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Mailbag
There were a lot of questions and discussions on social media about Novak Djokovic and his status at the US Open. Let’s avoid pleading the Covid protocol, its logic and its bad logic. Let’s avoid a semantic discussion of anti-vax, pro-choice and anti-science. Let’s resist the easy game of turning this into a Djokovic vs. USTA referendum, as John McEnroe – who of all people should know better – seems to have done. Just a few factual points:
1) Denying entry to unvaccinated non-citizens is not USTA policy, let alone a policy aimed specifically at Djokovic. It is the policy of the federal government that the USTA has chosen to follow without backing down.
2) We have already had a vivid illustration of the chaos and quagmire of no one that comes out in style when a tennis tournament opposes a government. You can hardly blame the USTA for averting the Australian Open fiasco. The USTA basically said, “Whatever you tell us to do, we won’t fight it.”
3) Read the policy and there are exceptions for unvaccinated non-citizens. Even an accomplished professional tennis player would not seem to fall into these categories at first glance. Additionally, the USTA has explicitly stated that it will not seek an exception or exemption for any player.
4) Give credit to Djokovic on this point: he is aware of the politics, he made a decision; he is ready to face the consequences; he does not push for special treatment. Comparing Djokovic to Muhammad Ali is a ridiculously awful take. But it should be mentioned that Djokovic is not martyring himself. His fans are doing this on his behalf.
5) Does it make sense that Djokovic can play in 2020 and 2021 and not in 2022? Or that unvaccinated Tennys Sandgren can play while Djokovic can’t? At first glance, no. But inconsistency is a way of life. Especially in a pandemic, where targets and data move.
6) It’s the end of July. Policy may change. Djokovic’s position may change. Both are unlikely. To invoke the great sports cliche, it is what it is. The policy – again, government policy, not USTA policy – is X. Djokovic’s position is Y. The consequence is Z.
So, how are you.
7) I don’t remember a player (athlete?) as polarizing and magnetizing as Djokovic. Can we all agree that this is a model of remarkable fact. Here is a great generational player, on the threshold of history, 35 years old. And he could miss two Majors this year, not because of injury or illness but because of a voluntary decision. Some of you will say, “If he just got a vaccine that billions of people around the world have gotten – not because they necessarily wanted to, but because there was a collective responsibility – and we wouldn’t be not here.” Others will say “It’s good for him to stay true to his convictions”. Can we all pause and just marvel that for all the permutations and combinations we’ve considered in the GOAT race, who saw this coming?
[Osaka] literally just let her trainer down…just like Pliskova for example earlier this month. Where were the thoughts on this? !
@saraelisgarvey
• So, last week, two sources told me that Osaka abruptly parted ways with her team, rethinking her organization, including bringing her father back to the fold; and generally reassessed her place in the sport and what tennis means to her. Coach Wim Fissette quickly confirmed the split on Instagram. I was able to corroborate that the trainer, Daniel Pohl, relatively new to the business, also parted ways with Osaka.
I tweeted as much. And the answers came fast and furiously and generally trifurcated. 1) The media sucks. 2) What about… Pliskova and Sinner and Halep, etc. 3) Leave her alone.
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Let’s bomb the truth. We are all sensitive to Osaka, its challenges, its unique personality. But that has to be weighed against the judgment of the news and independent reporting. Here is a player who has won four Majors since 2018; who wins tens of millions of dollars in addition to prize money; who, especially after the former No. 1’s abrupt retirement, is a big influence on women’s tennis, as the WTA Tour is set to secure a nine-figure private equity deal. In the past 90 days, she hasn’t won a match. But she parted ways with her previous leadership group; got into the management game herself; signed a controversial player – a Wimbledon runner-up who is also accused of domestic abuse – and has now parted ways with her team.
It’s hard to objectively prove that it’s not newsworthy. It is difficult to demonstrate objectively that this should go unnoticed. It’s hard to objectively demonstrate that his admirable admission of fragility should outweigh the media coverage. And “whataboutism” falls flat, as it often does. Karolina Pliskova is not a four-time Major winner. Jannik Sinner doesn’t earn $60 million in out-of-court earnings. And all sorts of pixels, impressions and airtime HAVE been spent on Sinner’s redesign, Simona Halep’s curious recent staff moves, and more.
