Comparing Contrasts

Winning so much makes you wanna dance | Getty

Novak Djokovic has just capped the greatest year of his career, and one of the best single seasons ever, by winning the ATP World Tour Finals for a fourth(!!!) consecutive year and fifth time overall. Official stats are just a little ridiculous and speak very loudly for themselves. 82 match wins against 6 losses, 11 total titles, three majors, six Masters, a finalist in every event he entered bar the very first of his year (and least significant on his schedule) in Doha. The ageless Djokovic, unaffected by the effects of passing time, has evened up the head-to-head with his two weathered yet legendary contemporaries in the geriatric Roger Federer and the rapidly graying Rafael Nadal.* Novak himself called his 2015 all but perfect.

I'd rather not waste time getting into the growing-more-moot-by-the-minute argument whether it was the best season in men's tennis history, but I would like to debunk an idea that fans and pundits have (or maybe it's 'had' at this point, either way) about Serena Williams putting together a more accomplished season than Novak. Serena had history on the line until the eleventh hour by winning the first three majors of the year and coming agonizingly close to completing the calendar-year Grand Slam. She's the one who will get the public support for SI Sportsman of the Year, deservedly so. Hers is the season we will remember more out of the two, not Novak's. All very fair, it's inarguable, really. 

However, what's not fair to Novak is letting all quantifiable evidence fall by the wayside. No argument is needed here: compare Djokovic's stats above to Serena's 2015 results and there is no doubt that Novak had a more successful run from January through November, playing a full schedule, winning damn near everything, and contending in the final for everything else. At a very quick glance, Serena's results can be classified as quizzical. Only eight tournaments of which she played through in it's entirety, a far cry from her 82-match, 15-tournament 2013 (which is, for my money, the best season Serena has ever had).

While I say all of that, I can't help but wonder what it would've been like if Novak won the French Open. Would he have been able to deal with that kind of pressure? Would his run at the CYGS make Serena breathe easier coming down the stretch in Flushing Meadows? If Serena lost at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, it's almost absurd to assume she doesn't win the U.S. Open, her most successful Slam, right? And she would obviously remain motivated to go to Beijing and Singapore and reassert her dominance there, too...right? We really don't know, so it's best to not compare these two extremely different seasons against each other at all. We haven't seen a season like this in a long time, one which one man and one woman rule their respective tours simultaneously. Yet the seasons Novak and Serena each had were so far apart from the other's, both incomparable in their own ways.


*shade

The Bleeping Venus Williams

Bow down to Queenus | via instagram.com

"She thinks she's the fucking Venus Williams."

Oh, Irina Spirlea, you had no idea how prescient your statement would be. The Fucking Venus Ebony Starr Williams has catapulted back into the year-end Top 10 after winning the Zhuhai Elite Trophy, all the way up to No. 7 in the world.

Number seven. Wut.

If you have been following the life and times of Venus Williams the past few years, you know that this is a big deal for her. Since announcing she was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome, an auto-immune disorder that affects her energy levels, Venus has been clawing her way back to where she left off in early 2011. In the early stages of this most recent rebirth, she's stated her desire to be alongside her sister as the two players to beat in the ladies' game once again, a place they've been numerous times in the past two decades. Most, myself included, did not think this was a feasible goal for her, but as Venus stated, she had the support of her team and family and mustered enough belief in herself to get back to where she thinks she belongs.

2015 was a season hijacked by Serena Williams. She's been the story, the one we all watched, the one who commands every bit of our attention. That's been the case for 13 years, often at the expense of Venus. Funnily enough, Venus took center stage this autumn when Serena ceded the spotlight after her demoralizing semifinal stumble at the U.S. Open. Venus herself was only ranked No. 24 after the final Slam of 2015, but she picked up quite a bit of momentum from that quarterfinal result. Venus went over to China and started her crusade at The Championships, Wuhan, winning her biggest title since Dubai in 2010. That run had the unfortunate side effect of a sluggish second-round loss in Beijing, a critical tournament for her Singapore dreams. Still, she was safely qualified for Zhuhai, the third place match to Singapore's trophy match. something that was not anything of a guarantee before the Asian swing.

