Thiem's dreams come true,Osaka flourishes on and off the court
- Pranav Prasanna
- Sep 17, 2020
- 3 min read
The first true sight of 'Dominic Thiem - the fighter' was in the 2019 Indian Well Open, where he triumphed over Roger Federer to gain his maiden ATP 1000 Masters title. Tipped to be the next player to win a Grand Slam title in an era dominated by the Big three (Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic), Thiem's chances couldn't have been any better after World No.1 Novak Djokovic defaulted from the tournament.
The Flushing Meadows is known for producing special moments, and history was made in the 2020 US Open. The 2020 edition of the US Open started and finished unlike any other - from bio bubble struggles, a tale of comebacks to a divided tennis locker-room, lets recap the events at New York and the Arthur Ashe stadium:
A tale of comebacks
It was fourth-time lucky for a resurgent Dominic Thiem who clinched the US Open title and his first Grand Slam title as he battled past Alexander Zverev in a 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory. The Austrian made history, becoming the first man in 71 years to win the final after dropping the opening two sets. Both players ended the game fighting cramps, clearly, nerves.
Over on the women's division, it was all about resilience as Naomi Osaka overcame Azarenka's power-hitting. A mature Osaka created history by coming down from a set to claim the remaining two sets 6-3, 6-3, and secured a second US Open title. The youngster was also lauded for her efforts in sending a resounding message against racism.
Tennis left divided following the launch of a breakaway players' association
The buzz around the US Open began much before the first serve of the tournament. On the eve of the 2020 U.S. Open, World No.1 Novak Djokovic announced the formation of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA)—a group intent on representing the interests of men’s pro tennis players independent from the ATP, and later clarified that female professionals are also taking part in discussions. The association was made with 94th-ranked Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil.
While this rocked much of the tennis world, it should of no surprise that Djokovic is the player spearheading the movement towards player empowerment given his role in ousting Chris Kermode as ATP chief just 18 months ago. The idea of a players' union was introduced by Djokovic back in the 2018 Australian Open, and now with its formation, it has met with strong opposition from player council members such as Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal who echoed their criticism and call for unity among the players. Seeking for more clarity and time, 20-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer had earlier called for tennis to merge its men's and women's governing bodies and asked: "to stand united as players, and as a sport."
While the current set-up is described as "complex" by Djokovic, he stressed the association and the ATP tour can co-exist by saying: "I certainly think it's the right step forward for the players, because I think it unifies the players. It allows them to have a platform, to have an association through which they will be able to express themselves better where they will be able to talk about the ideas, the interests, and the things that are related to the players."
Sumit Nagal creates history
India's tennis prodigy Sumit Nagal created history, becoming the first Indian to win a Grand Slam singles match in 7 years as he defeated Bradley Klahn 6-1 6-3 3-6 6-1 in his first round. The dream was cut short as he was knocked out by Austrian Dominic Thiem in the second round, but Nagal has his eyes set on a Top 100 finish by 2021. The Jhajjar-born talent, known more for his work rate aims to elevate the level of Tennis played in India and having faced the likes of Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Marin Cilic, and Stan Wawrinka, the 23-year old is one to look out for in the 2021 Australian Open.
Bio-bubbles: the new normal
The 2020 US Open has been severely criticized over the treatment of its players during the tournament. Some of the strong and eyebrow-raising comments came from Kiki Mladenovic who said: “We’re living a nightmare here. I have only one desire and that is to regain my freedom. It’s abominable how they are treating us." But the comment of the tournament would have to be from the 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin who addressed her time in the bubble saying: “Crying. That’s what I did. I mean, I had to let it out. That’s not the answer that people would like to hear. But everyone knows in Aussie I was crying every day before my match. It’s fine. It worked."
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