San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Tennis plays havoc on women’s competition
There’s an opening in women’s tennis. It’s not about some wild-card invitation or an enticing endorsement deal, but the pinnacle — a chance for someone to seize the world’s No. 1 ranking, savor it and fend off challengers with a fiery passion. Anyone ready? Anyone even interested?
Pardon the exaggeration, but there’s nothing frivolous about the physical and emotional toll being taken on the world’s greatest players, raising the question: What is it about this wonderful sport, enjoyed by so many on the recreational side, that dismantles a professional’s dreams?
On the surface, Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty have little in common. That covers their heritage, upbringing, style of play, on-court demeanor and relations with the public and media. But they are drawn together in reluctance, backing away from the sport at the peak of their powers, for reasons many find difficult to understand. For Osaka, who summoned the nerve to defeat Serena Williams in a tempestuous 2018 U.S. Open final and has spent 25 weeks as the world’s No. 1 player (now ranked 77th), recent experiences have brought little but torment, most recently at the Indian Wells event when she broke into tears on court after being heckled by a spectator.
A year older than Osaka, at 25, Barty announced her retirement Tuesday at an admirable stage of her career. She always spoke of Wimbledon as her “one true dream in tennis,” and she won that event last July. At a time when no Australian player had won that country’s Grand Slam tournament in 44 years, Barty pulled it off in January.
Australia's Ash Barty, shown in 2020, announced her retirement Tuesday at an admirable stage of her career.
If there’s any clarity to be gained from this discussion, forget any notion that tennis, as a sport, is damaging to one’s mental health. That won’t go over too well with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert or the Williams sisters, not to mention countless others on the men’s and women’s side. But the specter of burnout cannot be ignored, as we discovered with Justine Henin (also 25 and No. 1 when she retired in 2008), Bjorn Borg, Steffi Graf and all those lamentable cases in which dreadfully self-centered parenting overwhelmed a player’s youthful exuberance.
Moreover, we’re in a distinctly new era, with the overbearing presence of social media and a long-lasting pandemic that has left millions of people discouraged or depressed — or worse. Tennis is by nature defined by a solitary existence, both on the court and in traveling about the world. “Alone” sums it up pretty well, and the pandemic existence — with its quarantine restrictions and social lives dwindled — can be the very definition of loneliness.
These days, to claim “mental health” issues is to gain immediate and automatic sympathy, as if that thoroughly explains an athlete’s misfortune and there’s nothing else to consider. Peerless gymnast Simone Biles, who had to bail out of the Olympics with “head space” concerns, is a significant example; if anything, she is portrayed as being more heroic than ever before.
There are limits, though, to the public’s acceptance. Barty spoke not of tennis’ pitfalls but a well-rounded life yet to be explored. One of the most versatile athletes in the world, she has played world-class cricket and fashions a 3-handicap at her local golf club, despite only playing a few times a year. Her interviews reveal a confident, forthright woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s deep concern beyond the tennis people who will miss her shining presence and all-around game (by far the most clever on the women’s tour).
In the residue of all this reluctance, tennis awaits a female player who sees light through the darkness, finds the sport unrelentingly appealing, idolizes the likes of Serena or Martina and wants to take on the whole damned world. I don’t believe that person exists among today’s top players (way too much inconsistency), but I’m certain she’s out there, climbing the ladders of tennis youth. Her arrival will be most welcome.
A gem in waiting
Andre Iguodala has become something of an afterthought amid the Warriors’ whirlwind of roster decisions and immediate concerns, but the championship is a total longshot without his return at full strength. If indeed that happens, opponents will dread game-planning against his late-game defense, presence and experience, all of which immeasurably elevates the team’s performance. … It’s more convincing when you hear it from a former NBA player: Klay Thompson’s defense, Tom Tolbert said on KNBR the other day, “is nothing to what it was.” Thompson has the will power and determination to resurrect his all-league form, but can it happen this soon? … The arrogant fool, Kyrie Irving, was in the audience Thursday when New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an exemption for professional athletes and performers from its private-sector vaccine mandate, meaning that Irving (barring an alarming pandemic surge) will be able to play home games for the Brooklyn Nets, starting Sunday night at Barclays Center. Good for Adams, looking down at Irving and telling him directly, “You should get the vaccine.” It’s also the right move, considering that unvaccinated players (as is the case at Chase Center), have been allowed to play in New York for months. But it’s sad that this represents a victory for the anti-vax crowd, so well represented by Irving’s smug expression. … Irving’s stance may yet backfire. If the Nets find themselves in a play-in game at Toronto (entirely possible), Canada’s strict vaccination policy will rule him out.
Baseball insiders found it shocking that the Colorado Rockies handed Kris Bryant a seven-year deal after losing disgruntled stars Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story to other teams. Equally surprising, some felt, was that Bryant probably gave up any chance of playing in another World Series. “They must see something going on with their team and think they can compete,” a highly skeptical Arenado said from the Cardinals’ camp. Was he surprised to see Bryant choose Colorado? “Going from the Giants and Cubs (the 2016 champs) and stuff? Yeah.” ... Bryant defended himself, saying, “Colorado definitely fits my personality. It’s always been a favorite of me and my family. I take a lot of pride in the fact that I’ve never played on a losing team in the big leagues, and I don’t plan on doing that here.” … It hurts for the Giants to lose Bryant, as well as Japanese star Seiya Suzuki, who signed with the Cubs. Suzuki spent a lot of time analyzing the settings, not just the teams, and the eerily empty San Francisco is hardly the vibrant, exciting city it was before the pandemic. All hail the resurrection, whenever it may be.