More important point: jay-vee or varsity? Independent coverage – no fan sites, no organized social media, no interested press releases – is a sign of strength, not weakness. A high-level player misses events because of his refusal to be vaccinated? Kyrgios’ domestic violence allegations? A legend misses a historic opportunity because the tournament doesn’t provide him with a fleet of cars? These are not pleasant stories. They may not reflect well the player you are supporting. But they are relevant. Failure to recognize them may protect the individual in the short term, but do the sport a disservice.
Jon,
If they’re ever to deviate from the silly Europe vs. World format at the Laver Cup, this is the year, and here’s how. (It’s my fantasy, so I’m going to assume everyone below will participate.)
Team Old (or Team Rehab or Team Aches ‘n’ Pains or call it what you want)
Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Andy Murray
Stan Wawrinka
Marin Cilic
Alternate: Dominic Thiem
Captain: Juan Martin Del Potro (sorry, Bjorn Borg, you were a legendary player, but you don’t bring anything to this event)
New team
The top six players you can get from anywhere in the world, preferably under 30 (or even 25). Assuming Russians are not allowed to play in London, a team might look like this:
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Carlos Alcaraz
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Jannik Sinner
Taylor Fritz
Matteo Berretini
Alternate: Hubert Hurkacz
Captain: Nick Kyrgios (yes, that’s right) (thanks for your service, McEnroe brothers, but you never won, and you got thrashed 14-1 last time; if it’s a real competition, it costs you your job)
Wouldn’t that be interesting, with all the star power and clash of generations? And wouldn’t Team New have a real chance, despite being down 72-0 in the majors?
Srikanth
• The Laver Cup has all sorts of items to recommend. That’s a net positive (pardon the pun) and should be commended. But it can also be improved. At a time when there is an American, a lovely guy but with two career titles, in the top 12, we need a new dimension to distribute the teams.
And here’s the answer: we need a dodgeball-style draft. In addition to equity, it is a value. (Who would you rather, Zverev or Tsitsipas? How much do you showcase in Jack Sock’s doubles? It’ll be even more strategic when we do the right thing and add women. Done! Next!
Hi Jon
I was wondering what players/journalists/historians think of the prestige of each major? The winner always says “this major is the one I always dreamed of winning when I was a kid” but I take that with a grain of salt. For example, in golf, the PGA Championship has always been relegated to number 4 in terms of prestige, and the Open Championship was third, just as Australian Open players were not always willing to go long distances. IMHO I think Wimbledon should be #3 because the average person doesn’t play on grass, Australian #4 because at the time many pros skipped it, France didn’t No. 2, the No. 1 US Open.
Cordially,
Eric Bukzin, Manorville, Long Island
• Excellent question. And I would say that’s a real virtue of tennis: the four Majors are well differentiated but there is no obvious hierarchy. For years, the Australian Open has been chasing a distant consensus fourth place. The Ringo of the Majors, if you will. But Tennis Australia deserves a lot of credit for catching up. Each Major has its many virtues and some disadvantages. Dirty thumbnails, I would say:
4) Australia: presents well-rested and optimistic players on a democratic surface. Pleasant atmosphere. Nice easy town. Disadvantage: climate change is the bane of this event, in the long term. More immediately: the fact that it takes place in a remote location for most of the world could take away some publicity, if not prestige.
3) Roland Garros: A glorious event in a glorious city. Disadvantage: Clay is not everyone’s favorite surface. And it’s the smallest room of the four.
2) Wimbledon: history, prestige, tradition… the grass, a surface on which so few play.
1) US Open: The sheer scale. And the hard-court event at the end of the summer (usually offering more prize money than any other Major) is as much a testament to durability as it is to tennis. Downside: The chaos (and traffic) isn’t for everyone.
But again, I don’t think there’s an obvious weak link or obviously superior major. Different tastes and different priorities. I’m not sure that kind of natural parity exists in other sports.
John, a simple question:
Is there a better doubles player on planet Earth than Jack Sock?
Gregory S., Sag Harbor
• No there is not.
Blows
Wimbledon finalist pseudo Kyrgios received a wild card for the 2022 Western & Southern Open, where he was runner-up in 2017. This will be Kyrgios’ sixth Cincinnati appearance and first since 2019.
New Balance and rising tennis superstar Coco Gauff have officially announced their first signature sneaker with the brand. New Balance Coco CG1 is a ’90s-inspired mid-top silhouette built with the brand’s most innovative performance technology in a timeless design built to transcend sport and fashion. The current world number 11 debuted the CG1 Pompey colorway on court last night at the Atlanta Open tennis tournament.
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