ATP Finals: Taylor Fritz versus Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Over the past 20 years ago, very few Americans have made it into the ATP Finals. But this season, Taylor Fritz qualified among the eight players. Fritz started very well, beating Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-3. He played terrific, but the Russian went crazy, throwing his racket, again and again. In the end, he was totally frustrated. His anger went mad. Hopefully, Medvedev will recover, so he can show with the fans in Italy. Or maybe not. 

Fritz has had an interesting season, playing mediocre, and then, he can turn the lights, reaching the US Open for the first time. He lost to Jannik Sinner, but there were some games when he was darn close, but not enough. 

On Tuesday, Fritz will have to do it again, as the No. 1 Sinner is so solid now. He is incredibly powerful, from both sides, to nail his first serve. He beat Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday at Turin with some tremendous shots.

It should be a fascinating match between Fritz and Sinner, whether they will change it up or try to crush it, early, on the hardcourts. Medvedev will face Minaur on Tuesday.

Carlos Alcaraz is sick and hurt on the court and off, and then he lost versus Casper Ruud 6-1, 7-5. Ruud can look amazing finding the corners, plus he does like to rally. However, the three-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz also likes to throw it all around, and he is very fast. But he is still young, and he can become upset when he thinks about it. Plus, he has to recover, or he will be out.  

“It can be a bit tricky,” said Ruud. “I knew he was dealing with a bit of a cold. I saw him sniffling in the back area and with a tissue for his nose, so that’s a sign that maybe physically he won’t be necessarily at 100 percent. Of course, that is sad, and not good for him, but at the same time it is part of the game… but it’s definitely one of the best wins of the season for me.”

Alexander Zverev is playing much better now. He is getting stronger, beating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4. It was someone close, but the Russian wasn’t returning well, so to out-hit Zverev, he had to bring it back and hit it very hard down the lines. Yet he didn’t.

“I thought it was a very solid match from my end,” said Zverev. “Against anyone here, you have to play your best to have a chance, you have to be solid [and] mentally strong.”

Zverev will play against Ruud in what should be a thrilling match-up.

WTA Finals: Coco Gauff versus Zheng Qinwen

Coco Gauff
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

It has been an odd year, but the young player, Coco Gauff, has finally risen, and in the semis at the WTA Finals, she was so solid and powerful. The American stunned Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(4), 6-3. She was right there, backhand to backhand, and she could nail her improving forehand, down the line. Yes, Sabalenka has won three Grand Slams, and she is incredibly powerful, but very good opponents can confuse her, and this time, Gauff did. At the net, she is already very smart, bending down, and she can put it away. 

A few years ago, the current 20-year-old still couldn’t improve her second serve, but now, it is much better. Plus, if a player decides to pay attention month after month, she will eventually be much better. At the 2023 US Open, she won it. 

This week against the terrific other players, she is right there, or even better. Also, Sabalenka made way too many errors. “I’m happy with the way I played,” Gauff said. “I know that coming up against Aryna, she’s always going to be a tough match. She is world No 1 for a reason.”

Eventually, she might do it next year. But in the final, she has to face Zheng Qinwen, who has had a fascinating year, when she beat Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 7-5 in the semis, out-hitting her with deep, hard strokes. She can run very fast and go for it early. When the Chinese player can lock it in, Qinwen can try to dominate it. In the summer, she won the Olympic gold medal. She must be convinced that when she can smash her forehand, then she can explode. “I think I’m more explosive compared to the [2024] Australia Open final [which she lost]. Even though I was in the final I never met any seeds on the way,” Qinwen said. “This was the tricky part. I would say I move faster and then my ball goes faster, my serve goes faster, and my endurance improved a lot.” 

Both of them have to walk onto the court and see whether you are very nervous. Still, they know that to see which way to go, trying to be patient or go for it early. On the hardcourts,  in front of the large crowds, they have to be consistent, as well, and to find the lines.

“Zheng is playing great tennis too, but I just need to play confidently. That will help me win. I’m not nervous,” Gauff said. “Being here is a reward for the season I’ve had.”