Silently judging you like pic.twitter.com/imFnzMtrli

— WTA Reactions (@WTAreactions) September 11, 2015

Many players who qualified for the event decided it wasn't worth the trip. Not Venus. She saw her opportunity to get back into the Top 10, as well as significantly increase her chances at landing a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in Rio, and she would not leave this stone unturned. She runs through her path which included big hitting youngsters Madison Keys and Karolina Pliskova - two players who could be considered to be molded in the style of Venus Williams. Venus conquers them both anyway.

2015 saw the bulk of Venus's successes come mostly away from public view. I have to assume this is exactly how she'd like it. While her sister received all kinds of accolades from every corner, Venus stood back and went about her business. Serena has an (almost literal) army of diehard fans; Venus has the universal respect and admiration. Serena is dubbed the black feminist icon; Venus continues to silently boycott Indian Wells. As someone who took to Venus first, it irks me that Venus's accomplishments, especially off of the court, go unrecognized. But she probably doesn't mind. She doesn't need others to tell her that she's done a good job. She already knows what she achieved and what it took to get her the things she wants. All the recognition The Fucking Venus Williams will ever need comes from herself.

Goodbye, Grantland

It really was (via Grantland.com)

While we were all preparing our scariest and most revealing Halloween garb, Grantland, the sports and culture site founded in 2011 by epochal sports personality Bill Simmons, was shut down by ESPN, its parent company, on Friday. In the blink of an eye, the go-to place for all things witty, zany, and relevant was no longer producing content. I am, in a word, sad. Grantland was where I caught up with all of my sports coverage. Their NBA writers were second to none, the Hollywood Prospectus never failed to make me laugh, and they pumped out a zillion different podcasts that were tons of fun to listen to.

Most importantly to us, they gave so much to the pantheon of great tennis articles. The two primary providers, Brian Phillips and Louisa Thomas, were brilliant, funny, fair, and lovers of the sport and its history. Whether it was an ode to Venus and Serena or a timeline of rudeness from Judy Murray to Yoko Ono, Phillips and Thomas penned thoughtful words which will live with the tennis community for a long time. Here are some of my personal must-reads:

Novak Djokovic: The Shot and The Confrontation

This is the quintessential Djokovic article regarding the biggest forehand of his career and the events that unfolded very shortly thereafter. Of the four match points Roger Federer lost against Novak at the U.S. Open in 2010 and 2011, the third of those has stung more than any of the others, and is the one of the most memorable shots in recent history. Phillips digs deep into Djokovic's personality and his underwhelming appeal to the average tennis fan. He, more than any other writer, seems to understand what makes Novak tick.

The Pain and Joy of Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams

As a fan of both women and of the Sloane-Serena rivalry as a whole (yes, it is a rivalry), Thomas paints the picture of the second of two matches that ignited the contentious relationship between the two. This article mirrored my feelings at the time: anguish for Serena and exuberance for Sloane. Thomas helped me realize that those two emotions can be experienced simultaneously.

Broken at Love

Probably the funniest article ever posted in the tennis section (with the Grantland Tennis Dictionary coming in a close, yet distinct second), Phillips gives us the highlights of Monica Seles' novel The Academy. If you haven't read the book itself, this piece is the next closest thing. Thanks for saving me a couple of bucks, Brian.

Rembert Explains America: Discovering the Glorious All-Iowa Lawn Tennis Club

As far as random articles go, this one takes the cake. Written not by Phillips or Thomas, but by Rembert Browne, my favorite Grantland contributor, the article takes you to Iowa and Middle America's answer to Wimbledon. Never have I been more enthralled with a four-letter state. Browne is hilarious and observant, exactly what is needed to understand the vibe at the vaunted AILTC. It makes me want to add Iowa to my bucket list of tennis destinations.

--

I implore everyone to go through the archives of these writers on Grantland (note: the site didn't really perfect their tennis archiving until mid-2013, so some of the earlier columns are lost under random tags like "Art" and "College Sports"). This is the type of writing that we won't find Tennis.com or on ESPN's tennis page. Wise, insightful, emotional, hysterical all in one place, mostly from just two authors. It will be sorely missed.

What are some of your favorite pieces from Grantland, tennis or non-tennis? Leave a comment or hit me on Twitter! Both Phillips and Thomas will continue to write and inspire, and I will be sure to read and love their content as usual.

