Tennis News

WUHAN, China – In 2015 Garbiñe Muguruza arrived in China in the midst of a slump. She was compiling a breakthrough season, having made her first Slam final at Wimbledon a few months earlier, but the letdown during the North American hardcourt summer was severe.

China proved to be fertile ground for the Spaniard. It was this time last year that she hired coach Sam Sumyk after a disappointing exit at the US Open and the two went on to make the final at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, where she retired with a foot injury to Venus Williams, and then win her biggest title at the time at the China Open. That run served as a springboard for Singapore, where she romped to the semifinals in her BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global debut.

Muguruza’s 2016 season has seen similar, albeit with heightened patterns. In a season that saw her win her first major title at Roland Garros in May, the 22-year-old has struggled with her consistency ever since. She looked to be building momentum over the summer with a strong run to the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open, but a surprising opening round loss to Anastasija Sevastova in New York sent her back to the drawing board once again.

“That loss was tough for me,” Muguruza told reporters during Wuhan’s WTA All-Access Hour on Sunday. “I was sad about that match because I’m always very happy to be in a Grand Slam. That’s the tournament where I like to play and I’m really motivated there, but I played bad.

“I was too nervous. I wanted too much to win. I wanted [it] too much.”

Muguruza has worked hard over the last 12 months to control her negative emotions on court and has come to master an intimidating poker face. But don’t let it fool you. She’s roiling underneath the surface. “Sometimes I feel like there’s certain days where I look like she doesn’t look like maybe is super happy, but it’s because I want [it] too much, and it’s actually going the other way. So I think it’s as bad to want it too much than not to want it too much. It was tough for me.”

To the extent an early exit at a major can have a silver lining, Muguruza said the loss gave her more time to hit the practice court before the Asian swing. Now to see if it pays off. Ranked No.3 on the WTA rankings, Muguruza could face a tough opening test on Tuesday against either Guangzhou finalist Jelena Jankovic or the always dangerous Daria Gavrilova.

“This year I want to do everything I can so I can go on holiday happy,” Muguruza said. “I don’t want to have this on the back of my mind.”

“I feel nothing can be sad this year after winning a Grand Slam. No matter what happens for me, [it] is an incredible year already.”

Ni Hao Wuhan! ?? pic.twitter.com/WtUGbOzwQ5

— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) September 25, 2016

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

The return of Caroline Wozniacki’s winning smile may be the tournament’s lasting image but the 2016 Toray Pan Pacific Open will also be remembered as Naomi Osaka’s coming out party.

While her talent has never been in doubt, the Japanese teenager has struggled to exhibit it as often as she would like. That all changed during her homeland’s flagship event, as Osaka dismantled Dominika Cibulkova and overpowered Elina Svitolina en route to her maiden WTA final.

Wozniacki – whose own feel-good story promoted her to No.22 – ensured there was no fairytale finish, but she was unable to stop Asian tennis’ star in waiting from becoming the youngest player inside the Top 50.

Many astute observers – including management group IMG – have been keeping a watchful eye on Osaka’s progress for some time. This year alone she has run both Simona Halep and Madison Keys close at majors, and the new World No.47 now looks to have the temperament to make the most of her spectacular shotmaking.

Osaka, though, was not the biggest mover in Monday’s new rankings…

Anastasija Sevastova (+5, No.35 to No.30): Although Sevastova was unable to repeat her US Open upset of Garbiñe Muguruza, by reaching the second round in Tokyo she secured a Top 30 debut. 

Lesia Tsurenko (+27, No.80 to No.53): On the other side of the Sea of Japan, Tsurenko continued the form that took her to the second week of the US Open by dethroning Jelena Jankovic in the final of the Guangzhou International Women’s Open. It was the Ukrainian’s second WTA title and puts her just 52 points away from reclaiming a Top 50 spot.

Lara Arruabarrena (+29, No.90 to No.61): Last week’s other title winner, Arruabarrena, did it the hard way coming back from the brink against Louisa Chirico, then winning a rollercoaster final with Monica Niculescu. This ended a four year wait for a second WTA title and also brought a new career-high ranking.

Francesca Schiavone first came to the Tashkent Open several weeks shy of her 20th birthday. The teenager was ranked outside the Top 100, but stunned top seed Anna Smashnova in the first round en route to her first WTA final.

“It’s been nearly 16 years since I was last here,” she said in an interview with Sunder Iyer. “I have great memories of Tashkent. The city has changed a lot from what I saw then; it’s great to be back.”

Schiavone went on to win her first Grand Slam title just over a decade after her initial breakthrough in the Uzbek capital, eventually peaking at No.4 at the start of 2011.

The return to Tashkent is a bittersweet, full circle moment for the 36-year-old, who is once again outside the Top 100 despite a title run at the Rio Open earlier this year. Still, Schiavone showed she still had some magic left with a straight-set upset over No.7 seed Sorana Cirstea.

“This match was a tough one. Sorana is coming back, so I had had to play good tactics and win every point. I played well and feel confident.”

Confidence has been hard to come by for the former French Open champion, who began the year playing qualifying at the Australian Open. Adjusting to the shift in results has admittedly been a process.

“When you are Top 10, it is different level, different money, different services, different satisfaction. As your ranking drops and you are outside Top 100 everything changes in life; the entire system changes and you are no longer as special you were.

“But I love the sport and still enjoy playing.”

It was unbridled passion and pure love for the game that brought Schiavone to the top of the sport, and it appears that same love is what keeps her on tour to this day.

“I play because I enjoy it. I’m happy to play tennis – even now. It’s tough, and there are some decisions one has to take about their careers sometimes. I decided to continue playing. I would like to thank God for keeping me healthy and allowing me to still play at this level.”

Debuting on the WTA tour back in 1996, Schiavone has had a front seat to the radical changes the game has made, noting a far more physical sport than rewards experience over youth.

“One has to play a minimum of 20 shots in a rally. The matches are longer; one has to play for around three hours. Tennis is going faster and faster.

“A lot of young players used to be around, but today the overall age of players playing the tour is higher. Many players in their 30s are winning matches and events. If one is fit, they all have an opportunity. Players were younger in the sport back then, and were under lot of pressure. There was no time to relax because of the busy schedules and commitments; many of them burnt out.

“But now, I see them taking time to practice, be physically fit, and ensure longevity in the sport, playing for longer time spans.”

Schiavone has found it’s never too late to make such changes, the likes of which were apparent when she declined a wlldcard to the Olympic tennis event in Rio de Janeiro.

“Obviously, things change. When you are young, you can fly from the US to China and back to US and back to China without much thought. Flights were easy then, but now, at 36, you make different decisions and ensure you get rest, practice, and be fresh for competition. One learns to work at an easy pace and enjoy the game, which is what I’m doing now.”

With no plans of stopping anytime soon, there remains a plan for what’s to come when the veteran decides to call it a career, one that will channel her love of the game into the next generation of Italian tennis.

“I hope one day I can serve my country and its players. I want to work with them and help them in the sport.

“It would be great to give back what I learned, because it truly was a gift.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.