Ugo Humbert rises in Paris

Carlos Alcaraz
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They are in Paris, but many people of the Frenchmen can be very nervous, on court, yet Ugo Humbert played terrific, upsetting Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 3-6, 7-5. He nailed his forehand and his backhand in the third set, and he also returned just fine. Alcaraz can mix it up a lot, and go for it it when he is set up, but at times, he over thinks it. Yet indoors, Humbert was able to lock in, deep in the match, and  then he grabbed it.

“I’m just super proud of myself that I did it,” said Humbert. “It was a crazy match, a crazy atmosphere. It was a really big match.” It’s the most beautiful victory in my career, and it’s the best moment I lived on a tennis court. It’s incredible. I train for that. I practice for that. I made some big shots.” 

He has yet to go into the top 10, but he is ranked No. 18, so eventually, he could have a chance to beat more of the top players, this year, and next year. Alcaraz beat him twice, so clearly, the Spaniard is better than he is, but this week, not much. Humbert can be very patient, and throw it all around. However, this season, he has lost early, so now he needs to become more consistent. The good thing is that he won in Marseille  and Dubai. He will face against Jordan Thompson.

The American men lost a couple of days ago, and while Taylor Fritz [who lost] will play at the ATP Finals in Italy, the top eight, but  Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and  Ben Shelton went down early in Paris. Those three won’t be able to play at the ATP Final in November, but in 2025, they badly want to do it. 

A few others want to win Paris, including Alexander Zverev, who can play darn good. He edged the other Frenchman, Arthur Fils, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. He is young, but he still needs to learn. As Fils said, “He’s very tall, so it comes from very high. It comes very strongly. So you try to anticipate a little bit, to understand what he’s doing, but obviously indoors it’s different than being on clay. If you’re not on the track of the ball, you can’t return it. If you’re on it, it’s difficult to control.”

 We know that Grigor Dimitrov wants to stay around and knock off everyone. He is ranked No. 10, so to jump in Italy, he is going to have to win each day. Good luck.

The same goes with Alex de Minaur, who is ranked No. 9, and he is winning much more than he used to be. He has a real shot to play the ATP Finals, but he still have to win this week, and maybe, next week.

With the women, before the WTA Finals at Saudi Arabia, Riyadh — we know that it is complicated —that this week, the top women aren’t playing there, yet there are some notable players such as Leylah Fernandez and Sofia Kenin, who won in Hong Kong.

On Saturday, they will started in Riyadh, with Aryna Sabalenka vs.  Zheng Qinwen, and Elena Rybakna vs. Jasmine Paolini. That will be super interesting, to be in a new place. How many people fans will attend? Who knows.

American s Ben Shelton and Sofia Kenin lose finals

Sofia Kenin

Ben Shelton had a very good run in Basel, but in the final, Giovani Mpetshi Perricard, another young player, won it, 6-4, 7-6(4). The Frenchman stayed very deep, and he also tried to smash it in the corners. The American Shelton can also attack, when he can set it up, and show where it is. He is quick, running, and he can spin it, or flatten it out. However, Mpetshi Perricard can also think about his directions, rather than doing the same thing. He won it, and now, he is in the top 31. He is rising.

“On this surface, of course my serve is a good weapon for me, but I try to be aggressive from the baseline and put some pressure on the opponent,”  Mpetshi Perricard said. “I’m very happy [because it was] a big part of my game this week.” 

Two years ago, Shelton looked good, but not great, yet. But his backhand and his serves are much better, and he is more consistent at the net. Next year, he could go into the top 10, and if he does, then he will be more conscious. 

In Vienna, Jack Draper won it, beating   Karen Khachanov 

 6-4, 7-5. Draper plays a lot, week after week, and sometimes he can lose, early, but when he starts to feeling very good, then he will be more real. This was the second time that he won an event, and he is more comfortable in the indoors. Or maybe not. 

Next week, it will be the ATP 1000 in  Paris, indoors, when it is cold outside. There should be some wild matches.

