WTA and ATP 2025 Finals: Rybakina’s dark-horse show
View(s):First of Riyadh, WTA yearend finals was sizzling. Rybakina’s win had combination of all court stroke making tactical fluency, speed and power. She made a statement to the world, I am here!
Elena Rybakina, Russian-Azerbaijani by nationality, nearly six feet in height played and won title WTA title undefeated. Two months before the event she was not in the qualifying top eight. She made it into the top eight with her success in Far-East events. Her ability was never in doubt, when and where was the question. Now it has happened.
Tennis in Riyadh showed refined skill and resilience of personality needed in all eight who qualified. WTA elites have carried the popularity tennis in recent years, very successfully. What we see now was the vision of WTA.
USA players shine
Two losing semi-finalists were from USA, Jessica Pegula was the oldest and Amanda Anisimova, a youngster. Matches had unwavering suspense with differences in players marginal. After all, they are the top eight of 2025 ranking that goes into thousands. These eight did exhibit tennis to be mind over matter tactically and skill of stroke making as the means. They had a magic portion, seen only in elites.
Aryna Sabalenka fought to the last and in the final lost to an emerging queen Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka will go down in history. What she is enduring is unimaginable. Rybakina achieved this feat without losing a match and walked away with five million US dollars. Rybakina has been a mixed baggage on court and in life. At the prize distribution, she exhibited her dissatisfaction with WTA executive refusing photographed with one. She is 26 and a good five years are there for her.
Jessica Pegula did well in the last few events of the WTA calendar. Her loss to Rybakina was not expected. In fact, she won the first set against Rybakina in the semi-final. WTA players zigzag the globe minimum of four times a year performing in all major cities and venues. They spin a big income to event hosting cities. The other four players in the event were gritty Jasmini Paolini of Italy, once a queen Iga Swiatek of Poland, bouncing back Coco Gauff and American warrior Madison Keys. Keys had to withdraw with health issues after playing two matches.
WTA player development
WTA player development often an arrangement between player and past players. Currently, Mirra Andreeva, the Russian teenager, coached by Conchita Martinez of Spain. [1994 Wimbledon champion]. Andreeva is top ten player missed out qualification with travel and visa issues. Her coach preferred it, as a teenager the calendar had stressed her.
Most of the new entrants have to find workable coach and tournament framework to ascend. English player Emma Raducanu struggling to find a coach of her preference. She recently fired another coach and looking for one.
Reflection of past 25 years
Tennis has come through 175 years and achieving another calendar year of memorable activities is a praise worthy. Globally what it entails is not the effort of single organisation or person this is true from players’ effort to event organisers. World ranked players will now take recess. Only to re-energise and start again.
Time flies
We have consumed one quarter of a century in this millennium leaving memorable tennis moments, how fast it went surprises all. Certainly, it has provided aficionados and enthusiast moments to kindle their memory and stay with the game. In tennis now is mostly professional performance. Recreational and holiday tennis is receding. Many forms of para tennis has appeared, no fear they will act, as early experience to mature would be tennis players. Direct tennis start-up has been an uphill affair registering highest drop in the sporting realm. Many countries have seen tennis court shut down in their urban homestead.
At one time, there were beginners and good players in tennis, now entry into tennis will happen only after acquiring court game experience with one of the para tennis games.
Today, many would not know the local players’ names that well as the WTA and ATP participants. We see them, read about them and hear their names in the media, almost never of the local. This is true, in billion populated nations and in tiny island as ours. ATP and WTA full time professional better placed for recognition than local player is. Their exhibition of self and skill exceeds locals in most countries. Television is the grand stand and not the courtside as it was in most countries.
End of participatory era
India still provides large number of junior players into the events globally. Many players from my era are their coaches. I asked them where do you coach in Indian cities? In the industrial zone was the answer. Tennis courts in Indian metropolis are in the industrial zone. They are tennis academies. Cost is so high clubs cannot afford tennis. Back in time, this was in urban clubs. With loss of patronage, urban clubs are extinct.
Many form of para tennis is the inlet into tennis now. Well known Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, residents in Las Vegas, are promoting pickle ball. They must be having a reason.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA and ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880–