THOUGHTS ON THE 2021 US OPEN
Words on Medvedev, Raducanu, Djokovic and some other talking points from the fortnight
A glorious fortnight of unpredictable tennis ended in appropriate fashion as Daniil Medvedev overcame Novak Djokovic, the tide of history and a disagreeable New York crowd to clinch major trophy no.1.
Sunday's surprise twist capped off a 2021 US Open that was a feast of drama from start to finish.
Whether it was the unprecedented triumph of teenage wildcard Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez's high profile scalps, controverial bathroom breaks, endless five-setters or Andy Murray's early revival - there was something for every fan.
While I won't be able to get to everything from the past two weeks, let's dig in to the main talking points.
Qualifier To Champion
At the start of July, Emma Raducanu was ranked 338th in the world and I'd dare say that few people outside of British tennis circles had heard of her.
In her very first WTA draw appearance in Nottingham this year, the 18-year-old lost to compatriot Harriet Dart in the opening round. That was followed by the first glimpse of her talent at Wimbledon as she made the fourth round before retiring against Ajla Tomljanovic.
Raducanu's third WTA appearance also saw her lose in the first round of San José before a decent run to the final of a 125 event in Chicago.
That was the platform Raducanu had as she entered the US Open. As we know, what followed was three straight sets victories in qualifying...and then seven more wins in the main draw culminating in the title!
It's absolutely astonishing, but the poise and all-round ability that Raducanu displayed throughout her run belied her inexperience. She has a world class backhand, fierce returns, excellent movement and extraordinary composure.
Unlike the British commentators, I won't go so far as to say she will be no.1 with a bag full of majors. But she should be a considerable presence at the top of the game over the coming decade.
It Had To Happen Eventually
Novak Djokovic had gotten so reliable in major finals (12-2 since 2015) that I wondered if he might retire before losing another.
Major congratulations then to Daniil Medvedev for allaying my fears with his first major title. Of more import than that though, the Russian defeated one of the 'Big Three' in the final and stopped Djokovic completing the calendar slam.
Before the event, the 25-year-old looked the best pick beyond Djokovic to lift the trophy. As a former finalist in both New York and Melbourne, with three Masters 1000s on hard courts on his CV, Medvedev is the second best male player on the surface.
But on Sunday night, Medvedev's beastly serve and rock solid baseline game proved too much for a subpar legend. The Russian secured early breaks in each set and that proved too much for Djokovic to overcome given his inferior play and movement.
Medvedev is the first male Russian major winner since Marat Safin at the 2005 Australian Open. Given his consistency and potency on hard courts, you'd have to think that he has more joy ahead of him in New York and Melbourne.
Canadian Factory Keeps Producing
While I had no vested interest in either women's finalist, it was genuinely sad to see Leylah Fernandez felled at the end.
Ranked 73rd coming into Flushing Meadows with no real form to speak of, the Montréal warrior navigated her way through an astonishingly difficult draw. One after the other, Fernandez dispatched defending champion Naomi Osaka, former winner Angie Kerber, and two top five players in Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka.
The hallmarks of her performances were grit, accurate hitting, phenomenal movement and a rare ability to orchestrate the crowd. Fernandez fired up the spectators with her unflinching desire and they elevated her to new heights in return.
The Canadian will be a darling forever in Flushing Meadows, particularly after her pitch perfect remarks on the commemoration of 9/11.
She joins an enviable cast of young stars who wear the Maple Leaf. In Fernandez, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Bianca Andreescu, Canada has much to be proud of.
Formidable Pain Quenched By Love
How does it feel to be Novak Djokovic after that match?
He could see the peak of Everest and had only to plot a safe route to the summit. Unfortunately for the world no.1, Daniil Medvedev and the emotional and physical toll of chasing history proved too much to overcome.
While I have quite a number of issues with Djokovic, I am actually sad for him. There hasn't been a calendar slam for a male player since Rod Laver in 1969 and the Serb looked most likely to equal it. He has been the best men's player for the last decade and the New York crowd certainly gave him some deserved recognition.
You would a champion like Djokovic to bounce back with energy and motivation for Melbourne 2022. But don't be surprised if this defeat leaves a considerable scar.
It Will Come For Aryna
A little like Alexander Zverev on the men's side, we all wondered when Aryna Sabalenka would start to threaten at majors.
After a series of early exits and painful five-set losses, the German is now an established grand slam performer. The Belarusian looks to have cracked things too with back-to-back semi-final runs in London and New York.
While the climax of her match with Fernandez was brutal to endure, that shouldn't detract from how well the 23-year-old played for most of it. In the first five games, her standard of play was otherworldly.
While controlling her emotions will always be an inner battle, I think that Sabalenka will keep chugging along and make a major final before long.
Incon-tsits-ent
Before the tournament, I thought that Stefanos Tsitsipas had a solid opportunity to come out of a quarter where Andrey Rublev and Roberto Bautista Agut looked the biggest threats.
As it turned out, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Carlos Alcaraz contested the quarter-final, with the Greek falling to the Spaniard in five sets amongst a haze of bathroom-fuelled memes.
As good as Alcaraz was, it means that Tsitsipas's 2021 major results show: Semi-final, Final, 1st round, 3rd round. The 23-year-old still hasn't made it to the second week at either Wimbledon or the US Open.
Given his undoubted talent and no.3 ranking, that's not great.
Will It Ever Happen?
Poor Elina Svitolina. Having disappointed at the other slams this season, the Ukrainian battled her way through Daria Kasatkina and Simona Halep to make the last eight in New York. All that stood in her way was an unheralded 18-year-old Canadian. Surely this was a golden chance for her?
Of course it wasn't to be as Leylah Fernandez survived their three set epic and rode off for the final. As for Svitolina, who's been ranked inside the top six since 2017, the formula to transfer WTA Tour success into the majors still eludes her.
Now 27 and with a plethora of grand slam contenders around, you wonder if she will ever get the chance to lift one of those four special trophies.
A Couple Of Changes
While I prefer having actual human linespeople, I understand the desire for electronic calling at the moment. The system was efficient in New York but I don't see the need for a player to review a call after a point. If the decision can't be altered, the review can be used as a delay tactic so why allow it all?
Also, remember the argument over bathroom breaks? Just set a time limit and move on. Next issue.
One Last Thing
Just for the British media who seem to have already lost all sense of logic after Emma Raducanu's triumph.
We have had teenage major champions in recent years. You may remember players such as Jelena Ostapenko (Roland Garros 2017), Bianca Andreescu (2019 US Open) and Iga Swiatek (Roland Garros 2020).
Each of them were a revelation and all were tipped to win 100 majors and spend 5,000 weeks at no.1 (or something like that). So far, none of them have replicated their major-winning form for a variety of reasons.
By saying this, I'm not trying to write off the prospects of any of the four ladies. It's just important to appreciate that tennis is not a straight line of success unless you're part of a very, very select group. Please, give Emma the chance to fail and grow.