Over in Tokyo, Zheng Qinwen won it again, beating the American Sofia Kenin 7-6(5), 6-3. The Chinese is so fast, and she can nail it with her forehand and her backhand, crosscourt, and down the line. She can stay right in front of it, and slap it back. Two years ago, she was pretty good, but not tremendous yet, but now, she is ranked in No. 7, and in two weeks, she will likely go to the WTA Finals. Just only eight. She will be thrilled, in Riyadh.

A few years ago, Kenin won the 2020 Australian Open, but then gradually, she went down. Now, she  had a very good tournament, but this season, she was up and down, losing very early. She is trying hard though, and she can be much more focused. She is powerful, but she can become upset, when she isn’t playing well at all.  Really, the current No. 88 has to be much more calm, on the court. Everyone has to.

Tommy Paul wins Stockholm over Grigor Dimitrov

Tommy Paul
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Each week, American Tommy Paul can focus when he has to, and when he has a real chance to win a title, he can explode on the court.

Paul grabbed it, beating the once No. 2 Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3  in Stockholm. He has now won three titles, and while he is 27 years old, he has improved a lot over the past two years. He is so consistent, and he likes to have long rallies. However, five years ago, he was decent but not fantastic. Now, if he can, he could reach into the top 10 for the first time. Currently, he is ranked No. 12. As he said, he realizes that the top 10 is very important, and he admitted that.

“I am not too focused on the ATP finals; I am trying to break into the top ten. That has been a goal for me this year, and, I am three spots away, and those three spots aren’t easy,” he said.“I am trying my best this week and the rest of the season. We have three or four more weeks, so if I can put together a good string of tournaments, who knows.”

He will have to try. He played very well on the grass, winning London, Queen, but after he lost at Wimbledon, he went down, but in Europe in the fall, he finally rose. He is not the hardest hitter, but he can mix it up. His first serve is effective, and it is OK on the net. Yet he can almost put it back, more profound, when he can. He can win a good amount, but he must go deep again to catch into the top eight with the ATP Finals.   

He will play next week in Vienna. Sprinting on the court will be tough physically, but he will be enthusiastic. When you win, you can smile.

Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka grab Shanghai/Wuhan

Aryna Sabalenka
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How did they do it again?  They might have been tired, but in the court, they can be locked in hour after hour. The Italian Jannik Sinner out-hit Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final in the Rolex Shanghai Masters, while the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka out-lasted Qinwen Zheng 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the final at Wuhan. They both won it again almost all year, winning the Australian and US Open. This time, while many people are exhausted in the fall, Sinner and Sabalenka can rid the ball, crosscourt or down the line. They are now very focused, and also, they can change it up, and hammer the ball.

Sinner will finish the year as No. 1, but he wants more: to win the titles at the ATP 1000 in Paris and the ATP Final in Turin, Italy. 

The No. 2 Sabalenka could also eventually be No. 1 very soon, but she has to win more titles against the top person, Iga Swiatek. Right now, it is very close.

“That’s really tight ranking right now. Really nice to see,” Sabalenka said. “I always say of course it’s one of the goals, but I prefer to focus on myself and just keep working hard.  We’ll see after the Finals if I was good enough this season to become World No. 1.”

She is one of the most gigantic hitters on the tour.  Sabalenka can scream in the rallies with her heady forehand and her backhand. Two years ago, she threw in so many double faults, but now, she is much better, with her serve. Plus, she can be calm and thinking where she will go.

The same thing is with Sinner, another very intelligent young person. He can move the ball, hit it flat, or spin it. He can crack it in the middle, deep, until he gets a chance to grab a winner, and then he can throw it into the corners.  A few years ago, he was very good, but he was struggling at times. Now, when he returns, he can find it.

That is why he beat the 24 Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who was close, but he could not break him.  

“It was a very tough match, obviously, playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we have,” said Sinner. “I’m very happy with how I handled the situation. I played a really good tiebreak which gave me confidence to start off well in the second set.

“It’s tough to tell you a secret about [Djokovic] because he doesn’t have any weaknesses. You have to try and use the small chances that he gives you, but there are not many during the match. He is a legend of our sport, he’s very tough to play against, so I am very happy.”

In the summer, he won Cincinnati and was on a role. He will charge in Paris, and then, in November, in the ATP Final, he will be there in Italy. The crowds will be colorful for him. 

