The tennis season has already seen four distinct champions emerge from the first Grand Slam and four WTA 1000 tournaments. A remarkable indicator of the depth on the Hologic WTA Tour is that the only player to win more than one of these prestigious events is the 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Madison Keys, who claimed the first major title of the season in Melbourne, commented in Rome that both the men`s and women`s tours are increasingly featuring about 20 players who could realistically win any given tournament. She attributed this phenomenon partly to the retirement of legendary figures like Serena Williams on the women`s side, and Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic on the men`s. However, Keys also stressed that the baseline skill level across the tour has risen significantly, shrinking the margin for error. This competitive intensity results in much closer matches and more unpredictable outcomes when players are performing well.
Recent results highlight this shifting landscape. In the past month, Jessica Pegula triumphed on the green clay of Charleston, while Jelena Ostapenko defeated the World No. 1 and No. 2 players on her way to winning in Stuttgart. Naomi Osaka secured her first career clay court title at the WTA 25 event in Saint Malo, France. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is still seeking her first title since her victory at Roland Garros nearly a year ago.
Keys further elaborated on the general improvement in player quality, pointing to the increased physicality of the sport. She believes this is partly due to players investing heavily in their careers, utilizing resources like physiotherapists and fitness trainers. This trend is leading to more athletes becoming faster and stronger while also managing to stay healthy for longer periods.
Tuesday in Rome was Media Day, where some of the top players spoke with journalists. Here are some of the key takeaways:
Sabalenka Celebrates 27
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka`s 27th birthday coincided with Cinco de Mayo. Although it wasn`t a complete day off, she had tennis and fitness training in the morning. However, her team ensured the latter part of the day was dedicated to celebrating her recent Madrid victory and her birthday. Sabalenka described it as a beautiful and fun day, potentially her best birthday yet, noting it was much better than if she`d had to play a late match. She received numerous balloons and flowers from brands and friends, plus a luxurious watch from her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis.
Local Knowledge with Conchita Martinez
Mirra Andreeva, who recently turned 18, is still seeking her first win in Rome after losing on her debut last year. She can draw on the expertise of her coach, Conchita Martinez, a four-time consecutive champion in Rome from 1993-96 with an impressive record at the event. Andreeva recently highlighted Martinez`s record on Instagram, expressing her hope that Martinez will share tips for success on the Roman clay. Andreeva mentioned they play Uno and have frequent conversations where Martinez provides advice on managing nerves and pressure, though Andreeva keeps the specifics confidential.
A Younger Peer Group for Gauff
Coco Gauff, born in 2004, is finding more contemporaries on tour with the rise of players like Mirra Andreeva, 19-year-old Alexandra Eala, and 21-year-old Diana Shnaider. Gauff commented that while age didn`t matter when she was younger, having more players her age now is beneficial. She found it challenging to make friends when she debuted at 15 because she was significantly younger than most players. Now, having peers provides more relatable conversations and makes her feel more comfortable on site compared to older players who are at different life stages, like getting married.
Madison Keys and the Clay Challenge
Clay courts can be particularly tricky for power hitters like Madison Keys, requiring adaptations to their natural game. Keys shared her experience, noting that some years she played too passively, trying to become a “clay-courter,” while in others she was too aggressive, treating it like a hard court. She feels she has found a better balance in the last couple of years, making only slight modifications while largely sticking to her core game. She added that, similar to other surfaces, the more matches you play on clay, the more comfortable you become.
Sabalenka Focused on the Moment
Although Aryna Sabalenka holds a substantial lead in the WTA rankings (over 4,000 points, with Iga Swiatek defending considerably more points in Rome and Paris), she admits she rarely considers this unless prompted by the media. Sabalenka stated she prefers to evaluate the season at its end. While acknowledging her accomplishments to date (“Wow, that’s a lot”), her approach is to focus on one step at a time, concentrating on each tournament and match without dwelling on past results. She concluded that the season has been “super nice” to her so far.
Rupert Caldwell