Singa-poor

Long live this photo (via Twitter)

We have finally separated the cream of the crop from the "Elite" (please re-brand and/or cancel Zhuhai next year, Steve Simon) and the WTA Finals field is set with some familiar faces Flavia Pennetta and Lucie Safarova reaching new career heights and a rising breakout star in Garbiñe Muguruza ready to cement her place at the top of the game.

Sadly, the young Spaniard is the only one I'm really looking forward to seeing. The other five singles players have participated in the end-of-year Championships in years past and this may be Pennetta's last ever professional tournament. Safarova is an interesting case as a newbie to this echelon because she has the talent to beat anyone and seems to be hitting a late-career stride. As far as this iteration of Singapore is concerned, however, her mysterious illness may have derailed her chances to be a threat for the title.

So what does Singapore have in store this year? Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Pennetta, and Safarova have taken the spots vacated by Serena Williams, Eugenie Bouchard, Ana Ivanovic, and Caroline Wozniacki. Oof. That is a tremendous decline in star power. Speaking of Serena, what does it mean to win a tournament for which she is not present? Let's be real: Serena is the Queen Bee of the WTA. The tour revolves around her, especially true this season, and the void she's left this fall is bigger than ever. As far as Serena's competitors are concerned, I'm sure they are very happy that she is taking an extended vacation. Still, I can't help but think this tournament will be a non sequitur. It will happen, but it won't signal anything to come in 2016. Even a Garbiñe win would fall between a continuation of her Wuhan-Beijing performance and a career achievement, a confirmation of what we already believed.

What do we think of the WTA Finals this year? Will it be a bang or a bust? Leave a comment or tweet at me! Draw comes out Friday, should be a great opportunity for one of the eight regardless!

Back and Reattached

What's better than being quote-unquote "BACK" in women's tennis? Probably nothing, but having "ARRIVED" comes pretty close. Madison Keys doesn't fall into either of those categories at this point in her career, but she is in a third category, "RISING," one that the WTA loves too so much.

And rising she is, very quickly. After only moving ranking up six spots to no. 31 in 2014, Maddy has busted into the Top 20 after being the third straight 19 year-old to reach the Australian Open semifinals. Her serve and power off the ground is something to behold. When Maddy is on her game, you can't help but smile at the ridiculous winners that come off her racquet. At age 20, she's still got plenty of time to improve on her variety and learn not going for broke at inopportune times, but she's got the attitude and work ethic to build upon a champion-making playstyle. The outcome of matches tends to depend on how Madison plays, something that nearly all previous Slam winners have in common.

Which is why it was so surprising to see Angelique Kerber pull off the comeBACK win in a fantastic Charleston final against Madison, especially given their forms this season. While Maddy was being rightfully crowned the new "Next Big Thing," Angie entered the Family Circle Cup with a losing record in 2015. It seemed like she was rapidly following the Sara Errani trajectory: an outsider who made the most of her talent by winning a shload of matches, but couldn't sustain nor make an impact to against the very elite. Errani's even done Kerber one better by making the French Open final; Kerber has only gotten to two Slam semis (and just two other quarterfinals). 



Still, Angie was able to put her "Duncurrber" tendencies away for a week and play a really great match against Madison. Kerber likely will never be seen as someone who can win a major, but her ability to counterpunch (emphasis on "punch") is among the best and extremely entertaining. The points she and Maddy produced is something that I want to see all the time. The push and pull, the momentum swings, and the shotmaking from both was impressive, and both were playing well. More please, tennis gods.

Now that Kerbz seems to have gotten out of her funk, is she BACK? Only time will tell. Clay isn't usually good for her and winning Charleston doesn't shake that notion for me because the court doesn't play slow or seem very clay-like at all other than the whole sliding thing. But I hope she is. This title hopefully has restored her confidence in getting back to where Madison is heading: towards the upper echelons of the WTA.

(Sidenote: Maddy should totally adopt the "cow on ice" moniker.)

Hawk Eye

Tennis season is upon us! The season's first week is a deluge of matches and an abandonment of a human circadian rhythm, but it's always a fun reawakening to the sport that we love so dearly. Good thing, too, since we should get warmed up for the Australian Open right around the corner. As we become night owls for the next couple of weeks, there are a few players I will pay particularly close attention to in Melbourne:

Victoria Azarenka

The two-time Oz Open champ spent most of her 2014 on the sidelines plagued a variety of injuries and ailments that have derailed her momentum from the previous few seasons. Outside of training, her pre-Melbourne warm up will only consist of her very tough loss to Karolina Pliskova in the first round of Brisbane. 