Sabalenka was just fine in the third set, yet the very talented Zheng began to collapse with her strokes. She was pushing her soft serve, which would not get it done.

“At critical points in this match, I need to increase my speed,” Zheng said. “I was a little bit conservative. The shaking of my racquet when I became conservative made more unforced errors. She forced me to see some of the weaknesses in my tactics. After this loss, I’m feeling excited because I am doing better each time. There’s more room for improvement.”

She has to reach the top 5 and stay there. Can Sabalenka become No. 1 and stay there for a very long time? Possibly.

In Shanghai and Wuhan: A crazy, odd day.

Taylor Fritz

Many people want to continue battling during the fall at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this week. But they are also tired, as the men and women have been playing for the past eight months. Some of them are injured with their legs, arms, or maybe their back or stomach. This has been going on for many, many years. However, most of them love to play in the matches and try to win, whether they are good, mediocre, or bad.

They are currently in Shanghai and Wuhan, where there are two huge events. Three American men are still there, with Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul. Fritz wants to be in the ATP Final in November in Italy, and currently, he is ranked No. 7, but he has to be consistent. He might, as he reached the final at the US Open. He didn’t win it, but he was close enough when he lost versus the No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Fritz has improved his backhand, his second serve, and in the net. He has yet to win a Grand Slam, but if he wants to, he has to keep up even higher. Shelton is very young, and he has a terrific attitude. He also knows that to go into the top 10, he will have to be better with the return, at the net, and with new shots. The veteran Paul has become much better this year, with some fine strokes, and he can mix it up, too. However, can he go into the top 10 and stay there? Not yet, but he is trying.

Two people were ticked off, with Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Zverev. Tiafoe lost against Roman Safiullin 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(5), and he was furious with the umpire, screaming at him and swearing. He apologized, but that was a tough moment. Zverev edged Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-6(5), a marathon, but he also yelled at the umpire. A crazy, odd day.

When they are winning, they can be happy, with Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, and Gael Monfils. Alcaraz beat Sinner in the Beijing final, 7-6 in the third. The rival is very serious, and it will happen again with some new strategies.

Over in Wuhan,  Coco Gauff is there, as she is pretty darn happy because she won it last week in the  China Open. She finally played so much better in the matches, with her excellent backhand and at the net. Her forehand finally came alive, and her return was more consistent. Now, she can try to do it again in the fall. The No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is moving to attempt to become No. 1, but it won’t be easy this year. However, the No. 1 Iga Swiatek can wait until it is close and she can start again before the top 8 in the WTA Final at the beginning of November in Riyadh. That should be fascinating. 

Currently, right now, four of them, who went very deep in the summer with Jessica Pegula, Qinwen Zheng, Jasmine Paolini, and Emma Navarro all of them who is playing now.  Will one of them grab Wuhan? It depends on how to throw in some wild, tremendous winners.

Alcaraz edges Sinner to win Beijing

Carlos Alcaraz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

They will be happening again, when in Beijing, the No. 1 Jannik Sinner was darn close to win it, but in the third tiebreaker, the Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz rose up so high. He won it 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3). He was down 0-3, and then he decided to try to put it away, when he had a chance to nail it. He sure did.

“I never lost hope,” said Alcaraz. “Honestly I knew that [when I started it] that every tiebreak Jannik plays is almost to his side. I thought that in the third set, I’m not going to lie, 3-love down, two mini breaks for him. So I didn’t lose hope, but I thought, ‘Okay, I have to give everything that I have just to try to give myself the opportunity to be close.’  I played great points just to make 3-all and after that I just thought to go for it. If I lost it, at least I went for it. So that’s all I thought in that moment.” 

There rivalries is tremendous now, as both of them have won the Grand Slams, and also, in the ATP 1000’s. In 2024, Sinner has won the Australian Open and the US Open, and Alcaraz won Roland Garros and Wimbledon. 

That know each other very well, so on the court, they can go for it, early, or to be patient.  On Wednesday, in the tiebreaker, he pushed himself, and mixed it up, close to the lines. Now it is in the fall, they can play  each other again, but it is hard to know. Or perhaps they can turn it around and show some amazing shots. 

