

Spoiler:

Djokovic, Federer closing in on historic records

With the 2021 ATP Tour season fast approaching, many of the ATP Tour’s most established stars will have their sights set on reaching historic milestones. Most notably, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will look to continue to add to their stunning lists of career accomplishments.

ATPTour.com takes a closer look at the records the Big Three and other established names will be chasing in 2021.

Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard made history last year when he claimed a record-extending 13th Roland Garros title in Paris to join Federer at the top of the Grand Slam singles titles leaderboard for the first time. Nadal can overtake the Swiss and take sole ownership of one of the most prestigious records in the sport with a second Australian Open title run in February. Federer, who moved clear of former record holder Pete Sampras with his 15th major triumph at 2009 Wimbledon, will miss the opening major championship of the year as he continues to recover from two right knee surgeries.

Alongside his pursuit for major titles, Nadal will also chase numerous ATP Tour milestones. The 34-year-old is less than three weeks away from becoming the first player to spend 800 weeks inside the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Remarkably, Nadal has spent a record 797 consecutive weeks inside the Top 10 since 25 April 2005. Nadal passed Jimmy Connors’ previous record mark of 789 weeks as a Top 10 player on 9 November 2020.

Nadal is also on the verge of joining an exclusive hard court club this year. The Mallorcan, who owns 486 tour-level hard court wins, is just 14 victories away from becoming only the fourth player to achieve 500 wins on the surface. Only Federer (782), Djokovic (604) and Andre Agassi (592) have achieved the feat.

Nadal

Novak Djokovic
Nadal is not the only player aiming to surpass a major Federer milestone in 2020. Djokovic is currently 10 weeks away from breaking the Swiss’ record of 310 weeks at the top of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Djokovic, who leads longtime rival and World No. 2 Nadal by 2,180 points, will pass Federer’s mark if he can maintain his position at the top of the sport until 8 March 2021.

It is not the only FedEx ATP Rankings record the Serbian is chasing in 2021. Last year, Djokovic triumphed at the ATP Cup and claimed four trophies to tie his idol Sampras’ record of six year-end World No. 1 finishes. The 33-year-old will be aiming to take sole ownership of that record by completing back-to-back year-end World No. 1 finishes for the third time (2011-’12, ’14-’15).

Djokovic can also join the elite list of players to have achieved 1,000 tour-level victories in 2021. The 36-time ATP Masters 1000 champion enters the year with 934 victories at tour-level, just 66 wins shy of the mark Nadal recently reached at the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters. Between 2007 and 2015, Djokovic achieved more than 66 wins in six of this nine campaigns. If he can do the same in 2020, he will join Connors (1,274), Federer (1,242), Ivan Lendl (1,068) and Nadal (1,004) in the 1,000 wins club.

Djokovic

Roger Federer
While Nadal and Djokovic aim to surpass Federer’s records, the Swiss will have his eyes on a long-standing mark held by Connors. The American currently owns a record 1,274 victories at tour-level, 32 wins ahead of Federer’s tally (1,242).

In pursuit of Connors’ record, Federer could hit another win milestone on the way. The 20-time Grand Slam champion is currently two victories away from earning his 300th indoor win at tour-level. Federer, the only active player with more than 200 indoor wins, is attempting to become the eighth member of the indoor 300 club.

<a href='/en/players/roger-federer/f324/overview'>Roger Federer</a> owns an unbeaten ATP Head2Head record against <a href='/en/players/marton-fucsovics/f724/overview'>Marton Fucsovics</a>.

The Race To 500
Outside of the Big Three, a trio of ATP Tour veterans are on the cusp of a major milestone in 2021. Gael Monfils (493), Gilles Simon (492) and Feliciano Lopez (492) are all within touching distance of joining the 500 tour-level wins club.

Only eight active players have achieved 500 tour-level victories. Alongside Federer (1,242), Nadal (1,004) and Djokovic (934), Andy Murray (676), Fernando Verdasco (552), Richard Gasquet (548), Stan Wawrinka (530) and Marin Cilic (516) have all passed the mark. Philipp Kohlschreiber (470) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (464) are also closing in on 500 wins.

You May Also Like: Sinner Targets More Success, Federer Chases Record In 2021
The 20 Club
Another exclusive club may increase its number of members in 2021. Tsonga (18), Cilic (18) and Dominic Thiem (17) are all within touching distance of their 20th tour-level crowns. Only five active players have reached the mark: Federer (103), Nadal (86), Djokovic (81), Murray (46) and Juan Martin del Potro (22).

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