Five takeaways from the Rolex Shanghai Masters

                                             (Credit: Rolex Shanghai Masters) 

The Rolex Shanghai Masters (上海大师赛) an ATP 1000 event, recently wrapped up in Shanghai, China. Qualifier Valentin Vacherot defeated Arthur Rinderknech in the final 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to win his first career title. Vacherot is now ranked No. 40 in the world as a result. Click here to check out the draw. Below are five takeaways I have from the event. 

#1. Valentin Vacherot came to play: En route to his first career title, Valentin Vacherot defeated (4) Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals. He also defeated (10) Holger Rune 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. To beat that kind caliber of talent and be a qualifier is mighty impressive. Vacherot showed a lot of resiliency to overcome first set losses in order to win the tournament. He was even two points away from not getting out of the qualifiers, but he found a way to escape. Click here to read more about that. It'll be fun to see how the rest of the season goes for Vacherot and whether or not he can make some noise at the Australian Open come January. 

#2. Novak Djokovic is fading: Ideally, with Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing and Jannik Sinner retiring in the round of 64, this is a tournament Novak Djokovic should have won. This was all teed up for Djokovic and instead he fell short. This tournament was a sad reminder that the days of Djokovic being at the top of the sport are behind him and it's now just about playing for the love of the game. 

#3. Without Sinner and Alcaraz, there is parity: Right now, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the clear top two players in the world. What this tournament showed is that when you take those guys out of the equation, anybody can win. It really is a Sinner/Alcaraz vs. the field situation in men's tennis right now. In earlier eras, one of the other top five or even top ten guys would have found a way to win this tournament. But right now, the gap between the rest of the top ten and the rest of the field is narrow enough that a lot of upsets are bound to happen. Which I think makes for a more interesting sport. 

#4. Daniil Medvedev is bouncing back: Daniil Medvedev had a strong performance, reaching the semifinals before losing to Rinderknech 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Medvedev came in as the (16) seed in the tournament and defeated (7) Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, which was a nice win for him. He is now ranked No. 14 in the world. In this era of increased parity, a window is opening for Medvedev to make some deep runs at these bigger tournaments. Can he capitalize? That's the question. 

#5. Learner Tien is on the rise: Learner Tien had a strong tournament, reaching the Round of 16 before losing to Medvedev 6-7, 7-6, 4-6. Tien nearly reached the quarterfinals, bouncing back from a disappointing 1st round exit at the US Open. At just 19 years of age, the future is bright for Tien and this tournament was a reminder of that. I look forward to seeing how he finishes out the season. 

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Eight takeaways from the 2025 China Open

 

                                                       (Credit: ChinaOpen.com) 

Earlier this month, the China Open (中国网球公开赛) in Beijing (北京) concluded. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner won the men's singles title, defeating Learner Tien in the final 6-2, 6-2. World No. 4 Amanda Anisimova won the women's singles title, defeating Linda Noskova in the final 6-0, 2-6, 6-2. It is an ATP 500 event and a WTA 1000 event, so it is more important on the women's side than on the men's side. Given the number eight (八) is a lucky number in Chinese culture, I thought it would be fun to take a look at eight takeaways from the event. Ok, let's get after it. 我们开始吧! 

#1. Jannik Sinner can be pushed, but he'll find another gear: Jannik Sinner had a strong tournament overall given that he won the event. That said, he was taken to three sets a couple of times. In the second round, Sinner defeated qualifier Térence Atmane 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 and then in the semifinals, Sinner defeated world No. 7 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. If you are the rest of the ATP Tour looking for a glimmer of hope, you should be encouraged to see a couple of different guys, especially a qualifier take a set off Sinner. At the same time, you have to be pretty discouraged to see him respond emphatically in the third set, not allowing either Atmane or de Minaur to have much life. This tournament was another reminder that as of now, only Carlos Alcaraz is capable of beating Sinner when he's playing at his best. 