Before that, in the semis this week,  Sinner beat Bu Yunchaokete 6-3 7-6(3), a pretty tough match, but the Italian cracked his forehand and his backhand in the tiebreaker, and he pushed him down. However, Yunchaokete is a coup, beating Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Musetti , and Karen Khachanov, the top 15 players. He is young, and he is also very consistent.

Sinner recently won the 2024 US Open, and he is much more real, set after set. But he still wants to show that he is incredible, with his massive first serve, and his better return. Yet the No. 2 Alcaraz is also playing tremendous, also winning three Grand Slams. He is super smart, in the court. On Tuesday, in the semis, Alcaraz beat the former US Open  Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3 — again. The Russian can play amazing, on the baselines, but he can also back up. Maybe Medvedev is lost, thinking about what he has to do, and recover.

Also in Beijing, there was a lot of the fans who wanted to see with Coco Gauff versus Naomi Osaka. Both of them have some terrific finals, and they can mash the ball, especially with there hard backhand. Yet they split, but then, Gauff won  the second set, 3-6, 6-4. The third set could be wonderful.However,  Osaka retired, as she felt sick. See you later. Ouch, although,  Osaka looked pretty good this week, but she has had a tough year.

 “I wasn’t sure if it was her hip or back, I just knew that towards the end she could barely jump on her serve,” Gauff said, “so I knew that it was something that, in the moment, was probably bad but hopefully it’s something that’s not a long-term thing.”

Gauff needs to win a title during the fall, as she hasn’t won a tournament since January. She really wants, too.

NOTES

That was an odd match, when Paula Badosa beat Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-0. The American must have been out of it…

In Tokyo, the Frenchman Arthur Fils won it all, beating Ugo Humbert in three long sets, and he was so in to it, and soon enough, next year, he will reach into the top 10. He is already No. 21, so he will move up the change…

The No.7 Zheng Qinwen keeps on chucking, still winning a lot. She just beat Amanda Anisimova in three sets, as she can rally for a while, and then when she gets a chance to smash the ball, she will. She will face against Badosa, which should be a few, wild points.

Who will dominate fall season?

Iga Swiatek
Mal Taam/MALT photo

It is in the fall, with the players generally resting, as they have attended various events for over eight months. Those who win a lot and will go deep, their bodies can get sore, especially in the summer. It has happened for many, many years.

Right now, even if they pull out, they will be thrilled. Not forever, but darn close.

Next week, they will play at the Beijing, China Open, a big event. It is not a Grand Slam, but it is important, as many top players will go.

Last year, Iga Swiatek won Beijing, but the current No. 1 pulled out a couple of days ago. She could be hurt physically, or perhaps she wants to re-set it. At the US Open, she lost against Jessica Pegula.

The pullouts can be staggering. Beyond Swiatek, another four are hurt in China, including Maria Sakkari, Danielle Collins, Bianca Andreescu and Ons Jabeur.

The good news is that the 2024 US champion Aryna Sabalenka will play in Beijing, along with Jessica Pegula, when Sabalenka beat the American in the final two weeks ago. They could face off again. Or maybe Coco Gauff will win it, as she hasn’t won an event since January. She has to improve her up-and-down forehand. 

Right now in the Laver Cup, there are a lot of very good male players in Berlin. Will it survive year after year? It is hard to tell, but at least they are very enthusiastic. Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe are playing from the Americans, with some excellent players like Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Francisco Cerundolo, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and others. Fritz did reach the final at the US Open, and he looked very good, but will he finish in the top 5? A huge challenge. 

They must play the Laver Cup as there is a massive amount of money. Gigantic.

After that, they can fly to the China Open and try to win it with the No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev. Sinner is way up with the ranking, but he could skid and not end in the year the top dog. He hopes.

Can Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula win a Slam in 2025? 

Jessica Pegula

In a sense, is that the players who reached the finals at the Grand Slams were satisfied. Or, if they lose, then they can be seriously disappointed?  Both Americans, Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula lost at the 2024 US Open finals when he went down versus Jannik Sinner in three sets,  and she lost against Aryna Sabalenka in two sets. It was somewhat close, but not close enough. 

