Some argue that women’s tennis is too unpredictable, but it is this quality that makes it thrilling.
This year’s US Open was to mark the immortality of Novak Djokovic, chasing a calendar Grand Slam and a record-breaking 21st title. Tennis cognoscenti argued how washed out it would be as the crowd returned to zero star power – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Venus Williams were all absent for the first time in 25 years.
But the enduring story is that of the emergence of fresh, charismatic talent unleashing a specific kind of anarchy on the women’s side. Only this time, chaos brought hope and reassurance for the future.
next generation of women
Since 2017, the Men’s Tour has relentlessly marketed its ‘#NextGen’ campaign, a year-end event designed to showcase its young crop. In the end, a leader from the pack has emerged in Daniil Medvedev, who beat Djokovic in spectacular fashion, signaling a real generational shift in men’s tennis that has been around for many years to come.
But the WTA doesn’t really need a great tournament or a hashtag extravaganza to create hype for its young players. They go out and do it on their own. Exhibit A: The loud, sure and surprising exploits of teens Emma Raducanu and Leyla Fernandez at the US Open. In a close contest, Radukanu emerged victorious. It felt like the earth shook a little under New York.
In tennis, critical acclaim is cyclical, often fueled by the defeats of the Giants. Federer’s early popularity came after his victory against Pete Sampras. Therefore, it has become a cardinal rule that the Next Gen should play and beat them, rather than coming out on top after they naturally fade.
This is the reason why Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu won the title over Serena in the case of 2018 and 2019. A few years ago, one way to understand women’s tennis was to divide the players into two groups: Serena Williams and everyone else. but not anymore. For Serena fans and casual viewers of the game, the victory may seem to deprive the world of history. But it is indeed a revelation, much like the recent victories of Radukanu and Fernandez. Her win exudes a sense of satisfaction: After Serena, women’s tennis will not lack for great star power.
collapsible construction
But the men’s tour after the Big Three could not be imagined until quite recently. For more than a decade, he has made door-to-door stops for young stars trying to claim Grand Slam glory. In 2020, Dominic Thiem, often called the eternal Prince Charles of men’s tennis, finally managed to break through the walls of the Big Three hierarchy – but without defeating a single member of them. It felt exciting, promising and disappointing all at once. With Medvedev’s victory, however, it seemed that the sun had recovered and was really beginning to set over the empire.
Again, this US Open showed what it would be like if we didn’t want to focus on constructs like the ‘Big Three’ or the ‘William Sisters’. These thoughts dictate in subtle ways how we think about tennis. Wherever some names are placed in the draw, they shine brightly. Tournaments become less about pitting different talents from around the world against each other and more about subtle battles between a select few. These ideas need to lose their legitimacy, as they no longer subscribe to what we might expect from a tournament. The 2021 US Open, in that respect, was a much needed inflection point.
It’s the start of a new decade, and the depth of women’s field is such that a player you haven’t heard of today could win a Major in the next two years. Some would argue that this is the problem with women’s tennis: it is too unpredictable. But this is the chaos that lies in the game, and we need more of it. We need this new grammar to capture men’s tour as well. There are countless opportunities to be seized and open to exploitation. It is uncertain and confusing, but it is also thrilling because it is full of possibilities.
preeti.r@thehindu.co.in
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