Saying Farewell to Juan Martin del Potro

In our latest mailbag, we look at the place of tennis superstars in the larger sporting landscape and get into the rumors about a potential Ash Barty retirement.

Hey everyone… Quick notes:

• If you haven’t read Steve Simon on Peng Shuai, here it is:

• Here’s what players were told about Indian Wells requirements:

Entry requirements: All travelers must present a certificate of full vaccination from a CDC approved vaccine and a negative Covid test (taken 1 day prior to departure) or documentation of recovery from Covid-19. Click here for complete CDC guidelines.

Testing Procedure: Testing begins on Thursday 3 March and will be conducted on-site.

Players and their PST(s) must test on arrival (unless exempted). Antigen tests will be performed. Only upon receiving a negative antigen result can the player and their PST members receive tournament accreditation and full access to the site. Thereafter, unvaccinated players and their PST members will be tested every other day (at their own cost) as per the ATP COVID-19 Protocols.

• Stick around for the reader riff: “Meet the Trailblazing Iranian Girl Who Made History at the Australian Open”

Onward….

Hello Jon,
I’m not sure what your reach is to Juan Martin but, if you can, please extend what I would hope is every tennis fan's feelings to one heck of an athlete and human being. Thank you, Juan Martin...thank you for your humanity on the court. Thank you for making tennis matches a true pleasure to watch. Thank you for your forehand, the mighty hammer that it was. Thank you for your injection of chaos into the world of the Big 3, for each one feared you with good reason. Thank you for continual fight to come back from injury after injury, to climb to the top of the game each time. But most of all, thank you for your decency, your kindness, and your passion for the game. Best of luck!
—Anthony

• Yes. Let’s start with Juan Martin del Potro, who, of course, indicated that this South American return is less a comeback than a farewell. Anthony captures the sentiments of so many. Here is men’s tennis's tragic figure of the last 15 years. But the pity comes wrapped with genuine fondness. Here’s a video essay we did at Tennis Channel: 

Instead of marveling at what could have been, let us marvel at what was ❤️
@delpotrojuan l #Unstrung pic.twitter.com/Kv9TOdEe8e

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 9, 2022

Fans, colleagues and (truth serum) the media sworn to objectivity, felt deep sympathy. But they also felt deep affection for a genuinely good human being, done dirty by the Tennis Fates. (And, allegedly, by those close to him, as well.)

It’s very easy­—tempting, even—to play counterfactualist and what tennis would have been like if this guy had been healthy. What is his fate? What inroads does he make against Big Three? For that matter: is there a Big Three? Instead we marvel at what was: a towering talent, with an unforgettable modern forehand. We ache along with him for the unending string on injuries. We also admire his tenacity.

I was tooling around trying to find his career prize money ($26 million) and was struck when I stumbled upon this: he achieved his career-high ranking of No. 3 in August of 2018. Which is to say that after all he endured— the wrist, the knee, the trips to the Mayo Clinic, the oceans of time off the tour—he achieved his great ranking success almost a decade after his maiden Major. That says an awful lot.

You almost feel like apologizing to guy… on behalf of tennis, of biomechanics of biology of fundamental cosmic fairness. He deserved better. May the road rise to meet you, big fella.

And the friend plug while we’re here: Sebastian Torok’s definitive biography “Juan Martin del Potro: The Gentle Giant” for sale and download here.

It was immensely gratifying (and nerve-wracking) to watch Rafa’s stunning and improbable comeback against Medvedev and Father Time to inch ahead of Federer and Djokovic in the Grand Slam Race. While the debate rages on regarding the GOAT among the Big 3, do you think we can favorably compare Rafa’s 21 titles to Tom Brady’s seven SB titles and Air Jordan’s six rings and consider him to be not just one of the greatest tennis players, but one of the greatest athletes of all-time?
—David Wu, Walnut Creek, CA

• There are few bigger sports cliches than the “Mt. Rushmore.” (And ironically, I write to you today from the Mt. Rushmore Holiday Inn in Rapid City, South Dakota) But, yes, Nadal—and Federer and Djokovic and Serena—have moved out of tennis and into another neighborhood. Put any of the four up there with Jordan, Brady, Tiger, Ali, Gretzky, etc. Two additional points:

1) Tennis is relentlessly global. You could argue that excellence in this sport is more impressive than in, say, football, simply because the talent pool is so much deeper and more widespread.
2) One point in Nadal’s favor: he won his first Major in 2005 and his most recent in 2022. That is extraordinary durability. Federer's run is 2003-2018. Djokovic's is 2008-2021. Serena's is 1999-2017. 