#2. Amanda Anisimova can hang with the best in the world: Amanda Anisimova came out on top while also having world No. 3 Coco Gauff and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the field. Anisimova crushed Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals while also defeating world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Anisimova should take a lot of confidence from this tournament, especially after reaching the US Open final last month. It'll be interesting to see how the reset of the Asian swing goes for Anisimova with the Australian Open capping it all off in January. 

#3. Alexander Zverev continues to disappoint: Alexander Zverev is ranked No. 3 in the world and came into the tournament as the number two seed. Despite that, he flamed out in the quarterfinals, losing in straight sets to world No. 18 Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6. I know this wasn't a grand slam event, but after the way he flamed out in the 3rd round of the US Open this year, it sure seems like Zverev is trending in the wrong direction. If he wants to find success at the Australian Open next year, he better pick things up during the Asian swing of the season. 

#4. Zheng Qinwen needs to rest her elbow: Hubei native and world No. 10 Zheng Qinwen wanted to give it a go as China's top ranked player, but her elbow ended up doing her in as she retired in the third set against Linda Noskova 4-6, 6-3, 0-3. 

"I know already in the second set I couldn't push more," Zheng said after the match. "Maybe I can play the first set, but to arrive at the third set is too much for my elbow. I believe with time it is going to be better." 

It was a disappointing result for Zheng, but given her injury, she shouldn't feel bad about not being able to finish. This really should be a reminder to her that she needs to give her elbow more time to heal and not force anything. The last thing she wants to have happen is for his to linger into the Australian Open. 

#5. Learner Tien balled out: Even though he came up short, Learner Tien had a fantastic tournament, defeating world No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 6-3, 3-0, ret. in the quarterfinals and then Medvedev 5-7, 7-5, 4-0 ret. in the semifinals. Tien is currently ranked No. 36 in the world and just on the cusp of being a seeded player at a grand slam. The highest he's ever been ranked. If can keep up this level of tennis down the stretch of the season, he should be well positioned to get a top 32 seed at the Australian Open. 

#6. Jessica Pegula found a nice groove: World No. 6 Jessica Pegula had a nice tournament, reaching the semifinals before falling to Noskova 3-6, 6-1, 6-7. Pegula was really close to winning this tournament and should be feeling confident with how she is playing. She's never gotten past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but with how she's playing, she has to feel confident that in 2026, that trend could change for the better. 

#7. Alex de Minaur should be feeling good: Currently ranked No. 7 in the world, Alex de Minaur on the whole should be feeling good about how the tournament went for him. He pushed Sinner to a third set in the semifinals and also pulled out a gritty 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 victory over lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech in the second round. Given he's an Aussie, he's going to have home court advantage at the Australian Open in January. If he can keep building momentum, maybe he makes a deep run at his home country's grand slam. He reached the quarterfinals last year. 

#8. Naomi Osaka needs to build her stamina back up: Ranked No. 14 in the world, Naomi Osaka is returning to her old form as she reached the semifinals of the US Open last month. However, she had a bit of a setback in Beijing as she lost in the second round to qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 4-6, 2-6. As she continues to get back to her old self, Osaka is going to need to build up that consistency again. I'm confident that she'll get there, but this tournament was a reminder that she has more work to do. 

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Brad Gilbert inducted into Foothill College Hall of Fame

 

                                                       (Credit: Ben Parker/ATPGuy.com) 

On Saturday, tennis legend Brad Gilbert was inducted into the Foothill College Hall of Fame. This was the first year Foothill had a Hall of Fame ceremony, so it was really neat for Gilbert to be a part of the school's first ever Hall of Fame class. As a fellow Foothill alum (Spring 2012, Music) and sportswriter, I jumped at the chance to attend. It was fun for me to walk around a campus that I spent three years at. Foothill had a profound impact on me as it helped prepare me for my time at UC Berkeley, where I graduated with a degree in Philosophy (Fall 2014). Special shout out to Dr. Robert Hartwell, Brian Tapia, Brian Lewis, and the entire Foothill College Gospel Choir! 

