Tennis

Venus Williams gets first win at BNP Paribas Open in 16 years, talks moving forward and being understanding

Posted on by ginnandtopics

 

3-11-17 Venus 2

By Leighton Ginn

INDIAN WELLS — The victory was a long-time coming for Venus Williams and came with a lot of drama.

Williams rallied from a 1-6, 1-4 deficit and fought off three match points in the second set to beat former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic for her first victory at the BNP Paribas Open since 2001.

Madison Keys has successful return at BNP Paribas Open following surgery

In 2001, Williams withdrew from her semifinal match against Serena Williams minutes before the prime-time showdown. During the finals, Serena was booed throughout, and much of it was also directed at Venus and her father Richard, who were in their court-side box.

It wasn’t until 2015 when Serena returned to Indian Wells, and Venus followed suit last year.

French Open champ Garbine Muguruza said she’s still hungry for the sweet success of another Grand Slam title

However, Venus lost her opening match, which made Saturday’s victory her first in Indian Wells in 16 years.

“It was nice to get a win here after so very long. It’s very rewarding,”  Williams said. “The past is the past, but I’m happy that I was able to move forward and everyone was able to move forward. I had so much support today.”

Early on, it didn’t look like Williams would get her victory at Indian Wells as she was down 4-1 in the second and had to fight off three match points in the set.

Fritz talks about father’s influence on him and CoCo Vandeweghe after first-round win at BNP Paribas Open

One match point haunted Jankovic. Williams was up at the net, creating an opportunity to end the match.

“I was supposed to play that cross forehand and the match would be over,” Jankovic said. “But I played down the line right to her and she made the volley winner. It was a big mistake on that match point, but this is sports. What can I do? I made bad choices, bad mistakes when it was most important. That is all.

“Overall, I had my chances, I had everything under control and I let it slip away. I got a little nervous and I made bad errors.”

Billie Jean King on the casting of Emma Stone in ‘Battle of the Sexes’

During the post-match press conference, Williams was asked about a variety of topics, including her thoughts on the controversial ending at last year’s tournament.

Tournament director Raymond Moore had made unfortunate comments about women’s players owing the men and they should get on their knees. Days later, Moore resigned his position amid the firestorm it created. Moore still works at the tournament.

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Venus Williams said she didn’t want to dwell on the event and was willing to move on.

“If I wasn’t willing to move on, I wouldn’t be back in Indian Wells. It’s no good to hang on to things,” Williams said. “The tournament really is a huge supporter of women’s tennis and a huge supporter of men’s tennis and just tennis in general. The women love playing here.

“I was happy that the tournament did stand for equality and low tolerance of inequality. I think sometimes people make mistakes. He probably didn’t intend — you don’t wake up in the morning and say that this is going to happen. I don’t think that’s how he was planning his morning. Sometimes things happen, and we all should understand that everyone can have a bad day, and we all can just get better.”

 

 

Madison Keys has successful return at BNP Paribas Open following surgery

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3-11-17 Madison

 

 

By Leighton Ginn

INDIAN WELLS — American Madison Keys returned from surgery for a left wrist injury she first suffered in 2015 and she said the emotions got to her when she walked onto the BNP Paribas Open.

“Walking out there today, I almost started crying. It’s just so great to be back,” said Keys, who defeated Mariana Duque-Marino 6-1, 7-5 to advance to the third round. ” We do get to do what we love. I think that’s really special, and I think sometimes we get really caught up in the winning and the losing and rankings and all of that. And at the end of the day, we get to play a sport that we love for our jobs, and just this whole time has made me realize how truly blessed I am to be able to do that.”

French Open champ Garbine Muguruza said she’s still hungry for the sweet success of another Grand Slam title

Keys said she suffered the injury at the US Open in 2015, but it wasn’t until last year’s Wimbledon when she realized she would need surgery. However, Keys was having a breakthrough year, so putting the brakes on her season was a tough decision.

