It's Not About The Hype, Kiddos
That Baby Gen is coming to stay, hype machine or not. Also, after watching Vicky Mboko, I was again wondering how Canada kept giving us these gifted players, so I asked them.
Welcome back! Happy to see you here again :) In this edition, we will talk about everything Miami, obviously. The Baby Gen Has Come To Slay. I’ve also chatted with the head of women’s tennis at Tennis Canada to try to understand better how they keep gifting tennis with talented players even without being the biggest sport in Canada nor the biggest tennis budget. By the way, you’ll get another free edition by the end of this week as I’ve been working on a feature about one of the players’ foes: the serve. I got such great insights from experts that it needs a full edition. Paid subscribers, I’m also sending something nice your way!
As usual, if you want and can support my work, don’t hesitate to subscribe, spread the word, or buy me a cuppa (all links down below). Also, don’t hesitate to like the posts and/or send a comment, as it really helps the newsletter's discoverability. Cheers!
WHAT WE LEARNED IN MIAMI?
So Much.
Baby Gen
They’re not the Next Gen but the Baby Gen, and, as Carlos Alcaraz when he landed, they already seem ready to disrupt the order.
Jakub Mensik, 19 (and now ranked #24), won the first Masters 1000 of his career and confirmed what we saw last year: He’s the real deal. You’d think he’d have deserved half of the Joao Fonseca hype, no? In Miami, he rained on Novak Djokovic’s 100th title parade and, if you look at his draw (Draper, Fils, Fritz), you might calm down on the “omg, such a surprise, what the hell happened?” reaction. Mensik was locked in out there, on a fast surface that perfectly suits his game. He had also pushed Djokovic in three sets in the quarter-finals of Shanghai last year: He had the game to pull the upset. As I said when Jack Draper lost against him: Well, it's not really a surprise, and that could be a Grand Slam semi-final in the near future. Mensik has been ready to win big since last year when he reached the final in Doha, and the only reason he wasn’t already up there battling for these titles afterward is a right arm injury that derailed his meteoric rise.
His power on both wings and serve is unreal, and it’s already under control. One has to see it live to really get not only how impressive it is already but also how absolutely insane the potential is. Mensik, who moves really well for a tall guy, also has something nobody can control, and that is usually a strong currency in professional sports: Charisma. Czech men’s tennis has its strongest era since Tomas Berdych with Mensik, Jiri Lehecka, and Tomas Machac. We already knew Czech tennis had the X factor in women’s tennis, and now they’re becoming the full package again. Super clean technical skills, great competitors, and strong game identities despite being from the same school of thought. “Of course, right now, I will celebrate, rest,” he said. “When I come back home, I’m going back to work and try to get better and better, because still there is a lot of space for improvement in my game, so I will, me and my team, will do my best to lift these trophies more often.” Locked in, telling you.
Of course, Joao Fonseca rocked the stadium in Miami. In what still seems like a pretty out-of-control level of hype from everywhere in the tennis world, the 18-year-old Brazilian keeps confirming he’s on the next big thing list. I’m even more impressed by how well he deals with all the frenzy around him than by how well he plays. With a bit more experience, he’d have beaten Alex de Minaur in that third round because clearly his game has already found a Top 20-aspiring-for-more level. The kid doesn’t need to be hyped and overhyped; his racquet can do the job already.
Thankfully, for now, it seems his team is managing all this very well to keep his eyes on the prize. Also, Fonseca and Learner Tien surely gave us one of the top matches of the season and another proof that the Baby Gen is made of tough competitors already. And top competitors with no obvious flaws in their games: nobody is out there with a so-so serve or a backhand issue or a forehand that you look at thinking of how they’re going to be able to fix that motion. They’re ready to get going now.
Just look at Arthur Fils! The 20-year-old Frenchman put quite the show in Miami when he took out Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe. As I keep saying, not only is his game turning out rock solid (we love the improvement on that backhand already), but he has the mindset needed at the top. He is convinced that he belongs there, and as he keeps saying, he’s here to win the titles, not to make the quarter-finals. Many players will say it, but few of them truly believe it. Fils has made half the way already. And in the end, that’s what I like about these new faces: They Got Some Flair and Swag.
