There is a very real worry that the sport of tennis will never “recover” from the retirements of their greatest generation. Roger Federer and Serena Williams retired within a month of each other last year, Rafael Nadal will retire next year and suddenly, Novak Djokovic looks vulnerable rather than unbeatable. Carlos Alcaraz became the first teenager to get to #1 in decades and the youths are coming. So, what’s the problem? The younger players on the come up haven’t proven themselves on or off the court and there’s a real fear that these names (other than Carlos) aren’t moving ticket sales or viewership. Serena’s retirement has left a huge, gaping hole in American tennis specifically, which might explain why Vanity Fair is trying to hype the “emerging” Americans ahead of the US Open. You can see the full VF portfolio here.
Here’s my thing – while I agree that a lot of these American players should absolutely get all the hype, I feel like VF sort of shoots itself in the foot by calling every single one of these players “emerging” simply because they haven’t won a Slam. Jessica Pegula has been top ten in singles and doubles for a few years AND she’s 29 years old. Madison Keys has made a Slam final and she’s 28 years old. They’re not emerging – they’re veterans of the tour, and both of them have been around and going up and down the rankings for the past decade. And that’s exciting too! While I enjoy watching younger players and how they handle their nerves and “the moment,” it’s also interesting to watch these veterans of the tour manage themselves and figure it out on court. They’ve also got 30-year-old Shelby Rogers here! I mean…?? This part of the VF piece was also too funny:
After decades of hand-wringing about who would take up the mantle, their heirs are now coming into their own. The current field of American pro tennis players is the most exciting, talented, and varied we’ve seen in decades—men and women alike. Both tours’ deep benches are dominating the sport’s competitions, and the global sport closest to paying men and women equally for their efforts is benefiting doubly for it.
But easily my favorite part about this new crop is their swagger. Their lack of baggage. Their feeling that American tennis history is just that—history. And their determination to write themselves into it. Behind the scenes at the French Open in Paris, VF surveyed the rising stars of American tennis as they headed into another spectacular season.
After a disappointing wave of one-dimensional American players—especially men who lacked elite skills beyond a serve and a forehand—we’ve suddenly got a crop of credible contenders who represent just about every pathway to professionalism, from Shelby Rogers’s homeschooling to Keys’s academy bona fides, to Michael Mmoh’s journey from prodigy to top 100. You want grit? You got it. You want the kind of flair historically associated with the European grass-and clay-court specialists? Coming right up.
“After a disappointing wave of one-dimensional American players—especially men who lacked elite skills beyond a serve and a forehand…” Harsh but true – the American men have sucked for much of the past twenty years, minus Andy Roddick. It’s also true that the crop of twenty-something American men are definitely more interesting. But none of them have made a Slam final. Tommy Paul did make the Australian Open semifinal this year, and last year, Frances Tiafoe took out an injured Rafa Nadal and made it to the semis of the US Open. Plus, Taylor Fritz won Indian Wells last year and made it into the top ten. Which is a big deal, except he doesn’t do much of anything in Slams. What’s also funny is that with all of this hype… my guess is that the next American to have some kind of dream run probably wasn’t even included in this portfolio! That’s how all-over-the-place tennis is these days.
As for my faves… well, I have no faves for these photos, the editorial is too moody and weird. But for the sport, I’m always rooting for Big Foe (Frances Tiafoe), Danielle Collins, J-Peg, Coco Gauff and I throw some nominal support to guys like Sebastian Korda, Maxime Cressy and Ben Shelton. The thing which is always lurking with the American men is “how MAGA are these guys?” The answer is usually “very.”
The current field of American pro tennis players is the most exciting, talented, and varied we’ve seen in decades—men and women alike.
On the eve of the US Open, VF takes a closer look at the emerging talents of American tennis.
🔗: https://t.co/bsaW9EHO2K pic.twitter.com/g45yfKShhA
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 15, 2023
The new crop of American pro tennis players are writing themselves into sports history—they’re alchemists, blending the best of what has come before and sloughing off expectations that have burdened past generations.
At the French Open in Paris, VF surveyed the rising stars of… pic.twitter.com/5xy4aYHfRm
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 15, 2023
Photos courtesy of Vanity Fair.
