Felix Auger Aliassime is Finally Hitting His Stride

Also in this week’s mailbag: inquiring about Rajeev Ram’s Davis Cup snub and the lodging situations of tennis pros.

Hey everyone,

• The WTA Finals are underway. Let us note that it has been a year (to the day) since Peng Shuai issued her social media post. One still wonders about her well-being. Among other concerning parts of this fact pattern, you’ll note her light footprint since. This was a player known for outspoken demeanor; you can scarcely find her on social media or in public now. The WTA, rightly, demanded an investigation. China all but laughed at the request. And now the WTA is heading back for next year’s fall events. Someone needs to explain this.

• Good soldiering: “Rivals” premieres on Tennis Channel Nov. 5.

Onward…

Mailbag

Jon,

How can you explain Felix Auger Aliassime’s recent streak? Is he doing anything different? Can he keep this going at a major?

Ryan, Toronto

There’s an old borscht belt joke about the man who tells the same stories and jokes over and over again. To save time, he simply blurts out “Seventeen!” or “Forty-three” and everyone laughs.

That’s how tennis commentary often feels. “The plots in tennis change quickly.” (Thirty-seven!) “The margins are slim!” (Eleven.) “While sports teams need to rebuild and ponder tanking entire seasons, in tennis, success breeds success and players can reverse course quickly.” (Eight!)

As for Felix….two months ago—almost to the day—he didn’t just lose at the U.S. Open. He was thoroughly outclassed by Jack Draper. It was not even a close match. It was the last major of 2022. The opponent was younger. It was easy to question whether Auger Aliassime, this ascending player, was now not just stagnating but losing altitude.

But this is tennis. And FAA has real skills. In the two months since, he has beaten Novak Djokovic (Laver Cup, but, hey it counts in the head-to-head), beat the world’s No. 1 player, Carlos Alcaraz, not once but twice. And, oh yeah, has won three consecutive events. He’s riding a 13-match win streak (as we write this) and has qualified for the year-end shebang.

What is he doing differently? From an X’s and O’s perspective, he is serving as well as ever. In Basel he won the title without being broken. (Ironically, his opponent in the final, Holger Rune, wasn’t broken before the match either.) It’s not insignificant that these events are all indoors, which plays to FAA’s strengths and enables him to attack and defend in equal measure. Particularly heartening? For a player who has faltered in finals before this year, his play recently on Sunday has been sensational. It also speaks well of his physical and spiritual durability that he is putting together this streak so late in the season, when others (see: Alcaraz) have, understandably, run out of steam.

Th question of course: can he translate this to majors? None of them, obviously, are held indoors. So these fall results are a limiting indicator in terms of predictive value. But if he can sustain this confidence, this serving, this clutch play—all of which play off each other—he is a contender at all four in 2023.

Jon,

I noticed that Rajeev Ram was left off the Davis Cup. He is the No. 1 doubles player in the world. What happened here and how can this make sense?

A.R., Redwood City

Yes, this was odd. You have the world’s No.1-ranked player at your disposal. He has availed himself for Davis Cup in the past. He has won an Olympic medal. He is a consummate good guy. He is 38 years old. And, yes, he is not only No. 1 but coming off a U.S. Open title.

The full disclosure here is that Rajeev and I are friends. We come from the same part of the world, have a number of friends in common, etc. I poked around to make certain there wasn’t more to this story. A scheduling conflict. An injury, etc. There was not. This decision struck me not simply as manifestly unfair, but sending a regrettable message about the importance of doubles.

So here comes a little plot twist: I reached out to the U.S. captain, Mardy Fish, to see if he wanted to convey his thinking. In part, he wrote: “I love Raj and his DC career with me isn’t over.…But this time, Jack will be playing with Frances or Tommy or Taylor. As DC Captain, it’s my job to listen to the players as well. Ultimately, it’s my choice and I make the calls, but I do listen to their thoughts and ideas….I appreciate the question, as it’s important to have folks care about DC. No one wants to win DC more than me, that I can promise you.”

Not to make too big a deal out of this this….but —especially this midterm election week—here was a reminder that civility and accountability sure go a long way. You can agree with Mardy’s choice or disagree (as I do). But here’s someone in a leadership position answering a question—without ducking, without a publicist crafting a statement, without flinging an allegation of fake news or calling someone a clown. Respect.