You can see that they, like Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, built their game and tennis persona around the Big 4 era but that, unlike Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas, have the luck not to have been burnt by the Avengers time and time again. The unreal longevity of these champions won’t dent that Baby Gen as it has still dented a bit of Alcaraz and Sinner’s start (and not forgetting Holger Rune or Ben Shelton). The new kids (also adding someone like Hamad Medjedovic) are about to run inspired but free and will be the first men’s tennis generation not to feel the Big 4 breathing down their necks (well, unless Djokovic decides to say Hold my beer for the next five years, obviously). They’re also going to be the first one having the responsibility to take care of their legacy and the game as a whole.
For sure, right now, Alcaraz and Sinner might not be happy to see competition coming from the younger generation already, as they might have thought they’d get a few years of uncontested domination. But I think they will benefit from it, the way Federer benefited from the other three coming up. It will make them so much better and the game so much stronger. It’ll also build for them all such a more lucrative brand… Champions need targets, tennis needs rivalries, and in Miami, some new ones came into play. Now, let’s see who will still be there week in and week out and who will thrive and not collapse under pressure. And let’s also see if Medvedev (now out of the Top 10), Tsitsipas, Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe, or Alex De Minaur can push back against that Baby Gen to get a couple more years under the lights. The potential for entertainment has maybe never looked better since we’ve entered this post-Big 4 (scary) era.
Djokovic Got Derailed In The End, But Still Reassured About His Game
Novak Djokovic only plays to win these big titles now, so as he didn’t, he’s surely not seeing this tournament as a success. But if you look at how well he played in Miami compared to where he was in Doha and Indian Wells… Sure, he didn’t clinch title n°100, but before the start of the Masters 1000, we were all wondering if he could get going at all. So in my tennis book, Djokovic got a great - and maybe a bit unexpected, so quick after Indian Wells - event. Now, let’s see if his body is still tolerating that tennis lifestyle with clay around the corner, as the Serbian seemed to battle a few physical issues (including an apparent eye infection) by the end of the event. “Two tiebreaks, just very weird match, weird day with rain delay and all the things that is happening. Honestly, yeah, I didn’t feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory. I really prefer not to talk about — there is quite a few things, but I prefer not to… just congratulate him. That’s it. I don’t want to sound like I’m giving excuses here for my loss,” he said at press.
Sabalenka Took Care Of Business
It’s somehow unfair for Aryna Sabalenka that her win seems so logical in Miami and that it may lead many not to be that impressed by the feat. She was the best player left in that draw, so she won. She has so much power out there and has improved so much on her serve and her tennis IQ that she makes it look easy and unavoidable. Jessica Pegula’s deficit of power itself explains why she’s now down 7-2 in their H2H. Unless Iga Swiatek is on the other side, unless Mirra Andreeva derails her brain, unless Madison Keys finds grace, unless Elena Rybakina comes back to her standards, Sabalenka wins.
She nearly made that Sunshine Double this year, in a very quiet way, and so clinched the 19th title of her career, the n°8 in WTA 1000. She also avoided losing a third final this year. “I didn’t want to lose in the finals, it sucks. (…) I’m speechless. The last couple of finals were really tough, tight, and close ones for me. Going into this one I was so focused on myself, I was super-focused and I was playing point by point. Now it feels super special. I’m just speechless right now and super-happy with the title, first one in Miami,” she said.
As Swiatek and Gauff struggle, Sabalenka is the top player who keeps delivering. The thing is that for Sabalenka to fully get her due and for people to understand how she amazingly turned her entire game around, it will take regular battles against the top of the game in the biggest finals. Not cruising through draws like that. Unfair but true.
Swiatek, Alcaraz, and Gauff need to hit the reset button
Something has to change for these three champions, for many different reasons. There’s no reason to panic (just look at their rankings), but it’s better to hit the reset button now than to have some good reasons to panic in a few months. I won’t pretend I know what needs to be done, but it’s obvious these three fantastic players (that the game needs) are not at the level they used to be. I would think Alcaraz and Swiatek’s issues are more mindset things than game things: Carlos plays like someone is eating his brain simultaneously, and Iga plays like someone whose confidence decides to go through the window when she needs it the most. And I feel that it’s manifesting itself on her serve out of all the shots, maybe because it’s always bound to tie itself to what’s the most vulnerable point in the armor.