Per @TennisReporters, Victoria Azarenka wanted but didn't get wildcard into Sydney, where she was 2012 champ. Instead, Gajdosova, Gavrilova.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 9, 2015

Her lack of match fitness has been a key factor in her relatively snail-paced comeback during the grass season and summer hard courts. She'll go into the Happy Slam unseeded, a dangerous opponent for any of the top women to face early on. However, given her results the past 12 months, even a cushiony may not be enough to get her back to her winning ways.

Stan Wawrinka

With another Aircel Chennai Open trophy on his shelf, is Stanimal on his way to failing even better than last year? He's one of the most unpredictable players on tour, capable of beating everybody and losing to...well, nobodies. Fortunately for him, he's in form going into Melbourne, where he's defending his title and 2,000 precious ranking points. A repeat performance can really set himself up for another fantastic season. A first-week flop, however, can be the beginnings of a tailspin.

Agnieszka Radwanska

At last year's Australian Open, the award for Performance of the Tournament went to Aga hands down. But her murder of Vika in the quarters via carbicide only made the semifinal thrashing she received from Dominika Cibulkova more disappointing. The dark cloud of "what could have been" seemed to hang over the ninja's head for the entirety of her 2014 season, compelling me to go on Aga Ranking Watch for 2015. Hopefully her new coach, the legendary Martina Navratilova, has instilled new belief, as well as a new attacking mindset, in her as she goes into Melbourne. She should get a mental boost from her Hopman Cup performance, too, taking the title with partner Jerzy Janowicz (and giving hilarious on court interviews in the process).

Rafael Nadal

A scoreboard rout in an exhibition loss to Andy Murray is one thing, but getting beaten by Michael Berrer in his opening match in Doha is worrisome. The way he lost, winning the first set via breadstick and not being able to finish, was especially disconcerting. He may be a little competition rusty, but Nadal may be the most competitive athlete in any sport, let alone in tennis. Putting Berrer away should be an accomplishable task. Without much match play, Rafa goes into Melbourne a bit undercooked which won't suit him well. However, we'll see if his first round or two can help him round into find his form.

Caroline Wozniacki

Our favorite marathoner is coming into Melbourne with most of the momentum she built in the second half of last season where she surged from the depths of the Top 20 all the way back to No. 8. Caro seems to be a different player, going much bigger on her forehand than she has in the past. Her serve is clicking and her backhand is a legitimate weapon these days. Those boosts in power haven't sacrificed Woz's trademark speed; she'll always be the toughest wall for her opponents to break through. Still, heavy hitters like the Williams sisters, each of whom have afforded Wozniacki's last two defeats, can blast the ball past her, so it's hard for Caro to ever truly have any given match solely in her hands. A more worrying and immediate concern is her now bothersome wrist which forced her to pull out of Sydney (although it can be argued that she shouldn't have played there to begin with). It'll be interesting to see where her confidence is going into the first Slam of the year. Her fitness is renowned and she will be able to stand up against the oppressive heat radiating from the Australian summer sun. She's on the short list of favorites for the title, but if she comes up against a free-swinging floater, she could be sent packing prematurely.

Andy Murray

Official kit for the Australian Open (ausopen.com)

The runt of the Big Four has been making slow, sometimes steady strides back to where he was near the top of the game. While he finished 2014 with a strong record, his performance against his brethren have been much less than stellar, including a season-ending 0 & 1 embarrassment at the hands of Roger Federer in front of his hometown fans. Year 1 of Andy's comeback is now behind him, so it's only fair that expectations return to where they were pre-back surgery. Muzz has historically played well in Melbourne, reaching the finals on three separate occasions. Sadly, his ranking leaves him vulnerable to an undesirable quarterfinal meeting against Djokovic, Federer, or Nadal. A match against any of the Top 3 will be a must-see affair, the outcome of which will set the tone for Andy's 2015 season.

Dangerous floaters: Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Camila Giorgi, CoCo Vandeweghe, Victoria Azarenka, Aleksandra Krunic, Dominic Thiem, Jerzy Janowicz, Nick Kyrgios, Vasek Pospisil, Bernard Tomic, Juan Martin del Potro.

Early champion picks: Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic. See you on the other side, with a pot of coffee, of course.