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January 17, 2023,
Like a special grand party that you’ve been planning for a year, sometimes it is as much as who doesn’t show up, as who does.
At this 2023 Australian Open, Naomi Osaka will not be there and not for the reason some of us might suspect.
As reported by ESPN, “Four-time major champion and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka announced she is pregnant and indicated she will miss the entire 2023 tennis season. Osaka hasn’t won a title since the 2021 Australian Open and hasn’t advanced past the third round at a major since.”
This news is not shocking but perhaps very disappointing to those of us who loved watching Naomi at her peak.
She expressed that she planned to play again in 2024. That is encouraging to hear but, now with child, we’ll have to wait and see if that will materialize.
We certainly wish her the best and severely miss her.
Serena Williams will miss the party as well.
That is not surprising news and once again, perhaps not for the reason one might expect.
Is she retired or not retired?
On October 25, 2022, according to NBC News, “Serena Williams on Monday said she has not retired from tennis and that the chances of her returning are “very high” after she previously indicated that she would step away from the sport after last month’s U.S. Open.”
On that note, we will have to wait and see.
Though she was the star of the party in 2022, winning it all and making history during the process, Australia’s Ash Barty has returned your RSVP politely stating she is not going to make it either.
Ash was only the second Australian tennis player to be ranked No. 1 in the world in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), holding the ranking for 121 weeks overall.
Modern day amazing.
She was also a top-10 player in doubles, having achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world.
Drum roll please.
Ms. Barty is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, and the reigning champion at the Australian Open. She is also a major doubles champion, having won the 2018 US Open with CoCo Vandeweghe. Barty won 15 singles titles and 12 doubles titles on the WTA Tour.
Too bad she is going to miss the 2023 party and maybe future ones as well. In terms of her retirement, she is very certain about it.
For now.
In terms of the party, overall, that is probably the most disappointing news.
Now, with other prominent guests, you are glad they showed up but sorry they had to leave early.
Sofia Kenin has already exited in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open.
Her exit is disappointing but not shocking as she fell to former Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 6-7 (3-7). Both stars are trying to climb their way back to the top.
Victoria, almost always very tough, took an important first step.
Though now it seems so long ago, Sofia is a former Australian Open Champion as well.
Sofia once had a career-high ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) of No. 4 in the world, which she achieved on March 9, 2020.
She was the 2020 WTA Player of the Year, an award she earned by winning the 2020 Australian Open and finishing runner-up at the 2020 French Open.
Sofia has won another four singles and two doubles titles on the WTA Tour, including the 2019 China Open at the Premier Mandatory-level with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
As of today, Sofia’s ranking is 203 in the world.
Why do you keep your rankings up?
So you don’t have to meet Victoria Azarenka in the first round.
Though she is leaving the party early, as a very special and talented guest, we hope to see her back in top form soon.
Ranked number 61 in the world, Marta Olehivna Kostyuk may not be a household name but the Ukrainian star is making a lot of noise, refusing to shake the hands of Russian and Belarusian players who she feels have not spoken out enough against the war raged by Russia on her country.
She took out her passion on a Russian American player, Amanda Anisimova, who is ranked number 28 in the world, was expected to stay at the party longer but was exited in the first round 6-3, 6-4.
It was reported the loss reduced her to tears.
Amanda has a career-high WTA ranking of No. 21 in the world, and has been ranked in the top 100 since shortly after turning 17 years old. Amanda has won two WTA Tour titles and reached three WTA finals in total.
In 2022, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Having said all of that, do not despair.
There are still some big name stars who will attend the party.
No name is larger than Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
The world’s number one and 2022 US Open Champion is expected to win it all Down Under, in 2023.
A surprising challenger to her throne is America’s Jessica Pegula, who cruised in the first round 6-0, 6-1 over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.
Jessica has a career-high WTA rankings in singles and doubles of world No. 3, both achieved on October 24, 2022.
The rising American star has won two singles titles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour, one WTA Challenger doubles title, and seven ITF doubles titles.
She is a four-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist in singles, having reached this stage twice at the Australian Open, in 2021 and 2022, once at the 2022 French Open, and once at the 2022 US Open.
She is also a major finalist in doubles, achieving this feat at the 2022 French Open with teammate Coco Gauff.
Big question.
Can Jessica stay at the party longer and get past the fourth round at a major for the first time?
The concern with Jessica is that she is a very steady player but could use more power and hard hitting consistency once she meets the top ranked players.
There is good news in that regard.
As reported on January 5, 2023 by ESPN, “Iga Swiatek, the favorite for this month’s Australian Open, was in tears after losing at the United Cup on Friday. The US and French Open champion sobbed courtside after being thrashed 6-2, 6-2 by American Jessica Pegula in the mixed-team tournament semifinals in Sydney.”
This year’s 2023 Australian Open should be one exciting party and Jessica hopes to stick around until the end.
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OPENING PHOTO Tomasz Kudala-Shutterstock-photo- Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/35389282/jessica-pegula-stuns-iga-swiatek-us-2-0-united-cup
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/35426252/naomi-osaka-announces-pregnancy-indicates-play-2023
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/-not-retired-serena-williams-says-rcna53898
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Kenin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashleigh_Barty
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Anisimova
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Pegula
https://www.fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://www.fcielitecompetitor.com/
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