Alcaraz needs to refresh, find who or what is living rent-free in his mind, and maybe rethink his schedule, while Iga needs… to win that first title of the year. Some would say she also needs to chill and, again, I will repeat: Some People Just Cannot. And that’s often also why they’re so good at what they do. No, I’ve said it here not too long ago: I feel Swiatek needs to stop giving a f. about whatever noise is around her right now and also needs to distract her brain from the pressure by finding other things to do. Overall, I feel Alcaraz and Swiatek are both now learning the hard way what living at the top of the game means. Once they go through it, they might come back with a vengeance and tear through that sport again.
Coco Gauff’s struggles are maybe a bit more worrying because they seem way more game-related. That serve is still sinking the rest of her game while that forehand is coming for her confidence. I will return on all of this at the end of the week in the feature about the serve I’ve been working on and talking to people for. But yeah, I feel for Gauff because it’s obvious she’s trying to figure it out, but somehow her game is refusing to stay where it was by the end of last year and the very start of this year. Pressure and frustration are building, so it becomes a worst-case scenario. I mean, losing against Magda Linette, why not, but with 45 unforced errors and 12 double faults?! No way.
Special shoutouts
Alexandra Eala’s Cinderella run in Miami stopped in the semi-finals against Jessica Pegula, but she still won big here, beating players like Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and, of course, Iga Swiatek on the way. She showed a lot of poise and a game that could really help her stay out there. She also showed how much tennis needed feel-good stories, too, and how it needs to tell them the right way. There’s a very good piece from
about flags and identity, how Brazil is standing for Fonseca, and how the Philippines are grateful to Eala for putting them on the tennis map. I’m not a chauvinistic behaviour in sports or in life fan as, especially in this day and age, we see where it can lead. I would also like for tennis not to become football. But, all this warning aside, there’s something to learn about how the lack of representation influences these behaviours. For the best, sometimes.
Emma Raducanu, who has given the first real signs since last Wimbledon or even some will say since her US Open title, of being able to find her way to the top again. She’s a tough competitor out there, and Emma Navarro can tell you all about it. Now it’s always the same questions with her: Can her body cooperate with her ambitions and how hard does she really want to be grinding out there?
Gaël Monfils, 38, went to the fourth round and played one of the matches of the year against Jaume Munar. It’s beautiful to see Gaël fight like this out there, as if he were still in his 20s. That’s what the passion of the game looks like. It’s not always been a given with him, so it’s even more impressive to see him love the game so much in this part of his career.
Naomi Osaka is back on track. Yes, she lost to Paolini in the fourth round, but she showed a lot of grit and a solid game to get to that stage. Especially in her battle against Hailey Baptiste.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
MEA CULPA: I forgot to give the results of the previous poll in the last edition. SO here they are: You were 84% to think Mirra Andreeva could be battling for the throne this year.
CANADIAN TENNIS: SMALL BUT WANTS TO BE MIGHTY
Tennis in Canada is not hockey, okay? (I had to. Not even sorry.) So how does Tennis Canada, without a huge budget or a Grand Slam at home, still find a way to give the tennis world some of its brightest talents regularly? After speaking to and watching Victoria Mboko making waves in Miami (after tearing through the ITF draws this year), I had to investigate a bit further. In France, we obviously know the great job done by Louis Borfiga in Canada, same for fitness trainer Nicolas Perrotte. And now there’s another French (well, we share with the Netherlands here!) at work there as Noëlle Van Lottum has been head of women’s tennis at Tennis Canada since last year.
INTERVIEW: NOËLLE VAN LOTTUM: “THERE’S AN OPEN MINDSET…”
A former Top 50 player, she had an academy in the Netherlands, worked with Kiki Bertens, Petra Martic or Ysaline Bonaventure, and also worked at the French Federation (FFT) and in the UK at the LTA before Canada asked her to help following the departure of Sylvain Bruneau. Right now, she’s supervising Mboko but also Marina Stakusic, Kayla Cross while working at bringing more players into the Top 100 and more girls into the game.
You discovered the Canadian system last year, so how would you describe what makes it such an efficient one?