During his pre-recorded video presentation and subsequent live speech, Gilbert acknowledged the impact that his coach at Foothill Tom Chivington had on his career. Without the coaching he got from Chivington, Gilbert said he wouldn't have had the success he had both as a player and as a coach. Under Chivington's coaching, Gilbert won the California Junior College Singles Championship and the U.S. Amateur Hardcourt Championship before transferring to Pepperdine. Gilbert had a stellar career at Pepperdine as well, reaching the singles final of the 1982 NCAA championship, where he lost to Mike Leach of Michigan 5-7, 3-6. 

"I landed at Foothill College on January 2nd, 1980 as a young eighteen year old not knowing a lot about the great institution of Foothill College or our coach Tom Chivington," Gilbert said in the video portion of his remarks. "It would only take me a few days to discover the magic of Foothill College. Go Owls! And the legendary coach Tom Chivington. I feel like in a very short period of time, my life became a lot clearer in what I was doing and where I was going. I'm forever grateful for the time that I had at Foothill College. 

"Amazingly, in 60+ years, Foothill College has only had three tennis coaches from the legendary Dick Gould who started the program to Tom Chivington who was there for well over 30 years to Dixie Macias, who is there now and was my assistant coach in 1980 and '81. It is such a great place. I really feel like those two years that I was at Foothill paved the way for everything that I did in my tennis career and my coach Tom Chivington was there with me my entire time. I wish we were going in the Hall of Fame together, but I'm so grateful to the Foothill family for allowing me to be there for those couple of years and to all my friends who I text always, I always say 'Go Owls!'" 

After his collegiate career, Gilbert had success on the ATP Tour, winning 20 career singles titles, the bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, and getting ranked as high as No. 4 in the world on January 1st, 1990. Gilbert reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1990 and the quarterfinals of the US Open in 1987. He didn't have as much success at the other two grand slams, reaching the 4th round of the Australian Open in 1984 and the 3rd round of the French Open in 1993. Gilbert did find success at the ATP Tour Finals, reaching the semifinals in 1987 and reaching the final of the Grand Slam Cup in 1990, which was a tournament that was similar in model to the ATP Tour Finals, inviting players who had performed the best in grand slams during the year. 

What made Gilbert's playing career so impressive is the fact that he wasn't the most physically gifted player on tour. He had to work harder than others to achieve success and dive deeper into the mental side of the game, which is the theme of his famous book Winning Ugly.  I always tried to employ some of his tactics in my own tennis matches in high school and on the Nike Junior Tennis Tour. A must read if you are into tennis! 

After his playing days were over, Gilbert gained even more fame for coaching Andre Agassi, who won six of his eight grand slams with Gilbert as his coach. Gilbert also coached Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori, and Coco Gauff. Known for his mastery of the mental side of the game, his coaching career has truly spanned multiple generations. In addition to being an amazing coach, Gilbert has also acclaimed fame for being one of the top analysts in tennis as a member of ESPN's star-studded lineup that also includes John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Mary Joe Fernandez, Chris Evert, Pam Shriver, and Chris Fowler. 

Going back to his Hall of Fame induction at Foothill College, it's always neat to see people give back to their roots and never forget where they got started. While Gilbert went onto achieve incredible success at the professional ranks as a player, coach, and analyst, he never forgot where it all started. 

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Gaël Monfils to retire after 2026 season

 

                          

                                             (Credit: Julien Crosnier/FFT) 

Earlier this week, French tennis star Gaël Monfils announced on social media that he will retire after the 2026 season. Monfils made the following statement: 

"I held a racket in my hands for the first time at two and a half, and began playing professionally at 18. Now, after celebrating my 39th birthday just a month ago, I’d like to share that the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player.

"The opportunity to turn my passion into a profession is a privilege I have cherished during every match and moment of my 21-year career. Though this game means the world to me, I am tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season.