Perhaps in 2025, the Americans will win a Slam for the first time, but you never know. They are not that young, and for sure, they have improved a lot, but each month, the players globally push themselves, and they improve a lot, such as the Italian Sinner and the Belarussian Sabalenka.

The 23-year-old Sinner has won two Grand Slams, and Sabalenka has won three. That is very impressive, on the top of the baseline, crushing it from their massive forehand and backhand. Right now, they are better players than Fritz and Pegula. 

In the third set, Fritz broke him, and he did have a chance to win the set, but Sinner attacked him again, very deep, and broke him. See ya. He won it 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. Hello.

“I’d say he’s improved a little since I beat him in straight sets at Indian Wells in 2021. The biggest improvement by far is his serve,” Fritz said.

“I played last year in Indian Wells, and he had already improved his serve. I think he was very, very good at that point, and he had just been injured and pulled out of many tournaments when he was already deep into it. He was very close to improving now with confidence and winning, but I think he was very close to the level at that point; he had yet to show all the results. If I want to go to, like, the 2021 Indian Wells, yeah, the serve and the movement, massive improvements. Then it was also much easier to hurt him from the ground. So he’s much faster and a lot better out of the corners. His serve is really good now.”

It took Sinner a while, but as he said, gradually, he grew up on the court. He was much more solid, and also, a few years ago, he would get angry when he couldn’t put the balls in. Yet this year, he calmed down, and he tried again. 

Can Fritz finally win a Slam in 2025?  If he does, the last time the  American men won it at a Slam was in 2003, when Andy Roddick grabbed it.  That was a long time ago. It could be the No. 7 Fritz or someone else. But although he lost at the 2024 US Open, he feels good.

“I think that’s just extremely reassuring to me that I could get to this point, just playing solid tennis. I know there’s still much room for improvement,” Fritz said. “And something I’ve said throughout my entire career, whether it’s when I won my first ATP point or I won my first challenger, or I made my first round of 16 or whatever it is, I’ve always said once I do something once, I just feel a lot more confident in being able to do it again.  That’s something that’s always stuck with me. Sometimes, it’s taken me some time to get to a certain achievement, but I’ve always felt like once I’ve done something, I gain a lot of confidence that I can do it again.  So it is a great feeling to have gotten to this point, knowing that I’m playing well, but I’m playing very within myself, and I feel like it’s repeatable.”

How about the No. 3 Pegula, who is 30 years old?  She played terrific over the past six weeks, winning Toronto, reaching the final in Cincinnati against Sabalenka, and then,  another final at the US Open. However, Sabalenka beat her again. She is a better player. Not that much, but more.

However, Pegula could continue to hit the ball harder and serve better, too. Her second serve is so-so, but she has advanced at the net and to put it away.

“My movement and my serve has gotten a little bit better. So I think certain parts may be a little more consistent than they used to be,” Pegula said. “I’m sure there’s other days where maybe I’ve served better. But as far as a baseline, it’s not as much up and down throughout the weeks and through matches. I would say the same for my movement.  Not quite, but I think with those other things, maybe that’s why it may seem like I’m playing my best tennis.”

She is, but is it good enough? She did stun the No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and she also beat Karolina Muchova in the semis. Those were two terrific wins. Yet in the final at the US Open, Sabalenka hit some amazing winners at the end, mashing the ball. Pegula could beat her during the fall, or next year, or maybe with the other American, Coco Gauff will start to rise again. Maybe not soon, but soon enough.  Pegula is awake.

“I think maybe I handled the moment a little bit better this year, with just having maybe a different perspective of I had a rough start to the year, and I didn’t expect to be doing this well in the hard court swing, and I was able to kind of flip that script,” she said. “So I think when I came here, it was almost less pressure because I was just happy I was in another quarterfinal. My slam record this year was not great. So I think maybe that perspective helped me through that moment, and then I was able to have a great match in the semi, come from behind, and put myself in a chance to win a Grand Slam. I will take a lot of confidence from this.”