Well, people here are more relaxed and live a quieter and calmer lifestyle, I feel. We’re also working in a rather small team. It’s a big country, but on the other hand, for tennis, there’s not a lot of density. Not a lot of people are playing tennis, so we’re focusing on the best ones who are on their way to the professional tour. We’re trying to grow the depth in juniors to get more opportunities to succeed, and we’re also trying to help the overall development of tennis. That’s one of the first keys. Then, another one would be that we’re pretty flexible: we go to the US, we go to France, we travel a bit all over the world to see what the others are doing. I think this mindset of being open also helps us improve.
But yes, we really adjust to the players here, and it’s a bit more tailor-made. But it’s also because we have fewer players than other federations, so it’s easier for us to do that. It also has to be said that we don’t have the huge budgets of other federations, and we don’t have a Grand Slam event in our backyard, so there are tough choices to make. We can’t make mistakes, we have to give help where we really can and should. We don’t have the options to help everybody. The advantage of this whole situation is that we can be more reactive because we’re smaller: We can switch systems faster once we find out it doesn’t work.
It’s interesting what you say about the lack of density because Canada still has found a way to send great talents to the world stage regularly and have great results. Is this because it’s a small number of players and people working with them that the approach is more tailored?
Well, sure, but actually, if you look now at the women’s level and in the Top 100, we only have Leylah Fernandez (#27) there. But last year, we saw we had 11 girls in the Top 400/500, and so we decided to focus on this group that was on the way because we thought that getting more women into the Grand Slam events qualifications could change the momentum, could justify sending a coach to travel with them.
But we have set things in a way, for these girls, that when, for example, we travel with Vicky (Victoria Mboko, the other teen sensation of the year), we can also bring another girl with us. I was with her in Miami, for example, but she also travels 13 weeks on her own, and also another 13 weeks where we can be with her and bring another player too. She’s just 18, so having someone else also helps, whether it’s another young player or someone like Rebecca (Marino) who will bring her something different or more experience, calm, and a positive mindset. So we’re trying to set up things like that, and it’s also why now, for the first time in history, we have 11 women in the Top 300.
You said in other interviews that your goal was to bring more girls into tennis to get a better chance at finding some players ready to go to the top level. It seems that it’s a common issue in many federations to find a way to keep girls in the game, especially teenagers.
In many federations, there’s a tendency to judge fast when these girls are 15 or 16 and decide they’re not playing very well. Yet, sometimes players just need a bit more time to develop. It’s also important to be surrounded by positive energy: It’s key, and it helps to see the younger players improve. If they have a good entourage and a good support system, it’s also how they keep enjoying the sport. That’s the key to success.
What’s also been obvious in Canadian tennis is how diverse the players are: Bianca Andreescu, Milos Raonic, Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Gabriel Diallo. They’ve all been coming from different journeys yet found their way through the same Tennis Canada system…
Yes, but again, today we only have three male players in the Top 100. But for sure, there’s an open mindset and open doors to other nationalities too. Let’s not forget that Shapovalov was born in Israël, for example.
Raonic, who was born in Montenegro…
Yes, totally. And Diallo, his mother is from Ukraine and his father from Guinea. So, yes, overall, people here are more open-minded in situations like these. They think differently. Here, they only look at the athlete, focus on them, and build a program around them to help.
Also, young players don’t have to train at the national center: It’s not mandatory. Last year, Vicky went to the Justine Henin Academy (in Belgium), and we gave her this chance to do it. I was staying in touch with Olivier Jeunehomme, who was taking care of her there. So for a year, she had an experience. Good or bad, it’s still an experience. They’re great coaches, but she was unhappy being so far from her family and not having her friends around anymore, so in the end, she decided to come home and convinced her parents it was the right choice. This is also why I now make sure she can travel with another player. We shouldn’t forget that it’s important she keeps smiling out there. What’s most important now is that everybody remains calm around her and that we keep helping her improve. Vicky needs to keep that joy to play.
There are a lot of very important decisions to take for these kids and their families. How does one guide them through it?
You need to get to know the player, talk with her, and try to see what she likes. It’s important to give the players a chance to express themselves and to find a balance between all of this. Ultimately, it’s the human being before the athlete, and it’s about finding ways to help them. Sometimes you have to fight a little, but also, if the relationship doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work.
There are more women coaches now on Tour than when you were playing, yet you’re still not a lot out there. Is it an issue? Can it be solved? Is it getting better?