Jon, a parting thought on the AO final: we now know what it takes to get Rafa Nadal to throw (toss?) his tennis racquet!—DSF

• Yes, the mic-drop, bat-flip, won-my-21st-Major-improbably racket toss. Somewhere Uncle Toni is demanding he go pick it up and apologize to the fans.

Can we give a nod to Felix for the way he pushed Medvedev? They both finished the match with 182 points each, and Felix held a match point in the fourth set. Like John McEnroe, I think Felix will win a slam some day. He has gone from being known for his double faults to being one heck of a good server.
—D Harris, Tennessee

• Absolutely. We’re barely five weeks into the year but it’s already been a stellar 2022 for FAA. A winning ATP Cup effort. (No, it doesn’t count as his elusive first title. But it should go acknowledged; it also earned him nearly $600,000.) Then yet another run to the second week of a Major.

A larger point: we often talk about incremental progress and maturation in quantifiable, terms. Ranked in the Top X. A run to the second week. She got to the fourth round, now it’s time for a quarter or semi. But sometimes, there are less-obvious markers. Playing through a bad stretch of tennis rather than capitulating. Beating an opponent who beat you last time. Beating a steady veteran who makes you play a lot of balls. (Taylor Fritz d. Bautista Agut in Australia is an example that springs immediately to mind.) Look at Felix’s first two events this season and there’s a lot to like. Not least: he gets tuned by Medvedev 6-4, 6-0 in the ATP Cup. He then returns three weeks later—same opponent, same surface, same country—and fights till deep in the fifth set. Buy your stock now, still trading at a discount.

Can you elaborate on Thought No. 3 in your 50 Parting Thoughts after the Australian Open? I found it very strange. You very casually dropped the news that some people were wondering if Ash Barty would retire after the final, and you hinted that she might be struggling to find motivation. Where did all of that come from? I haven't heard anyone else say anything close to that. (Nor does it seem like an obvious thing to say about someone who's 25, ranked No. 1 in the world and the reigning champ at Wimbledon and her home slam.) But I assume that chatter is based on something. So what's going on?
—Srikanth

• It was only a rumor—one, obviously that did not cross the baseline into truth— but there was real chatter that Barty might mic drop retire after the women’s final. The thinking: she loves her family, loves her country, she is recently engaged. She has no interest in most of the trappings of celebrity. Last year on the road during COVID was, understandably, a real struggle. She has, of course, already shown a willingness to walk away from tennis, prioritizing mental health and personal happiness.

Selfishly, as fans and observers, most of us hope she finds fulfillment and plays another decade. Or two. Barty is blazingly talented. Her versatility and shotmaking are treats to behold. One U.S. Open away from a Career Slam, she is a generational talent. She may be 5-5, but her serve might be the single most effective weapon in women’s tennis.

But there’s also a healthy conversation here about what motivates athlete; when is enough—titles, money, acclaim—enough; strain that comes with being an elite athlete, especially in such a peripatetic sport.

Thanks so much for your 50 Parting Thoughts (was it not formally called that this time?) I don’t think it’s ironic that Bernardes was maligned by Nadal in 2015 and then we saw what played out in Nadal’s favour with the time clock against Shapovalov in the AO. Bernardes would remember that public tiff, and wouldn’t be keen on repeating it.
—Ian Scott, Winnipeg

• I guess you could make that case. This was overcompensation, given the previous history between Nadal and Bernardes. My larger point: it was equally absurd and unseemly to question integrity like this. It was little different from the heat-of-battle remarks by Serena that triggered a punishment….And then, tennis being tennis, a few days later Simon Briggs files this story suggesting that there really can be corruption—albeit of a different sort—in the umpiring ranks.