"Mostly, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. I’d like to express it to so many people:

"To my wife, Elina: my love, inspiration, and strength – and an exceptional player in her own right. To my daughter Skai: for the profound love, meaning, and joy she has added to my days. To my brother Daryl and my sisters Roddie and Maelie, for lifting me up during tough times and helping me celebrate the good ones. 

"To my best friends and loved ones, whose faces in the stands have always given me courage when it counted the most. To my longtime agent Nicolas, whose support and friendship helped me reach the highest highs and ride out the lowest lows. 

"To my coaches and team members over the years, who believed in a lanky kid from Paris and who have helped nurture my talent in ways I could never have imagined. To every person who ever cheered or shouted ‘Allez Gaël!’ in real life or at a TV screen: your energy and love are truly everything to me. To the French Tennis Federation for their unwavering support since Day One. 

"To Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, and Richard Gasquet, my three musketeers and best friends for life. And most of all, to my parents: because all of this would have been impossible — unthinkable, even — without them. Papa, Maman, look how far we’ve come.

"While I came close, I never did win a Grand Slam during my career. I won’t pretend that I expect to do so during the next year. ‘You could have, you should have…’ As those who know me can attest, I’ve never thought this way, and frankly I’m far too old to start doing so now. Life is too short. Believe me when I say that I have no regrets.

"What I do have is the feeling that I have been lucky: insanely, stupidly lucky. I’ve had the chance to play during a golden age of tennis, alongside some of the greatest names in the history of our sport: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray. Even losing feels epic when you’re facing a legend.

"Looking ahead, I have only one goal: to enjoy every minute, and to play each match like it’s my last."

Monfils got ranked as high as No. 6 in the world in November of 2016 and for a little while was knocking on the door to win a grand slam, reaching the semifinals of the French Open in 2008 and the semifinals of the US Open in 2016. He also reached the quarterfinals twice at the Australian Open in 2016 and 2022. Only Wimbledon has he never figured out, reaching the 4th round just the once in 2018. 

While he was never able to win a grand slam, Monfils still had a strong career. For many years, he was in the mix and was always a crowd favorite. He plays the game with a lot of flair and passion, which you can't help but love if you enjoy the sport. I feel like he's been especially fun to watch on clay given his length and sliding. There are so many difficult balls he has gotten to over the course of his career. 

I think what's most amazing is that at 39 years of age, Monfils is currently ranked No. 48 in the world. He became the oldest ATP Tour singles champion earlier this year at 38 years and 132 days old when he won the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. On top of that, he reached the 4th round at the Australian Open earlier this year as well. The fact that he's playing as well as he is at his age speaks to the dedication he has to his craft. Few players are able to compete at such a high level so late in life. His longevity more than anything else is something he should be proud of. 

Looking ahead to 2026, it'll be fun to see how Monfils does in his final season on tour. Given how he did at the Australian Open this year, there's a chance he makes his way into the second week of a grand slam at least once. Of course, the tournament where there will be the most buzz is the French Open. If he can find a way to make the 4th round in Paris next year, you know the place will be bursting with excitement. 

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10 takeaways from the 2025 US Open

 

               (Carlos Alcaraz & Aryna Sabalenka with their trophies. Credit: WTA Photo) 

The 2025 US Open is now in the rearview mirror, which means it is time for me to write my 10 takeaways from the two weeks that were in New York City. Alrighty, let's dive in! 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz re-established himself as No. 1: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the final 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The two of them are the clear top two players in the world, jockeying for position. By winning the US Open, Alcaraz reclaimed the number one spot in the world. Alcaraz hadn't won the US Open since 2022, so it was huge for him to get back in the winner's circle at this event. On the year, they are 2-2 against each other in grand slam finals. Alcaraz also winning the French Open while Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon. It'll be interesting to see which one of those two will end the year ranked number one. For now, Alcaraz has the inside track. 

