Where Do We Go From Here?

Pennetta on Raducanu

The US Open was certainly unpredictable and the results unexpected. I can't help but agree with Pennetta that, in her day, Raducanu would not have won a Grand Slam off the back of nothing but an ITF win in India (2019 ITF 25,000). I know ITF players can be surprisingly good, (many WTA players don't spend much time on the ITF!) but, nonetheless, it's hard to comprehend how a player can struggle to breathe in one Grand Slam yet win the next a couple of months later. Maybe the players were tired having just come from Japan where the Olympics were being held.

Too Much Too Soon

As for the ridiculous money she apparently has earned or will earn, it's outrageous. Even more so given Osaka's problems on tour, especially concerning post -match interviews. Too much, too soon everyone cried. Her astronomical wealth was, some thought, too much to handle at 23. What about Raducanu? Osaka is in her twenties, while Raducanu is still a teenager who expects her parents to deal with her finances. Not good enough! Raducanu is 18 so an adult. The money is hers, she needs to take responsibility for it and learn to manage it even if that means she plays less tournaments as a result. After all, she studied A Level Economics so surely she should be able to put her knowledge to good use.

Too Many Different Winners

As Pennetta pointed out, this win doesn't help women's tennis. I don't like it either because it deprives players of holding records and stretches credibility. There are too many one-off wins. Serena holding 23 Grand Slam singles titles may well be the last player to win so many. The problem with too many different winners is that it's difficult for fans to become keen on a player and follow their progress. Some variety is good and demonstrates depth but too much variety is tedious. It may be fun for the occasional tennis viewer but not for those genuinely into the sport and its players 365 days a year.

Are We Obsessed with Teenage Female Athletes?

And not all winners are treated the same. There's complete hysteria over Raducanu winning the US Open yet she lost her first match in Indian Wells which doesn't make sense. However, not much excitement over Ostapenko (Roland Garros) or Swiatek (Roland Garros) both of whom were teenagers or Krejcikova (Roland Garros). Furthermore, we all seen to have forgotten Gauff and the hype over her, even though she's still only 17. 

There's something unhealthy about the obsession with teenagers in sport especially in tennis. Maybe there should be less junior tennis and more focus on sport being a career you choose once your school studies are over. And a sport that is paid well throughout the career stages not just for those at the top. That way, the competition is greater because those on the bottom rung can also afford to travel comfortably and pay for a coach and other team members. After all, how is it fair for coaches to help players during a WTA match when the opponent may be a much lower ranked player who doesn't have the same access to top coaches? Having said that, I would love to see tennis being played with no coaches, no player teams, no family court-side. 

Time for a Change?

Women's tennis is in crisis. We need steady players who can win predictably yet create interest around them. They are similar to entertainers so we don't want 'down to earth', we want excitement, rivalry, flair, a good sense of humour and fun as well as a new approach to the game. And we want mature players in their twenties and thirties. Perhaps, the game needs restructuring. We don't want a 'smash and grab' one win wonder we want women to enjoy a long career in tennis. Once a player reaches 18 they should automatically start on the WTA. This two tier system, ITF then WTA doesn't work. It causes strange results. Also, it should be remembered that the ITF runs the Grand Slams so everyone plays ITF in one way or another. They are also responsible for the anti-doping system so, between the two,  that makes them more powerful than either the WTA or the ATP. Is there an ITF take-over in sight? Table tennis is just the ITTF, based in Switzerland, but it does have 6 continental federations within it. 

I think the power could be evened out if there were more Grand Slams which could then be run by the WTA/ATP. This way players would have greater choice. They could then schedule when they want to play a Grand Slam and how many they wish to play in any given year. A Calendar Slam could still be 4 in the same year.

Joint Tour?

Should the WTA and the ATP join forces? Ideally, no. However, there are possibly some advantages to be had if it's run fairly and equally.  

Or a New Tour?

Maybe Djokovic was onto something when he suggested starting a new tour! It would be a breath of fresh air and be eagerly anticipated by many. Why shouldn't it work? The WTA did! It's good to change things up a bit not continue to do things the way they have been done for ages, just for the sake of it. Tennis has lost its spirit under the weight of too much money for some and not enough for the rest.