Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com Editorial-credit-lev-radin-Shutterstock.com photo
January 17, 2024,
She wasn’t expected to win in the first round.
That is highly unusual for a player who once had an iron grip on the number one ranking.
Yet, when Naomi Osaka fell to the world number 19th ranked player in Caroline Garcia, in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open Grand Slam event, few were shocked. Even less, surprised.
Naomi recently had an extensive layoff due to motherhood and a pregnancy.
The global news leader CNN reported, “Osaka, a two-time champion in Melbourne, was competing in her first grand slam tournament in more than a year when she fell to Garcia 6-4 7-6(7-2) on Monday.”
It is hard to believe but, due in part to mental health concerns, Naomi has actually been away from tennis for more than 15 months.
How time flies.
How did she look upon her return?
Not as swift a foot as we remember her but the good news is that her shot making was still precise.
The giant sports leader ESPN added another observation, “The power that took Osaka to four Grand Slam titles before she took time off to have daughter Shai was still there, but it was always going to take Osaka, 26, time to rediscover her accuracy in clutch moments.”
This match was simply rust removal and since she plans on playing more tournaments, as the year progresses, we expect Naomi to greatly ascend.
It is so good to have her back and watch her play back into top form as 2024 progresses.
Another player that demonstrated nice form is Germany’s Ella Seidel.
In terms of surprises, perhaps, at only the tender age of 18, it is a surprise that Ella battled her way through the qualifiers to make her way into the first round.
What was not surprising was that she was soundly defeated in the first round 0-6, 1-6 by the world’s number two ranked player in powerful Aryna Sabalenka.
Ella has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 172 by the WTA, achieved on January 8, 2024.
That’s where winning in the qualifying rounds will get you. A higher ranking.
Her career-high doubles ranking of No. 291, was achieved on August 7, 2023.
We can’t say enough about we’ve written about current female tennis stars who toiled for years on the ITF (International Tennis Federation) before they even remotely made it into the first round of a Grand Slam. The ITF partners with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) to govern professional tennis.
Ella made her WTA main draw debut at the 2022 Hamburg European Open in the doubles draw partnering with Nastasja Schunk, winning her first round match against Elixane Lechemia and Sabrina Santamaria.
In singles, she made her main-draw debut as a wildcard at the 2023 Hamburg European Open.
Ella was born in Hamburg, Germany and attended the Sportgymnasium Alter Teichweg school there, where she was able to graduate high school two years early at the age of 17, allowing her to focus on her tennis career.
She also spent time training in Kühlungsborn, a Baltic Sea resort town that her parents owned a holiday home in.
A holiday home. Must be nice. Sounds like Ella has an exceptional support system.
We look forward to her ascension in 2024 as well.
With Sofia Kenin, who exited in the first round, in all fairness, to the number one player in the world in Iga Swiatek, it is still an early exit. Here is what Femcompetitor Magazine said about Sofia on September 3, 2020.
“She has steadily risen in the rankings and yet few seem to know how high or how far she has come, so fast.
America’s Sofia Kenin is currently ranked number 4 in the world.
That is ahead of fellow American mega stars and Grand Slam winners in Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens along with Grand Slam finalist Madison Keys.
Sofia Kenin is the reigning champion at the 2020 Australian Open and the youngest American to win a Grand Slam women’s singles title since Serena Williams in 1999.
She was named the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year in 2019, making her the first American to win the award also since Serena Williams in 1999.
Sofia has won five WTA singles titles in total. She has also won two WTA doubles titles, including the 2019 China Open at the Premier Mandatory level with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
As you can see, she has already built up quite a resume for herself.”
Certainly so.
That was then.
This is what is happening now.
On January 16, 2024, tennis.com posted, “Iga Swiatek passed the first test of her tricky 2024 Australian Open draw, edging past Sofia Kenin, 7-6 (2), 6-2 to reach the second round.”
That is now, and, at the Grand Slams, this is becoming a familiar movie.
The last time the former Australian Open champion made it to the fourth round, on the hard courts, was at the 2020 US Open.
Still, Sofia is moving up. There is still a lot of 2024 left.
Here is what the young super star did in 2023.
Following reaching her first singles final since 2020 at the 2023 San Diego Open as a wildcard where she lost to fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova, she moved 40 positions up close to the top 50.
At the 2023 Guadalajara Open Akron she reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2019, defeating sixth seed Jelena Ostapenko.
Next she defeated Leylah Fernandez to reach the semifinal, only her third in her career at a WTA 1000 level.
She lost to world No. 111 Caroline Dolehide in straight sets. As a result she moved more the 20 positions up into the top 35 to world No. 31 on September 25, 2023.
Following the 2023 China Open (tennis) she reached back the top 30 on October 9, 2023.
As of this January 16, 2024 writing, Sofia is ranked number 41.
Will she rise again?
We think so. We look forward to it.
So, it is the first round and there were some early exits. There always is.
Having said that, with the three stars above? We are certain of something.
The best is yet to come.
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OPENING PHOTO Editorial-credit-lev-radin-Shutterstock.com photo Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/15/sport/naomi-osaka-caroline-garcia-australian-open-spt-intl/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Seidel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Tennis_Federation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Kenin
https://www.fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://www.fcielitecompetitor.com/
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