What’s important is also to see more media giving space to female coaches. I even talked with Judy Murray about how we’re never invited to some forums or other events. It’s getting better and better, and the fact that we have examples like Pam Shriver with Donna Vekic and Conchita Martinez now with Mirra Andreeva helps a lot and is so important for us all. Like it was to have Amélie with Andy and Lucas. It’s opening doors. We shouldn’t look at if the person is a man or a woman but at the skills and at what the athlete needs. The issue about being able to hit with the player is solved because there are so many sparring partners nowadays that it’s just a question of being organized. It’s also about understanding the difference women can bring to coaching.
There’s also something that is done very well in the UK where you can see more and more women coaches: It’s the flexibility. A woman at 30 or 35 might want to have children, so you need to find that flexibility in the team. We did this when I was working at the French Federation with Julie Coin, who was having her first child: We shared the weeks, arranged the training schedule, and it went very well. Alexandra Fusai, at the time, was our boss, and she was very positive about this; she trusted us as long as it was working. There is a need to find a balance and to find an understanding. Not micromanagement. If there’s no flexibility, then we’re going to lose these women because there’s no choice as they have kids and need to take care of them. But look at Julie now, she’s still working as a coach and doing a great job with Erika Andreeva.
At Tennis Canada, I’m also working with many women, and we get along very well. It’s also important to lead by example so people see there are no issues of jealousy or whatever with women working together. But it all starts with respecting everybody. I go to work with a lot of joy, like when I was working in the UK at the LTA, because I feel welcomed. I’m happy because the entourage is great.
Had my daughter told me she didn’t want me to leave for Canada, I wouldn’t have done it. But she encouraged me to take the job. Also, now she’s 22, so… So in a career, you also need the right timing.
When will you feel that you’ve succeeded in your mission with Tennis Canada? More girls in the Top 100, singles Grand Slam titles?
My role isn’t to coach Vicky, my role is to help her, the other players, and the teams. At some point, if she becomes Top 50 and starts to need something else, then we’ll find another coach to work with her. We add people but not too many either: You need to add when it’s worth it; you don’t change just to change. So what’s important now, yes, is to bring more young players to the Top 100, and of course, it’d be extraordinary to get a Grand Slam title. You also need to be lucky. Do we have young players with the required level? You can be a great coach and a great leader, but you need quality players. It can be as hard for someone to get into the Top 100 as it is to get into the Top 10. You need to try to maximize their potential.
A word on Bianca Andreescu: Tennis misses her a lot, but I’m sure Canadian tennis misses her even more because you need someone like her to lead the way for the next generations…
She’s coming back. She will play the clay swing in Europe (she’s signed in Rouen’s qualifying event), start with a few WTA 125 and then go for bigger events, but there’s a need to be careful so she doesn’t get injured again. We really hope to see her out there. We’re missing her a lot, and it’s the same for the younger players. It’s important for little girls in Canada to have role models. When Eugenie started to play well, I was told you’d see girls dressing like her, and it worked like an epiphany. It gets more and more of them to play tennis, and we need that to happen again.
BUSINESS/MEDIA
Yes, you can have it all, just ask Babolat! The French company is now partnering with both the Rafael Nadal Academy and the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy. The collaboration starts with Ferrero (racquets and strings) and is extended to his tennis academy (racquets, strings, bags) as well as his padel academy (racquets, strings, bags, shoes, clothes). Or how to get both Rafa and Alcaraz… In French, we’d say Bravo or Bien Joué.
Talking about coaches, do you know that women’s coaches are still struggling to find a path in professional tennis? Things are going much better, and Miami even saw a rise of 4% in the female coaches’ ranks, but many barriers remain. I wrote about it and also talked to Julie Coin, who works with the Andreeva sisters. So, if you haven’t had time to have a look at it, I’m gently nudging you ;)
I missed this, but the ATP signed with Overtime to, as usual, find a way through Gen Z and Gen Alpha. “Overtime will produce content at numerous ATP Tour events worldwide throughout the year including ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, the Nitto ATP Finals and the Next Gen ATP Finals. Short-form content will feature unique exclusive access highlighting the sport’s biggest stars, and be made available across Overtime’s social channels, as well as ATP Tour, tournament and player platforms. Additionally, the ATP and Overtime will explore opportunities for other longer-form content and content series that bring tennis and its stars closer than ever to fans around the world,” says a statement. Adding: “Overtime is the home of the next generation of sports fans with over 100 million followers and 3 billion views per month, making it a key partner to marquee sports leagues and rights holders worldwide, including the NFL and NBC Sports for the Olympic Games. 81% of Overtime's audience is under 35 years old.”
