Halep’s grand chance to shine
WITH the Australian Open just over a week away, the world No 1 faces a race against time. And no, for once we are not talking about Rafael Nadal’s dodgy knees.
Instead, it is the top woman, Simona Halep, who has eight days left to snare a clothing sponsor. After her deal with Adidas expired at the end of 2017, Halep could face going into the year’s first grand slam with unbranded kit – a fate usually reserved for qualifiers and no-marks.
In light of this commercial mishap, we might be tempted to berate the Women’s Tennis Association for its haphazard leadership while also bemoaning the lack of marquee names and compelling rivalries in the game.
You hear these arguments all the time, especially from male reactionaries who claim that equal prize money is a swindle. As the blowhards love to point out, the men’s tour leads on every metric, from viewing figures to sponsorship revenues.
Yet, as the 2018 season cranks up, there is a sense – as there was when the Williams sisters first came on the scene two decades ago – that the worm might be turning. In each of the past three grand slams, the best stories were on the distaff side: Petra Kvitova’s comeback in Paris, Johanna Konta’s flowering in London and Maria Sharapova’s rehabilitation in New York. Expect more of the same this year.
The Big Four men are reaching the end of the road. Life after them will feel like Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, but a new women’s generation is emerging.
Near the top of the pile is Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, with the long neck and haughty expression of a figurehead on a ship’s prow.
Lower down, the 20-year-old Japanese Naomi Osaka delivers a huge serve, as well as selfdeprecating quips that make her a must-follow on social media.
Where in this picture is Serena Williams? It is rare to reach the eighth paragraph of an article about women’s tennis without having mentioned the S-word.
But hasn’t the tour been more vibrant since February, when Williams entered what Victorians would have called ‘her confinement’? For other players, it must feel as if a gigantic tree has been felled. Sunlight is now reaching the forest floor, undergrowth sprouting, flowers blooming.
The Australian Open has come too early for Williams, who only gave birth four months ago, but her return is sure to deliver new intrigue. A 36-year-old mother with dodgy knee cartilage is not something you often see on tour.
As Halep’s sponsorship crisis demonstrates, the wider tennis world views her as little more than a princess regent, keeping the throne warm for Williams.
This is unfair because Halep has many fine qualities, including freakish athleticism.
Still, while no-one might be ready to invest in Halep’s longterm prospects, women’s tennis itself looks a good buy right now. The stock is priced low, but it is on the up while the men, after the greatest decade in history, are surely headed for recession. Telegraph, London