“So the original plan was, Okay, after US Open, get it done, be ready for Australian Open,” Keys said. ” And then after US Open, there was the race to Singapore. To me, there is no way you’re going to get me off of a tennis court right now. Then it was, okay, we’re going to do everything we can to get to Singapore. And then, if you don’t make Singapore, we’ll call it there.”

Rafael Nadal not quite his jovial self in return to the BNP Paribas Open

Keys did reach the WTA Championship, the year-end event that features the world’s top eight players, by rising to No. 7 in the rankings. She went 1-2 in the round-robin portion of the tournament. By the time Keys got home at the end of October, she had surgery days later.

Because she delayed her surgery, she had to sit out the Australian Open, where she had her career breakthrough performance by reaching the semifinals in 2015.

Billie Jean King on the casting of Emma Stone in ‘Battle of the Sexes’

“Hopefully that doesn’t happen again,” Keys said about missing the season-opening Australian swing. “Missing that was really tough. And to be completely honest, I didn’t watch much of it. But more than anything, it just made me want to come back to the court as quick as possible.”

Her victory on Saturday improved her career record at the BNP Paribas Open to 4-4. She will face Naomi Osaka in the third round. Osaka defeated Shuai Zhang 6-4, 6-2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rafael Nadal not quite his jovial self in return to the BNP Paribas Open

Posted on by ginnandtopics

3-10-17 Rafa

By Leighton Ginn

The Rafael Nadal seen Friday night during his pre-BNP Paribas Open press conference was a little different from what we’ve seen from the Spanish superstar over the previous years.

Always charming and self-deprecating, the Nadal on Friday seemed a little surly. He was professional, and thoughtful in his answers as he always is. But there was a little salt to his responses that is common for other people, but can be jolting coming from Nadal.

It was Nadal’s first time back in the U.S. since his surprising run to the Australian Open final after years of various injuries. And he produced a classic battle against Roger Federer that people can’t stop talking about.

“We talked enough. I almost don’t forget about it,” Nadal said, which in the past he would deliver with a self-deprecating tone, but this night had an edgy tone.

It is the first time where media in America could ask Nadal about his Uncle Toni, the figure who has coached and directed his career. Uncle Toni announced he would no longer coaching Nadal following this year.

That announcement came with tremendous speculation.

“Well, I talked enough about that, too, no?” Nadal said tersely to start off his answer.

But Nadal did elaborate on his answers and gave his typically positive responses.

On the Australian Open run, Nadal added, “It was a great moment for the promotion of our sport. It was important because (there were) a lot of expectation about this match. For me, personally, to be part of it was great again. For sure I want to win, but overall I felt happy to be back on a big match like this.”

Nadal and Federer will go down as perhaps the greatest rivalry in this sport, and many feel the Australian Open will be a signature moment. Federer rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the fifth set for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory, increasing the Swiss star’s record haul to 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

“(It) was a moment that we will remember. I think is something that gonna be part of the history of our sport,” Nadal said. “I enjoyed the match, and I think the fans, too. So was a great moment.”

As for his Uncle Toni, there seemed to be a bit of a tightrope. With Toni guiding him, Nadal went on to win 14 Grand Slam titles, tied for second most with Pete Sampras. At Roland Garros, Nadal would become the King of Clay as he won nine titles in 10 years.

It was Uncle Toni that started Nadal and shaped him as a player.

“First thing, I played tennis because of him,” Nadal said. “If not, (I) would never play tennis. Will play football. That’s what I was doing when I was a kid, too.

“I practiced with him, only with him, until 12 years old. A big part of my success is because of his help. And like a person, it’s always when you spend a lot of hours with one person and it’s part of your family have an impact in your personality or in your education.

“It’s obvious that Toni had a big impact in all of the things that happened to me in terms of education and in terms of tennis, too.”

Nadal returns to the BNP Paribas Open, where he has gone 48-9 and won the title three times (2007, ’09, ’13). And the conditions at Indian Wells suits Nadal, as the hard courts are typically slower than others across the tour.

However, Nadal did hit why he might not have seem like himself, admitting he has been battling illness.