SOME BREAK POINTS…
✈️ Daria Kasatkina will now represent Australia. The (now former) Russian obtained permanent residency in the country. Kasatkina, openly gay and openly against the war in Ukraine, wasn’t safe in Russia anymore and couldn’t even think of going back. She also has a base in Dubai already, so it’ll come in handy to avoid, like all the other Australian players, the long travels. Kasatkina isn’t being praised enough for how brave she’s been out there.
🧐 Marat Safin is returning to tennis to join Andrey Rublev’s coaching team. And you can color me shocked, curious about it, and already impatient to witness the on-court dynamic.
🏆 Doubles: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic became the sixth team in history to complete the Sunshine Double by triumphing in Miami against Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool (7-6(3), 6-3). Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider won the title in Miami against Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato (6-3, 6-7(5), [10-2]).
🏆 WTA 125s: Jacqueline Cristian clinched the title in Puerto Vallarta against Linda Fruhvirtova (7-5, 6-4), while Olga Danilovic got her hands on the trophy in Antalya on clay after beating Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (6-2, 6-3). Side note: after two years out of the game, Christina McHale returned to the Tour and won the doubles title in Puerto Vallarta.
❓ Will Toni Nadal travel more with Alexandra Eala? The most famous uncle in tennis was in her box in Miami when she beat Iga Swiatek. “For the academy and for me in particular, it’s a huge success. She’s the girl who’s been with us the longest. In all this time, there’s never been a single complaint from anyone, neither from her nor from her family,” Nadal told Marca. Eala explained it meant a lot for her to see him here.
MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO
Oh, the irony! Jakub Mensik nearly didn’t play in Miami as the Czech revealed he was about to withdraw one hour ahead of his match against Draper due to a knee injury while two things happened: The referee was out for lunch, and so Mensik went for one last treatment session with the ATP physio and a miracle happened.
Women’s tennis is on a rough stretch with the stalkers. After what happened to Emma Raducanu in Dubai, it’s now Iga Swiatek who needed extra security in Miami after a man disrupted one of her practice sessions, harassing her by yelling about her mother. “The Miami incident appears to be a direct transition from verbal aggression online to harassment in the real world," Swiatek's team said.
Regarding mental state and coach/player relationships, I find these words from Swiatek about the on-court issues she has with her new coach, Wim Fissette, really interesting. Even more interesting is the fact that she opens up about it, because that’s half the issue already solved.
Tennis players are getting paranoid over testing positive, and it plays a role in how they deal with their supplementation as the contamination risks are real. Reem Abulleil has a great feature about all this, with words from Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Ons Jabeur. I was stunned to read Coco Gauff say, “Me personally, I'm not on any supplements or vitamins”.
EDITOR’S PICKS
READ: I absolutely loved this piece. Maybe I should go back to playing more tennis! Such a unique angle, and it is also nice to see tennis at Lithub. “I’m not saying all writers need to play tennis. I also know there are plenty of artists who don’t struggle with the competition beast, who are able to look beyond the binary of wins and losses comfortably, without an outlet. But if you do struggle with this particular beast, find a place to let it roam freely,” says writer Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya.
LISTEN TO: Andy Roddick and Chris Eubanks discussing all things PTPA lawsuit.
Unfortunately, in my completely honest view, neither "baby gen" players nor "next gen" players are true all-time greats who have truly evolved the absolute level of tennis from the big 3 which is the biggest problem in tennis that everyone keeps completely ignoring by making completely nonstop excuses for these "baby gen" and "next gen" players with completely unjustified "hype".
I wish more player’s could adopt Paolini’s ability to laugh (or at least smile) at her mistakes and then turn around and fight even harder. And would love to see Swiatek (and Garcia) play doubles again. A teammate, even a temporary one, can help rebuild lost confidence.