First Ball Forehand

U.S. Women’s tennis is in an interesting place, as exciting as any in history. There are currently 15 players in the top 100, 7 in the top 50, and 2 in the top 10. Wow!! That’s enough to be interesting and newsworthy on its own. The story though isn’t about the volume of players. It’s about where those players are in their careers. The mix is all over the spectrum. You have 7 players age 28 or older, still competing at a high level, still a threat, still pushing to meet their potential, in most cases still rising and proving themself, not falling by the wayside. On the other side, you have 8 players age 24 or younger with 6 age 22 and younger, fighting to be the next up-and-coming.

In the 28 and over group, what several are accomplishing is impressive. They seemed to have figured out the path towards steady improvement. Work ethic and passion have given them a rise after age 25 that is atypical. Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins exemplify this more than anyone, but Bernada Pera is following on the exact same path. Jessica Pegula has risen year-after-year gradually to where she now is world-class. She’s a threat in every tournament and a legitimate contender for major titles having steadily stayed within the top 5 and as high as #3. I believe she has the game to continue to challenge for a few more years. Swiatek, Sabelenka, and Rybakina have set a high bar and perhaps Jessica’s window has passed as those 3 continue to improve and have not reached their full potential yet. I’d still say she has the right game and right weapons to challenge. She’s a quarter-finalist at 3 of 4 majors. She just needs to believe it. She’s an amazing story because you don’t just get there by chance. Perseverance and sheer determination are the only avenues.

Danielle Collins, coming out of the college route, naturally had a later start. She’s been fighting with injuries and I hope she can get healthy. She is one of the few players who can flat out blow you off the court when she is playing well. She’s proven she can make major finals with her Australian Open final result in 2022. Danielle also has the “x” factor. She plays with the kind of chip on your should I think is needed. She’s unafraid, unintimidated. I love it!

Another great story is Bernarda Pera. She’s following in the footsteps of Pegula and Collins, seeing her best results now in her late 20s. With a current career-high ranking of 27, she has a chance to crack the top 20. It will be interesting to see if she can do that and keep on going towards top 10.

Let’s not forget Lauren Davis. Lauren has gotten back into the top 50 and continues do more with less than just about anyone. Twelve years after turning pro in 2011, at her 5′ 2″ size, to have been able to grind out points and stay at the top of the game can only be called impressive. Anyone who makes the most of their abilities should be very proud. I’d love to see her keep going and exceed her highest career ranking (26).

Let’s take a look at the younger group coming up to watch. Obviously, Coco Gauff has the potential to dominate Women’s tennis. Already top 10, already a French Open finalist, the sky is the limit at age 19. Her serve is world class and has a chance to be the best in the game. Her backhand is world class. She can volley and puts the work in playing doubles to improve her all-court game. Her forehand is what opponent’s go after, but not for long. Just wait. I’d say she’s still 1-2 years away from challenging Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina. That should be fun to watch.

Beyond Coco, it’s now getting interesting (there’s that word again). Alycia Parks has a big game and has begun to make a move, reaching as high as #43 and currently, as of this writing, at #51. Peyton Stearns is at her career high of #56. At 22 and 21 respectively, Alycia and Peyton are still growing, no where near there potential and both have very, very high ceilings. I think top 10 capable. Caty McNally gets a shout out here. Also at 21, she looks like she’s starting to figure it out. She has an all-court game you don’t see much of nowadays. Can any of these 3 crack the top 30 this year?

So, what about the rest? There are many I didn’t talk about. I think each of them have a “?”. Shelby Rogers has a powerful game. She’s a quarter-finalist at both U.S. and French Opens. She’s battled injuries and then trying to get back to her form. Can she do it and make another run at the top 20? Madison Keys is still out there. I’ve always loved her game. If she’s at her best, she can’t be beat by many. She’s been as high as #7 and a U.S. Open finalist. At #24 ranking, she’s on the edge of cracking the top 20 again. Sloane Stephens is still in the top 40. On any given day, she still looks great. Former #3, U.S. Open winner, French Open finalist, Sloane can still play at the highest level. There’s an inconsistency that’s crept into her game the last few years. I’ve always thought she needs to be more aggressive, especially with her first serve, but she’s had success her way. It just seems that some days she can’t put it together at all and looks lost.

For the rest of the young up-and-coming, we just don’t know, not enough evidence to say whether they are truly making a run. I’m talking about Navarro, Liu, Mandlik, Dolehide. They’re all in the top 100. They’re all young, less than age 25. They have not had the breakthroughs on the WTA tour yet. They’re rising up the rankings primarily through challengers, which is great and a smart way to develop. It just means we don’t know enough. Navarro, comes the college route having won the NCAA championship in 2021. Liu, former junior #1 and Wimbledon Junior champion in 2017. She was also runner-up at the French juniors in 2017, so she can excel on multiple surfaces. Mandlik, daughter of Hana Mandlikova, has now cracked the top 100 as of June 19th. Dolehide, the oldest of the group at 24, just made her top 100 debut in May. She has a powerful game and has had more success both in juniors and the pros so far in doubles. Can any of them make it to the next level and crack the top 50 this year?

U.S. women’s tennis has exciting storylines to follow throughout this year and over the next several years. From veteran players showing toughness, grit, and determination to continue to fight up the rankings, to up-and-coming potential stars, there will be plenty to watch for. I can’t wait.

What are your thoughts?