Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com Leonard-Zhukovsky-Shutterstock-photo
January 19, 2023,
Others are going about their business.
Some, taking care of business.
Need to. Right now.
Or go home.
As one former 2021 Grand Slam champion recently did.
The British number one player is gone.
Emma Raducanu, fell to America’s Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
In the second round.
Emma reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) on July 11, 2022, and is first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships, by winning the 2021 United States Open.
As of January 23, 2023, she is ranked number 77 in the world.
How fortunes change.
Will she be near the top and win another Grand Slam?
Hopefully, but then again, if she doesn’t, at least when her window of opportunity opened, she blasted through it, before it closed.
We could run down a list of names for you but like the most beautiful girl in the high school room, everyone is watching one player in particular.
Sometimes out of the corner of their eye.
Sometimes when standing in a crowd, while she can’t see them.
Some with skepticism.
But, they are watching. Make no mistake about it.
While others are taking care of their business.
Like the world’s number one, Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
She has advanced into the third round. As expected.
America’s Danielle Collins needed to win a grueling tie breaker in the third set against Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova.
She took care of business.
Finally.
She did it while most eyes are on someone else. Who?
America’s Jessica Pegula.
In case you haven’t noticed, she is now the world’s number three and America’s highest ranked female tennis player.
Why are all eyes on Jessica?
Because after over a decade of toiling in the lower ranks, in the last two years, she has clearly begun to make her move.
Time for some basics.
Jessica has a career-high WTA rankings in singles and doubles of world No. 3, both achieved on October 24, 2022. She has won two singles 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.
Four times. Understand?
Four times she has been knocked out of the Slams in the quarters.
Why can’t she make into a semi?
Or a final?
Or hoist the championship trophy?
On August 30, 2011, Jessica was granted a wildcard into the main draw of the US Open doubles tournament where she was paired with Taylor Townsend.
Stated another way, Jessica has been at the major leagues for over 11 years.
We didn’t stutter.
Eleven years.
She not a burning hot rookie like Emma Raducanu was in 2021 when she won the US Open, beginning her run in the laborious qualifiers.
Jessica finally broke into the top 60 in 2020 and began to make her move.
Then in 2021, she made it into the top 20.
We wondered if her ascent was slow because, respectfully speaking, she was born with a blue blood spoon in her mouth.
The color of the NFL Buffalo Bills is blue.
Jennifer’s father is the owner.
From the outside looking in, it appeared that she had it all, already.
She’s young and beautiful, incredibly wealthy, a successful business woman with a loving family.
How many people do you personally know like that?
In our circle, we don’t know any. We are from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Older millionaires, yes. One in their twenties, no.
So, we wondered, with those blue blood credentials, how hungry could she be?
Maybe that’s why she hit a ceiling.
It is well noted that the world’s most famous sisters, Venus and Serena came from an economically challenged neighborhood.
Maria Sharapova is from Russia.
Monica Seles was born in Serbia.
We could go on, but we sense, emanating from certain circumstances can make you hungrier than most.
We always wondered, how hungry is Jessica?
So, here we are. Right now and as the old Romans would say, she’s not toiling in the provinces any more.
She’s made it to Rome.
On the world’s biggest tennis stage.
In front of the emperor.
Finally.
What is she going to do with it?
Flame out in the quarters again. For the fifth time?
Or finally break through.
In a recent television interview, the legendary Chris Evert, who won 18 major singles titles, including a record seven French Open titles and a joint-record six US Open titles, tied with another legend in Serena Williams for that last honor and was ranked world No. 1 for 260 weeks, has this to say about Jessica if she wants to break through and win a Grand Slam.
She needs to take more risks.
Understood.
May we humbly add to that?
Jessica needs more power.
In the first round against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, she had two aces.
In the second round against, the Belarus star Aliaksandra Sasnovich, she had three aces.
To place that in perspective, at the 2012 Wimbledon Grand Slam, Serena Williams struck 24 aces during her 6-3, 7-6 semifinal win over Victoria Azarenka and eventually won her 14th major title.
Power wins titles.
Power when needed and a steady style of play, like Jessica’s, can win you many titles.
We’re not so sure that Jessica, who at times appears to be from the Caroline Wozniacki school of thought, which is to play a lot of tournaments and play steady, which will get your rankings up higher, is of the take more risks mind set.
It worked for Caroline who was a professional for 15 years.
She reached the 4th round at Wimbledon six times.
How many Grand Slams did she win?
One.
In tennis, as in life, it all depends on what you want.
How can Jessica get more power? We’re certain her team can help her with that, if they see that as a focus.
Right now, it would be great to see Jessica break through and win this 2023 Australian Open.
Jessica may never get another chance like this one.
The world’s number two, Ons Jabeur just got knocked out.
Serena Williams is not here.
Naomi Osaka is not here.
Ash Barty is not here.
Jessica has recently defeated Iga Swiatek.
She is very familiar with her sometimes doubles partner Coco Gauff.
When will it ever be better than this?
Is it finally time for Jessica to get past the quarter finals while other top players are taking care of business?
Yes, if she takes care of her own business.
Because, right now, she is the most beautiful high school girl in the room.
All eyes are on Jessica.
~ ~ ~
OPENING PHOTO Leonard-Zhukovsky-Shutterstock-photoFemcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Raducanu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evert
https://www.fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://www.fcielitecompetitor.com/
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