Has any mid-to-late career coaching change been more influential than Rafa’s switch from Uncle Toni to Carlos Moya in 2017? At that point, Rafa was in a three-year grand slam title drought, and the top players on tour seemed to have solved his game, especially on non-clay surfaces. Five years later, and with seven more grand slam titles (three on hard courts), I would say that was a brilliant decision. His serve has improved dramatically, he looks to shorten points and stay more aggressive, and he varies his ball with more slices and drop shots...Winning seven slams after turning 30 years old is one of the more impressive statistics of his career, and Moya coaching has been one of the huge reasons for that success.
—Dave H.

• I’m always wary of going too far here. It’s the player that is executing. (Digression: It’s one reason I was a little meh on King Richard. He may have been the motivator but ultimately, it was Venus and Serena hitting the shots in the crucible of pressure.) But, yes, some real credit to Carlos Moya here. For taking over for Uncle Toni, adding a new dynamic, clearly providing a presence

I would add that for many of us who covered Nadal, for years, we leaned hard on Marc Lopez. Nadal’s running buddy—and sometimes double partner—Lopez was often good for a fortifying quote or bit of detail. After retiring from the tour, he joined Team Nadal.

Nadal is undefeated in the Lopez Era. And it’s a real credit to the team—and Carlos Moya—that they integrated another voice and source of support without causing tension.

Let me start by saying that I am delighted that Rafa won the Australian Open. However, I have to ask this—should the ump have been telling him to get in position to return serve faster? It seemed like a lot of times Medvedev was ready to serve but waited patiently while Rafa moved to his position. I know games are played at the servers pace, so should the umpire have been directing him to hustle?

Also, should Kyrgios have been disqualified for hitting the kid in the stands? I think yes, no?
—Sheba

• As always, it’s a judgment call. Do we wish Nadal picked up his pace? Yes. Does he go right up to the limit? Yes. Does he sometimes get called? Yes. Does the issue of when to start the clock still make this thorny? Yes. Does Nadal’s reputation as a fair guy who exerts himself like crazy cloud judgment? Yes.

As for Kyrgios, I was told that it was because he did not hit the ball in anger but, rather, as a careless, absent slap, wholly lacking in bad intent. And because the young spectator was just that—a spectator and not someone on the court—Kyrgios was given a pass. Many of you asked the question: why was Djokovic defaulted from a Major for slapping a ball at an official, while Kyrgios was given no penalty. A former official I often consult on judgment calls, termed this “apples and oranges.”

I loved reader Bill's Rafa rant from last week's 'Bag. It inspired me, an unapologetic Nadalian (Rafafarian?), to add my dos centavos. I submit we have overlooked one aspect of the GOAT debate: the allotment of the four Slams among the three surfaces is grossly disproportionate to the sport as a whole and unfair to the Spanish conquistador. By my admittedly unscientific scan, it seems that about 40% of all tennis tournaments are played on clay, 40% on outdoor hard courts, 15% indoors, and, probably generously, maybe 5% on grass. That makes Wimbledon an outlier in the neighborhood of Pluto. Holding three Slams on the two fastest surfaces gives the heavy hitters an undue home-court advantage in the majors that is seriously out of whack with the totality of all tournaments. If two Slams were played on hard courts and the other two on clay, Rafa by now would have lapped the field, no?
—James Stuchell, Savannah, GA

• I guess. Devil’s advocate: play the hand you’re dealt. I might be a pro basketball player if hoops were eight-feet high. But they’re not and my failure to adjust my game accordingly is on me, not the rule-makers. 

I’m always appalled, yet never surprised, when ESPN refuses to break away from Sportscenter to cover a 5th set at the Aussie Open. In my opinion, the quarterfinals of a major should never be on ESPN+, especially when the earlier matches were aired on ESPN! Why were FAA and Medvedev bumped to ESPN+? Is timing the only factor?

Yes, I could just pay $7/month and stop whining, but that seems like admitting defeat to an empire that prioritizes coverage of sports betting, on-air “personalities,” and routine dunks over live sports.
—Taylor Witkin, Somerville, MA

• Again, at some point Tennis Australia must decide: does it simply want to cash the largest check? Or does it want to maximize how it serves American tennis fans?

OVER TO YOU, MO MAFI…

Meet the Trailblazing Iranian Girl Who Made History at the Australian Open
—Mohammad Mafi, Managing Editor at tennisfa.com

Meshkatolzahra Safi recorded Iran's first Junior Grand Slam match-win at the Australian Open and became the first hijab-clad player to compete at a Grand Slam.