“I was a little bit sick two days, so I couldn’t practice for two days,” Nadal said at the end of the press conference. ” I start to practicing yesterday for the first time. Today, I practiced again and today I have doubles.

“But is obvious that when you get sick you lose a little bit of the power for a couple of days. So I hope to recover myself good and feel myself ready to compete at the highest level possible. I know I am playing (against)  Guillermo Garcia or Guido Pella (in Sunday’s second round), and that’s all what I can say now.”

 

 

 

 

Serena could meet Venus in the finals of the BNP Paribas Open, if they survive interesting opening matches

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By Leighton Ginn

INDIAN WELLS — When the women’s main draw was announced Monday afternoon at the BNP Paribas Open, the dream match up was closer to a possibility.

World No. 1 Serena Williams and her older sister Venus, who is the 12th seed, were on opposite sides of the bracket, which means they could meet in the finals of a tournament that simultaneously launched their careers and had one of their most uncomfortable moments.

To get to the finals, both Serena and Venus will have difficult matches early. The top 32 seeds at the BNP Paribas Open have byes in the first round.

Serena could face Olympic champion Monica Puig in the second round. Venus’ early matches could be tougher, as she could face two-time finalist and 2010 champion Jelena Jankovic in the second round. If she can get past Jankovic, she could face Coco Vandeweghe in a rematch of their Australian Open semifinal.

The defending champion is Victoria Azarenka, but she will not defend her title as she gave birth to her first child in December. Last year, she defeated Serena Williams in the finals.

Serena Williams is a two-time champion at the BNP Paribas Open, but hasn’t won the title since 2001. After the 2001 tournament, Serena and Venus refused to return to Indian Wells after an incident during the 2001 final, where Serena was booed throughout the match.

In the 2001 semifinals, Serena was supposed to play Venus, but Venus pulled out of her match minutes before the nationally televised match because of a knee injury.

Serena returned to Indian Wells two years ago, while Venus returned last year. Serena’s 1999 title at Indian Wells was her first big title. Later that year, Serena would win her first Grand Slam title, the U.S. Open.

 

 

 

 

Eating Crow after Australian Open

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By Leighton Ginn

During the first week of the Australian Open when No. 2 Novak Djokovic lost, I had asked in my blog if this was the end of the golden age of men’s tennis.

The day after I wrote it, No. 1 Andy Murray also lost.

In the blog, I thought it was unlikely Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal could reach the finals.

Well, the wheels came off with that analysis.

With Novak Djokovic’s stunning loss, is the Golden Age over in men’s tennis?

Federer won the Australian Open for his 18th career Grand Slam singles crown, beating his long-time rival in a thrilling five setter that will be talked about for years.

In my defense, Federer had been gone for six months with a knee injury that was actually suffered at last year’s Australian Open. I never ruled out Federer from winning a major title because of his age, 35. But the age with the injury, and this being essentially his first tournament back, a sixth title in Oz was a lot to ask for.

Nadal has either been struggling with injuries or confidence. And the confidence is a result of all the injuries that have robbed him of his consistency. He kept plugging away, but there hadn’t been a sign encouraging enough to think he could get back to his dominant days.

And then everything changed.

Everyone has been talking about Federer’s age for a long time, but there’s no real evidence his game has slipped due to Father Time. Before the injury last year, a freak accident when he was giving his kids a bath, he was ranked No. 2 in the world.

In 2014-15, Federer reached three major finals, and if it wasn’t for Djokovic, he might have been over 20 major titles.

It’s time to talk about Novak Djokovic as one of the greatest ever in tennis

Now that he appears to be healthy, there’s no reason to believe he couldn’t win another major, especially at Wimbledon.

As for Nadal, he is back in the mix. Can he win another major? The French Open is the major he’s owned, but it’s such a long and grueling tournament, and Nadal has a lot of wear and tear on his body.

I don’t rule him out, but I need to see more to determine if he can win the French.

Now if Murray and Djokovic can bounce back, then the good times will continue to roll.

With Novak Djokovic’s stunning loss, is the Golden Age over in men’s tennis?