#2. Aryna Sabalenka re-establishes herself as No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova in the final 6-3, 7-6. As a result, Sabalenka has a strong grip on the world number one spot having won Wimbledon earlier this year. Sabalenka has been the top hard court player in the world and this year's US Open reaffirmed that. She was fantastic all tournament long only dropping one set against Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. It'll be fun to see if Sabalenka can go the distance at the Australian Open. While she's won the Australian Open and US Open in the same year before, he's never followed a US Open win with an Australian Open title. So that's something for her to shoot for. 

#3. Sinner and Alcaraz are the clear top two players in the world: As I mentioned, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner went 2-2 against each other in grand slam finals this year. While they are going back and forth between who has the world number one ranking, one thing that is clear is that they are the top two players in the world. They're getting very little challenge from the rest of the tour. Given how young they are (Alcaraz 22 years old; Sinner 24 years old), it's hard to see that changing any time soon. 

#4. Amanda Anisimova is knocking on the door: Amanda Anisimova followed up her run to the Wimbledon final with a run to the US Open final. At just 24 years of age, her time certainly seems to be coming. She had a great tournament in New York and as a result is now ranked No. 4 in the world. It'll be fun to see how the rest of the season goes for her and whether or not she'll be able to break through to win her first grand slam in 2026. 

#5. Felix Auger-Aliassime continues to have US Open success: Felix Auger-Aliassime had a strong US Open, reaching the semifinals for the second time of his career (2021). Auger-Aliassime hasn't reached the semifinals at any other grand slam before, so the US Open really is his best tournament. I guess the combination of hard court and proximity to Canada gives him an advantage. He started out the tournament seeded No. 25 and is now ranked No. 13 in the world. It'll be fun to see if he can make some noise at the Australian Open and build on the success he had in New York. 

#6. Naomi Osaka had a renaissance: Naomi Osaka had a fantastic tournament, reaching the semifinals where she lost to Amanda Anisimova 7-6, 6-7, 3-6. It was her first trip to the semifinals of a grand slam since winning the Australian Open in 2021. This was truly a renaissance tournament for Osaka as she played the best she's played in a good while. At 27 years of age, Osaka still has plenty of tennis ahead of her. It'll be fun to see if this strong US Open performance will propel her to a strong 2026 season. 

#7. Novak Djokovic is still elite, but no longer on top: Novak Djokovic fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals 4-6, 6-7, 2-6. Ranked No. 4 in the world, Djokovic is still an elite player, but as I wrote above, it's clear that Alcaraz and Sinner are the clear number two guys. Djokovic at this point is playing for the love of the game. How long will that last given the demands of playing on tour? That's a question only he can answer, but I for one hope he plays at least a couple more seasons. 

#8. Jessica Pegula keeps knocking on the door: Jessica Pegula had a nice run to the semifinals, falling to Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 3-6, 4-6. This was the second trip to the semifinals that Pegula has had at the US Open, reaching the final in 2024. Pegula hasn't reached the semifinals at any other grand slam, but the US Open is where she plays her best tennis. Whether or not she can put it together at other grand slams remains to be seen, but the US Open she clearly has developed a lot of comfort at. 

#9. Taylor Fritz was unable to get back to the final: After reaching the final in 2024, Taylor Fritz was unable to get back to the final in 2025. Fritz fell to Novak Djokovic in four sets in the quarterfinals: 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 4-6. Given he's the top ranked American man, now No. 5 in the world, it's a bummer for Fritz that he couldn't make a deeper run. Hopefully for him, he'll be able to make more noise next year and also do more to knock Sinner and Alcaraz off their perch. If he can't do it, it's fair to wonder who can. 

#10. Iga Swiatek was unable to win a second US Open: Iga Swiatek fell to Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals 4-6, 3-6, failing to win her second US Open title after winning it in 2022.  Clay has been her best surface by far with four French Open titles and then she finally broke through on grass this year at Wimbledon. At just 24 years of age, she's got plenty of time to win more US Opens and complete the career grand slam with an Australian Open title still needed. It'll be interesting to see if she can get more consistent on the hard court. If she does, given her clay abilities, she's got a chance to really dominate the WTA Tour. 

