18-year-old CiCi Bellis is quietly proving herself at Roland Garros

CiCi Bellis is proving those who questioned her decision to turn pro wrong at Roland Garros 2017.
18-year-old CiCi Bellis is quietly proving herself at Roland Garros
18-year-old CiCi Bellis is quietly proving herself at Roland Garros /

We shouldn’t gloss over Bellis’ takedown of Bertens—a semifinalist here last year—and we won’t. When Bellis turned pro and declined playing college tennis, likely at Stanford, many questioned the decision. (Self included.) Here she is, barely 18, ensconced in the top 50 already (with little defend the rest of the year) and not paying much of a price for her modest physique. She has an innocence to her, but a level-headedness, too. She has a support group traveling with her. Her decision turns pro looks prudent right now. All the more so if she beats Caroline Wozniacki and reaches the middle weekend.

A note about lead-up tournaments ahead of majors: Bertens had no trouble beating Bellis in Rome two weeks ago. Bertens won the Nuremberg title week. On Wednesday, re-matched against Bellis, she fell in straight sets. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga may have won his first claycourt tournament last weekend in Lyon. Despite (because of?) this success, this 2017 French Open campaign was a failure. Tsonga took his first defeat in the first round since 2005, falling to Argentina’s Renzo Olivo 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4. Daria Gavrilova reached the Strasbourg title on Saturday. She came here and promptly lost her first match. Some players need more rest than others. But those who really fancy themselves Grand Slam contenders might want to consult the data w/r/t playing the week before the four Big Shows.


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Jon Wertheim
JON WERTHEIM

Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat , sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for "60 Minutes" and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor's in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.