The MAGA point is interesting. Is it to do with who gets to play tennis/get spotted? I’m imagining country clubs but I may be very wrong!
The ’emerging’ language is a bit frustrating, I get they have picked their narrative for the story but they’re stretching that term to its limits.
Combination of the amount of money and type of parent it takes to push a talented kid to the elite levels of sport. Including the willingness to play the behind the scenes gossipy/corrupt side of the game.
Why didn’t they cover Taylor Fritz? He’s established because he’s won more? He’s the most exciting US player besides Tiafoe. And the editorial is so moody and dark. Pfft.
I think Fritz was simply unavailable when the photoshoot was happening?
Did the USTA pay for this feature?
Wouldn’t surprise me if some of the big name sponsors of the US Open who also advertise in Vanity Fair were made happy. But the idea for the piece could have come from either direction. VF may have had the idea (a tennis fan on staff?) and then let the advertisers know about it.
So this and the whole US Open ad campaign leads me to believe the following: all the well known greats have either retired or are heading that way except Novak and everyone hates him.
Tennis leadership wants to focus on newer stars but besides Osaka, whose on mat leave, none of them are as dominant in consistently winning as the old greats or as well known. Even my up and coming faves like Coco Gauff. There’s maybe Alcaraz but no one else is bringing the same level of engagement online or in the press like the Williams sisters, Federer, Nadal. Even lower level but still all time folks like Sir Andy. Big tennis is scared that the big star well is going dry.
I was at the finals of the Mubadala Citi Open in DC where Coco won the women’s final, and she was amazing and it was so great! Perhaps it was because of the weather, but half the stadium left after she won, not bothering to stay for the men’s, which I thought was interesting
I wouldn’t have stayed for Dan Evans either, but that’s cool about seeing Coco!
It was so great Coco won in DC after not making it past the 1st round at Wimbledon! She looked great at the Mubadala. Can’t wait to see how she does at the US Open!
Aww.. poor John Isner. No respect. He’ll always have Wimbledon, I suppose. I love watching tennis, and the women are very entertaining lately. I hate it when Tennis Channel will leave a women’s match I’m invested in to make us all watch Alcaraz start to finish. While he’s obviously a very skilled player, I don’t find him terribly interesting. I wish they’d stop forcing a narrative on us. They don’t get to decide who the next beloved star is, it grows organically over time. I remember thinking Roger Federer was a petulant putz back in the beginning of his career.
This photo shoot is embarrassing. Almost everyone looks worse than they do on court. They aren’t meant to be models; why put them in such awkward photos?
Also, who cares what country anyone belongs to? You can be a fan based on the player’s TALENT or vibe, not on their country. That for me is the great thing about tennis — it is truly an international, individual sport. It isn’t tribal, like other sports. It has nothing to do with patriotism; it’s all of these different individuals mixing it up together. They aren’t meant to represent a country, just themselves. That’s it.
The USTA maybe wants to shove this all-American narrative down our throats, for their own reasons — which I get — but really most fans I know don’t give a crap what country a tennis player is from.
Those photos are terrible. What were they thinking?
Netflix has an “untold” series of sports docs that are really good at going past the rahrah/predictable sports journo narratives, or the ramp-up-the-sordid approach, and actually just finding out what exactly happened.
There’s one about a tennis player Andy Roddick trained with who had the same, maybe even more, potential and how US tennis kind of chewed him up. Something Fish was his name. Max fish?
Anyway all the “untolds” are good and my takeaway is that no child of mine is going into professional sports. You survive intense competition to “make it” only to be used and squeezed and used again by the whole sports/entertainment system.
Mardy Fish. He had some issues not related to tennis, I believe, and he did do well for a while. Very few could get anywhere in that era, unless they were named Federer or Nadal.
Shout out for Chris Eubanks, he made it to the quarter finals at Wimbledon beating Tsistipas along the way and narrowly losing to Medvedev! He’s American and his matches were great, he’s a good player with a bit of a fun side.
Every single one of these photos are freaking awful though, why make people who aren’t used to posing pose in such weird ways, wear such boring and terrible clothes and have poorly designed photos too? Way to ensure it’s gonna be rubbish quality all round.