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Carlos Alcaraz wins second US Open title

 

                                              (Credit: Getty Images) 

On Sunday, September 7th, Carlos Alcaraz reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking after defeating Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the men's singles final at the US Open. It is the second US Open title for Alcaraz and 6th grand slam title. He's won the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open two times each, still seeking that first Australian Open title. A bit odd to need the Australian to finish up the career slam, but that's a topic for another day. 

Throughout the entire tournament, Alcaraz played fantastic, not dropping a set until the final. He defeated No. 7 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 in the semifinals and shredded No. 20 Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. It was a dominant two weeks of tennis from Alcaraz as nobody (including Sinner) really pushed him. 

Where Alcaraz truly shined was on his serve. He was second in the tournament in percentage of first serve points won at 84%, winning 287 of 342 first serve points. A much larger sample size than first place Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who won 85% of his first serve points in the lone match that he played. As for his second serve, Alcaraz was equally outstanding, leading the tournament in percentage of second serves won with 63% (130 of 205). When you are controlling your serve at that level of consistency, you're going to be really difficult to stop. 

What also needs to be underscored about the way Alcaraz was serving is he wasn't accumulating a ton of aces. He had 48 for the entire tournament, which ranked 12th, but when you consider he played in seven matches, his aces per match were much lower than the others that were atop that list. It's a reminder that good serving isn't always about getting the ace or having the most power. It's about being able to put yourself in position to dictate the point. That's where his service game excels. 

On top of the stellar serving, Alcaraz was simply the best all-around player for the tournament. His movement is phenomenal, he can beat you from the baseline, he can beat you at the net, etc. There's really no weakness to his game, which is why he's the number one ranked player in the world. 

Looking ahead, in addition to seeing if he'll finish the season ranked number one, it'll be interesting to see if Alcaraz will be able to break through and win his first Australian Open in January. Sinner will almost certainly be on the opposite side of the net should he reach the final. 

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Aryna Sabalenka defends her US Open title

 

                                                   (Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters) 

On Saturday, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated No. 8 Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 in the women's singles final to win the US Open for the second straight year. It is Sabalenka's fourth grand slam title overall and her second US Open title. Her other two grand slam titles have come at the Australian Open in 2023 & 2024, so she's quickly establishing herself as the top hard court player in the world. 

Sabalenka had an amazing two weeks of tennis in New York, only dropping one set the entire way (4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals vs. No. 4 Jessica Pegula). She was also aided by a walkover victory over Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals, so she really cruised to this title. That isn't to say she didn't get challenged at all. In four of her matches, she had a set that she had to win with the 7th game, three of which went to a tiebreaker. But still, the reality is she showed why she is the top player in the world, especially on hard court. 

While her 25 aces weren't the most in the tournament (Naomi Osaka crushed that stat with 43), Sabalenka really dominated with her second serve, ranking 6th in the tournament in second serve win percentage (55%). She also had a large sample size with 162 second serve points, winning 89 of them. The old saying you're only as good as your second serve rang true with Sabalenka. She was rock solid in that department. 

The other thing Sabalenka did a great job of was finding ways to win in crunch time. She was 3-0 in tiebreakers, winning all three by a collective score of 21-9. She was dominant in those tiebreakers, shutting the door and not allowing her opponents to have any life. That speaks to her mental strength and fortitude. 

For Sabalenka, this was a huge tournament for her to win given she didn't win the Australian Open this year. Hard court is her bread and butter and so to come out on top in the final hard court slam of the year has to feel good. While she still needs to figure out how to win grand slams on clay and grass, if she can get the hard court slams on lock down, she should be able to have an iron clad grip on the world number one ranking for the foreseeable future. 

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