WTA 500 ATP 500 Washington DC 7/21 - 7/27 2025

[ti-amie]

I didn't expect Venus to win today. She's got that WC into Cincy singles and may b eyeing one into the USOpen. After all 45 years old is 45 years old.

She's still in doubles though.

The place emptied out quickly and no one was chasing after the balls Frech was hitting into the stands.

[ashkor87]

Pleased with Raducanu's performance and delighted with Leylah's. They were never the one -off good players people think . But I do wonder if the court is faster than I thought on day 1..

Does the heat affect the speed of the court? If so it's much hotter now than it was in the beginning of the week.

I suppose it does... another random force to factor in ! But I havent seen the matches of yesterday yet.. will have to check.

[ashkor87]

TT beating Kenin was the most surprising, and impressive- Kenin is a good player, a major champion, after all, on hard courts..

[ti-amie]

TT beating Kenin was the most surprising, and impressive- Kenin is a good player, a major champion, after all, on hard courts..

Kenin's play today was listless to put it mildly. The heat and humidity of DC in the summer is no joke so maybe that affected her? The comm kept trying to find reasons for her lack of coherent play.

[ashkor87]

Fernandez really showed the value of the volley - she always does.. the one thing Osaka can improve is her propensity and willingness to come to the net behind a good, deep shot - she hangs about at the baseline and the point goes on - which it shouldnt..!

[Suliso]

I wonder why Osaka has declined so much. Other players her age came back from childbirth much closer to their former top level.

[ashkor87]

she seems to lack a positive, attacking mindset..

[ponchi101]

I wonder why Osaka has declined so much. Other players her age came back from childbirth much closer to their former top level.

Agree. It is a bit puzzling.
My wild guess: if you stop playing, you lose that final bit of accuracy and precision. You simply cannot come back and hit that same shot 95% of the times. You are down now to 92%. And at this level, that is enough for the other players to beat you.
But, again, just because I can't tell why her tennis has gone away.

[Suliso]

I'd buy that argument, but then why Svitolina and Bencic can?

[JTContinental]

I think they are more interested in tennis than Naomi

[ponchi101]

I'd buy that argument, but then why Svitolina and Bencic can?

Because Elina and Belinda's top was not the same as Naomi's?
I am at a loss. It makes little sense, especially since it is not as if she was 29 when she took her maternity leave.
Plus. Before she took her maternity leave, Naomi was already showing signs of not being the same player that she was when she won her slams. Let's not forget she was having problems already, mainly on the mental aspects. So maybe she simply has declined in many aspects, and motherhood is not to be considered a factor in that decline.

[ti-amie]

Naomi's personal life has affected her adversely. The father of her child was constantly cheating on her, there were several break-ups and reconciliations and then she became pregnant. The pregnancy was difficult and the relationship still ended.

This was not someone she met casually but someone she's known all of her life and I think she thought she could "fix" him but someone with addiction issues has to want to be fixed as we all know.

I think it would've been best for her to do what Anisimova did and take time off to try and get herself together.
She still looks fragile to me.

Now watch her win the US Open.

[ti-amie]

[patrick]

Naomi's personal life has affected her adversely. The father of her child was constantly cheating on her, there were several break-ups and reconciliations and then she became pregnant. The pregnancy was difficult and the relationship still ended.

This was not someone she met casually but someone she's known all of her life and I think she thought she could "fix" him but someone with addiction issues has to want to be fixed as we all know.

I think it would've been best for her to do what Anisimova did and take time off to try and get herself together.
She still looks fragile to me.

Now watch her win the US Open.

Remember her first Slam title was marred by Patrick's signaling to his player

Think she was trying to model the Williams' success especially naming Serena as her idol (was Dad her coach at one time?)

Cordae was too busy for her, IMO

Unfortunately, I think winning AO in 2021 will be the last Slam she will win due her issues.

[patrick]

We may have a 2021 USO final rematch on Sunday