Coco Gauff had a taste of her own advice when Emma Navarro beat her decisively in the round of sixteen at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. In the previous round they both beat their Ukrainian opponents, Elena Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, in practically identical three set matches, meaning they were close enough to feel good about getting through.
Tiafoe … is one of several American men very much in the running for the final this year.
Same here, 6-3. 4-6. 6-3; Miss Navarro was solid all the way, Miss Gauff surged in the second. But in the third she went haywire on service, with eleven of the nineteen double faults she made over the match, and her forehand, which had been holding up well, let her down.
It may not be the time to remind her she is only 20, but in fact what she said about the futility of stress over a victory lap is spot on, and for her daily Bible, no one I am sure needs to tell her, honestly she can start with Ps 1:1-2, solid advice, and go from there.
The crowd was disappointed; crowds have their favorites. New York tennis crowds are savvy, however, and it was clear from the slightly grudged applause that this one appreciated Miss Navarro’s intelligent game and calm, consistent execution. Miss Navarro was NCAA champion at U. Virginia, leaving after her sophomore year; which is not to say brainy girls are better off seeking intellectual and career opportunity other than in today’s institutions of higher education, but you might want to look into this.
Not that Miss Navarro need worry too much on that side, as she is a heiress, as is Jessica Pegula, who also advanced. What is noteworthy here as a subtext to excellent tennis all around is that it shows having rich parents need not spoil you; rich or poor, only hard work gets you anywhere, in love and career.
Parents evidently matter. The original girl superstar tennis player, Suzanne Lenglen, had a father who, once he grasped that she was exceptionally talented in sports, pushed her hard. He had made money in the public transport business, until he lost it, and she developed a chronic tendency to faint and become ill.
You can make of it what you will, she was the absolute top player, with American Bill Tilden (who had some old money) of the 1920s and revolutionized women’s tennis. In a way she anticipated Venus and Serena Williams, who also revolutionized women’s tennis and whose father also belonged to the you-can-make-it school.
Not to get too far off on this, Althea Gibson’s father too, come to think of it, was rather like this, in that he encouraged his prodigious little tomboy to go all out in whatever sport she liked, including, on the streets of the poor neighborhoods where they lived, stoop ball and stick ball.
The boisterous but generally well-mannered audience at Arthur Ashe Stadium was rewarded with a big win from Frances Tiafoe over Alexei Popyrin. The Australian had just beaten Novak Djokovic in a major upset, but Tiafoe had played the more demanding previous match, beating his friend and rival Ben Shelton in five very physical sets. Then again, what is more demanding, beating your friend or taking on the most accomplished, at least most successful — leave aside controversial qualifiers like greatest and best — player of the century?
Tiafoe, whose own work ethic coupled with infectious good nature is known to fans and rivals alike, is one of several American men very much in the running for the final this year, what with Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, recent champions, upset early. One of these Yank hopes, Tommy Paul, next runs into top seeded Jannik Sinner and California’s Taylor Fritz meets in-form Alexander Zverev, who in the round of sixteen beat the other Californian, Brandon Nakashima.
For now, another Coco favorite (we are sure), and apt today well beyond tennis, Prov. 28. We’ll have occasion to return to this.
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