Posted on by ginnandtopics

By Leighton Ginn

For over a decade, the Big Four of men’s tennis — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — have dominated the sport like no other.

Of the four majors over the last 11 years, the Fab Four have won 39 of the 44 major singles titles, with 29 of those finals pitting the sports creme de la creme.

While Federer and Nadal, two of the winningest players in tennis history, were hampered last year with injuries, Djokovic and Murray aptly filled in with historic years.

Djokovic became the first player to win four consecutive Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open. The French title also completed his career Grand Slam to join Federer and Nadal in this generation to accomplish it.

However, in the second half of the year, Murray went on an impressive run that included his second Wimbledon title and second-consecutive gold medal at the Olympics to become the first Brit to earn the No. 1 ranking in the Open era.

On Thursday, Djokovic suffered a stunning second-round loss Denis Istomin, a wildcard who is ranked outside the top 100. It is the second time in the last three majors where Djokovic failed to reach the second week.

And this came at the Australian Open, his best major, where he’s claimed six titles in 10 years.

It raises this question: Is the Golden Age over?

WHAT MADE THE GOLDEN AGE GREAT

What made the Golden Age great is you had four great players who were always battling in the semifinals or finals of major tournaments.

For that to happen this year at the Australian Open seems like a longshot.

Murray came into the tournament as the No. 1 seed and top-ranked player, and nothing has changed for him.

But Federer is seeded 17th and would have to face Murray in the quarterfinals. Nadal is ninth, but he has no momentum coming into Melbourne. It’s not impossible for Nadal to reach the finals, but probably unlikely.

Moving forward, how much can we expect from Federer and Nadal who missed such a large portion of last year?

THE FALL OF DJOKOVIC

The real problem is Djokovic. No.1 and No. 2 isn’t a huge drop, but the quality of play from the Serbian superstar is.

When he won the French Open, it was his 12th major title and it was reasonable that he could make a serious run at Federer’s 17 Grand Slam titles.

Yet, to go from completing a Grand Slam to failing to make the second week of a major twice in the next three is troubling. Throw into the mix Djokovic losing in the first round of the Olympics and it becomes a worrisome trend.

If Djokovic was able to reach the quarterfinals, then it would have been too early to sound the alarm.

After his loss Thursday, Djokovic said he felt fine physically.

There have been questions about his desire. Only he can answer that, and he said that’s not the case.

Confidence? Same to assume it wasn’t what is was last year. Can he get it back? And can he do it in time to defend his French title?

IS ANYONE READY TO STEP IN?

Because Djokovic and Murray have been so good and holding the fort down with Federer and Nadal recovering from injuries, it looked like the Big Four could still squeeze out some more magic at the majors.

Now with Djokovic out, it opens the door for someone to step in to grab his own share of the limelight.

The top candidate is Stan Wawrinka, who has won three major titles in the last three years, including the Australian Open title. Some have suggested the Big Four should be the Big Five based on what Wawrinka has done. He certainly is on that level as far as ability.

I’m not sure if fans have embraced him on the level of the Big Four, in terms of excitement and anticipation. He hasn’t seriously challenged for major titles until the last four years. By that time, his legacy had been deep in the shadows of his fellow Swiss, Federer.

Wawrinka’s body of work as a contender is short, and at 31 years old, is probably closer to the end than the beginning.

But if he does continue to play at this high level and reach more major finals, then Wawrinka can enrich his already impressive legacy.

Currently, Milos Raonic is the No. 3 seed and has a career-best No. 3 ranking. With big weapons, he is an exciting power player. He’s building momentum in his career by reaching the Wimbledon final and the Australian Open semifinals in 2016.

Marin Cilic is the 2015 US Open champion and Juan Martin Del Potro is the 2009 US Open champion, but both have been hampered by injuries.

Kei Nishikori reached the 2015 US Open final and has maintained a top-10 level, but not enough to crack into the Big Four level.

Gael Monfils and Tomas Berdych have been around a while, but don’t appear are able to get to the next level, at least not yet.

