Rankings, Sloane Stephens and Nadal
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Sloane Stephens
The American Tennis Championship of this year, the US Open, had an unexpected but, not an unknown, Women’s winner in Sloane Stephens with Rafael Nadal as the Men’s winner. It was an event in which the best were sidelined nursing their body battered over 8 months of a merciless Pro tour. The best in the event gave the impression they are limiting their performance to avoid injuries. This is making world ranking questionable in validity. With the majority of the best not winning, the only question that could be asked about the world ranking now is a line from the cartoons, ‘What’s up doc’?
The quarterfinals lineup in both genders of the US Open was not one any expert would have predicted. The Final had a player ranked 87. This poses questions. Are the players being selective by design or, is it the strain of physical performance that is causing this? Questions and more questions will be asked within the Tennis circle. Tennis this year, in New York, was not exceptional. It seems necessary now to consider another aspect of players’, ‘fatigue factor’ in the rating. All of these have an impact on the interest and the quality of world Tennis.
Sloane Stephens
Stephens is a new name in the Grand Slam winners’ list. With it she etches her name in stone, in Tennis. Stephens has all the experience of the competitive sport. Her mother Sybil swam for Boston University and her name appears in the All American list. Father, a known Pro-Footballer, died in a car crash in 2009.
At 5′ 7″ she is not a tall player. The signature sign of a good player is the way they balance while walking, moving on court and stability at contact. Modern Tennis is super fast. There is no time to balance. Unless balance comes naturally, strokes will not have power and accuracy. Stephens has a natural balance.
Grand Slam Road
In 2013, Stephens beat one of her role models, Serena Williams, in the Australian Open, and came to be known. Her other role model is Venus Williams, whom she beat at the US Open. Her 3rd role model is Kim Clijsters. Coming through the top end of Junior Tennis, she must have crossed her physical safety zone. Injuries appeared and prevented her from winning in the open circuit for a good while. Only a about year ago she had foot surgery. She was highly successful in this year’s US Open series of 6 events leading to the US Open.
Stephens’ game has the right combination of powered ground-strokes, prominent net game, court coverage, speed, endurance and the all important tactical mind. She sometimes tends to show on/off mental state. That is why, when she loses a set, it could be 6-0. In all, she has begun to show the ability to turn around a bad situation to good. The US Open title came because of this development. It has taken her to 17, from 83, in the rankings.
Nadal- Spain’s greatest Athlete
Spain’s greatest Athlete of all time, is what Nadal is considered to be in his native land. After two years of nursing injuries, he is back at the spot he was, ranked No.1. Still not at his best that we know of him. The player who could have beaten him at the US Open was Argentina’s Juan Del Potro. Coming back from wrist surgery, he confessed he was not in great shape physically, to beat Nadal. In the semifinal, he won the 1st Set against Nadal, but his condition failed. Without doubt, Nadal produced the best Tennis in this year’s US Open, from the very 1st Round.
Frightening ‘injuries’
With the top ranked Women failing, the all-American Women’s semifinals happened for the 1st time since 1981. Venus Williams was the only one from the Top 10 and reached the semifinals at 37 years of age. Her semifinal against Stephens had the aura of a final, in terms of Tennis. Garbine Muguruza became the Women’s world No.1, more due to the failure of others, after the US Open.
Reading recent Tennis history, well known names popped up repeatedly. Where are they? For every single popular name that has survived, we now have over 100 names that have appeared. This poses a question to would-be players and parents, as to whether it is a good Pro sport.
Players venturing into Tennis must set feasible targets of maturity and achieve them. Then go into the next level. Many let the progress float unguided. When constrains are confronted, early in life, it must be identified and respected to overcome them. Tennis has a notorious success rate of one in a few millions reaching the top 100 in the world. From my experience in Europe and Asia, physical inadequacies and mechanical tactics lead the list in the dropout scenario. Team sport can accommodate this better but, to be selected to a team, one can be subjected to Sports Politics.
-George Paldano, Former int. player; Accredited Coach of German Federation; National coach Sri Lanka & Brunei, Davis-Cup, Federation Cup captain/coach– contact 94 77 544 8880 geodano2015@gmail.com –