Jon,

I liked your response to Jim T. from Portland concerning Coco Gauff, but I was surprised that you didn’t set the record straight when he stated that Coco had not won any titles (presumably singles titles). In fact she has won two singles on the WTA and five doubles titles.

D. H. Tennessee

I took the line to mean she had won no titles in 2022. For the record, she had won two titles in her career. And in 2022, despite hoisting no trophies, she enters Fort Worth having won 38 matches, reaching a major final, getting to No. 4 in singles and getting to No. 2 in doubles (with three titles.) And she doesn’t turn 19 until March.

Hi Jon,

Hoping you can shed some light on the life of a touring professional tennis player. Do tournaments pay for the player’s hotel rooms? If so, once the player is out of the tournament are they on the hook for any extra hotel nights? Do all players get the same hotel or do qualifiers stay at the LaQuinta while top players get the Ritz? And if the player loses early, do they usually go extra early to the next tournament to start practicing there (and get a free hotel)?

Thanks!

Mitch

The short answer: it depends. Most tournaments pay lodging. Sometimes it’s a stipend. But oftentimes there’s a designated player hotel. And players usually get full lodging a night after they are eliminated. The tournament must meet a certain quality of hotel. This is codified in the rules. But it’s also in the interest of everyone. No one wins when the players from the Des Moines Open are lodging at the LaQuinta off the interstate.*

Note this is tour level. At Challengers, players are often on their own to cover lodging. Note, too, that talent = leverage. In addition to an appearance fee, a top star will usually negotiate special accommodations. (Serena Williams ain’t staying at the Cincinnati Marriott.)

*The great Michael Kosta (Illinois tennis alum) has a joke, that I paraphrase, that “La Quinta” is Spanish for “fleabag by the airport.”

Hi Jon,

I'm inclined to believe that Halep didn't knowingly take any prohibited substance, but it's going to be impossible for her to find out how it got into her system months ago, so she's in a no-win situation due to strict liability. Even if they accept that it got into her system unknowingly she still faces a mandatory two-year suspension, and a four-year suspension if they find intent—which I don't believe is the case. Halep was already having motivation problems this year and contemplating quitting, so at the age of 31 either suspension will probably cause her career to end—which would be sad.

Franklyn

A few of you wrote in with similar sentiment. Elizabeth G. asked why I “seemed sympathetic to Halep.” Fair enough. I’m no position to weigh in on guilt or innocence. My points were simply: A) the fact pattern is a weird one. B) Damage can be thawed by the warmth of time. C) She is a Hall of Fame player who has done right by a lot of people. Regardless of how this breaks, the stain need not be indelible. In tennis, as in life, reputations matter. People compile a track record of good behavior and decency, it matters when the gavel goes down in the court of public opinion. (And the reverse holds as well.)

Hi Jon,

I'm originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, so, for tennis hometown heroes, we have Jennifer Brady and...Jennifer Brady. Any update on whether she will return to playing? I know there was an injury last year, but you hear nothing on whether she will return, and she is missed.

Rob L., Miami Beach, FL

Let’s go to the source: “Hey Jon, hoping for the beginning of 2023! Appreciate you reaching out. Thank you.”

Here’s a player who is barely two years removed from reaching the semis of a major and then the finals of the subsequent major. If you’re in the market for a “Comeback Player of the Year for 2023” you could do worse.

Shots

• “Today New Balance and tennis star, Coco Gauff, announced a long-term extension to their successful relationship. To celebrate the new chapter between New Balance and Coco the brand will launch a new colorway called the Coco CG1 All in the Family Thursday, November 3rd, 2022 just ahead of the WTA Finals where she will be the youngest player in the tournament.”

• This week’s unsolicited tennis book recommendation: The Roger Federer Effect by Simon Cambers and Simon Graf, which is published on October 31.

• This week’s unsolicited non-tennis book recommendation: “Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure” by Alexander Wolff…..A New York Times Notable Book of the Year 20th anniversary edition.

• “The world’s best players will unite to compete side by side at the United Cup, a stunning new team event set to launch the global tennis season in 2023.

The United Cup, an ATP-WTA event presented in partnership with Tennis Australia, will showcase equality at the highest level of the sport, with mixed teams from 18 countries competing across Brisbane, Perth and Sydney over 11 days, from Thursday 29 December to Sunday 8 January 2023.

The power and passion of team competition will come to life as the players unite to represent their countries with national pride and USD $15 million in prize money on the line. In a world first for a mixed team event, 500 Pepperstone ATP Rankings and WTA rankings points are also up for grabs.“