This year's Australian Open has been one of the most eventful sporting events in recent memory; From the Djokovic saga which dominated the headlines before even a single ball was hit—and a ban of Free Peng Shuai T-shirts that stirred up controversies during the event—to Ash Barty's historic victory that ended Australia's 44-year wait for a home winner, and lastly, Rafael Nadal's epic, record-breaking 21st major win. But it was also historic for Iranian tennis and Muslim women.

On a scorching day at Melbourne Park last week, a 17-year-old Iranian girl defied limits and barriers as she fought her way through to the second round of the Australian Open Juniors wearing a headscarf and sweatpants.

Making her Grand Slam Juniors debut, Meshkatolzahra Safi showed courage and tenacity over the course of her 6-4 6-3 victory against local qualifier Anja Nayar in the first round of the Australian Open Girl's singles.

Safi's victory brought joy to Iran's tennis community, as she became the first Iranian tennis player, girl or boy, to win a Junior Grand Slam match, ending the nation's decades-long wait for an Iranian tennis player to make a mark on the world stage.

“It is a special day for Iran's tennis, and I am thrilled to share this moment with the people of Iran," she said in a video message following her historic victory.

"I am so thankful for all the messages and words of support I have received over the last few days. I hope this victory paves the way and opens the door for my fellow compatriots to participate in such events.

“I have come a long way to get to this point. Playing professional tennis is not easy in my country. When I talked about playing at a Grand Slam in Iran, no one took me seriously. But thankfully my perseverance paid off in the end. So I want to tell everyone that don't give up on your dreams."

Tennis fans may also remember Aravane Rezai, an Iraniaian-French tennis player and former world No. 15 who defeated many big names in her prime including former world number ones Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Caroline Wozniacki. Although Rezai won gold at the Women's Islamic Games in 2001 and 2005 for Iran, she has also played in Grand Slams and on the WTA tour under the French flag, hence Safi being the first girl to represent Iran at a major.

But Safi's triumph has been extra special for Iranian women as she thrives despite all the restrictions Muslim women face in Iran, such as compulsory hijab, which makes it very difficult for professional female athletes to compete at the highest level.

The Iranian teen, currently ranked 77 on the ITF Junior ranking, became the first Muslim player to wear a hijab while competing at a Grand Slam.

"It is surprising for everyone here, from coaches to players, to see me in this outfit. I have played wearing hijab for many years so I'm used to it now and it's part of me. But then of course it is very tough especially in the heat of Melbourne summer," she said.

How did she take up tennis? She was first inspired to play tennis at age nine when she watched a Rafael Nadal match on T.V. with her mum, which is ironic since State TV rarely broadcasts tennis matches in Iran.

"It looked so exciting on T.V. that I thought of trying it recreationally," she said. "And then I went to the public tennis courts of my hometown, called Jahanshahr International Tennis Complex, to take tennis lessons."

Not too long after picking up a tennis racquet, things got serious for the talented Iranian and she won her first national title in 2014 at age ten. She would win her maiden ITF junior title in 2019.

Safi's breakthrough season arrived in 2021, when she bagged six ITF junior titles in singles and four in doubles. She started 2022 as the world No. 87 in the junior rankings and became the first Iranian to crack into the Top 100; this was a historic milestone made even more impactful because it was passed by a girl. 

But the best news was yet to come later in January when Safi managed to qualify for the main draw of the 2022 Australian Open Girls' Singles, becoming the first Iranian tennis player to compete at a Junior Grand Slam since Y. Saleh at the Wimbledon in 1978.

After winning her first match at the Australian Open Juniors, Safi's success grabbed headlines nationwide and also in the world tennis media. She then met Nadal, her childhood idol.

"It was a dream come true moment for me because Rafa is my role model and someone who I looked up to growing up...I always wanted to meet him and take pictures with him. We had a little chat and it was a joyful experience," she said.

Although she was knocked out of the tournament in the following round by eventual runner-up Sofia Costoulas of Belgium, the run came as an encouraging sign for the Iranian sensation.

"We still have three more Grand Slams this year and I would like to compete in all of them. But the problem is that I have no sponsors to cover my expenses and only my parents provide for me. If I had financial support I could play in more tournaments and gain more points," she said. "That would increase my chances of playing at Grand Slams."