Young players Dominic Thiem and David Goffin have made gigantic strides in the last year.

But the thing all these players are lacking is a body of work like the Big Four.

 

Andy Murray’s No. 1 ranking is great for tennis, but is the timing bad?

Posted on by ginnandtopics

By Leighton Ginn

It’s been a fantastic year for Andy Murray and firmly established him as one of the Big Four in what could be the greatest generation in tennis.

Murray’s has been steady all year, reaching the finals of both the Australian and French Opens. But then it went into overdrive with his Wimbledon title, following by his repeat as an Olympic gold medalist.

Last week, Murray won the year-end ATP Tour World Finals to clinch the No. 1 year-end ranking.

However, the timing could be bad for the rest of the sport.

This has nothing to do with Murray, so don’t mistake this as a criticism of him.

But Novak Djokovic was having a historic year at the start. By winning the Australian and French Opens, Djokovic clinched the Nole Slam as he won four consecutive majors, a feat that hasn’t happened since Rod Laver in 1969.

What Djokovic had done elevated him past the standard bearers of this generation — Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

After the French Open, Djokovic was in the conversation of the greatest ever.

Djokovic will finish the year No. 2, but his fall was significant. He only won one title since the French Open.

Earlier, his coach Boris Becker blamed the drop to the fact he wasn’t pushed by Federer nor Nadal. There is validity to that theory most times, but not in this case.

Djokovic wasn’t just chasing history, he had a chance to rewrite it.

During Wimbledon, Djokovic alluded to personal issues in his family life.

Whatever the case, Djokovic’s slip was disappointing because it could have meant so much for tennis.

Again, don’t mistake this as a shot at Murray, who is one of the top personalities in tennis. His story is great, and who isn’t charmed by the push to get him knighted in England.

Actually, why hasn’t he been knighted already for ending the curse of Fred Perry when he won Wimbledon in 2012, or his US Open title in 2011?

Murray is a great No. 1. It’s a great story.

But Djokovic was at such a high level that his success would provide more crossover attention.

Djokovic was challenging how we defined greatness in tennis. The run he was on was unprecedented.

Historically, when we look back on 2016, more likely, we will talk more about Djokovic than Murray.

And what could have been.

 

 

A Hillary Clinton presidency would ‘complete a circle’ for equal rights pioneer Billie Jean King

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By Leighton Ginn

Billie Jean King’s life work has been fighting for equality, so if Hillary Clinton is elected the first female President of the United States, it will carry a much deeper meaning for the all-time great tennis champion.

“It would complete a circle for me,” King said Friday in Palm Desert, Calif. “I’ve wanted a woman president, so long as she was qualified.

“I’ve almost made myself sick over it. I know there’s other people like me, men and women, who have been quiet. But we’ve been texting. When we get together, we get excited. It would mean so much because I think if you can see it, you can be it.”

King has been an icon of the equal rights movement ever since her victory over Bobby Riggs in the 1973 tennis match dubbed as the Battle of the Sexes. There is a movie currently in production starring Emma Stone as King and Steve Carrell as Riggs to be released in 2017.

In addition, King was also one of the nine founders of women’s professional tennis when she helped start the Virginia Slims tour. The women broke away from the men, who were making 10 times more in prize money.

King’s legacy has been recognized with some of this country’s highest honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Life Magazine named King one of the “100 Most Influential Americans of the 20th Century.”

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While King has seen as a champion for women, she feels that label is limiting. And she hopes that if Clinton is elected president, it will change perspectives.

“People try to put me and other women in ‘Oh, you help women.’ No, we help people. It drives me crazy because it discounts us, and it says we’re only for half the marketplace,” King said. “That’s one of the things I want to get across before I die, stop putting us that we’re just examples for women or girls. We care about all people and we’re leaders for all people like boys are leaders for all people.

“That’s what Hillary’s going to do. All of the sudden, there will be a whole different perception that will be normal. It will normalize the situation and that’s what’s important to me.”

This election season, Clinton has been in a tough campaign against Donald Trump.

During the primary elections, King said when it became apparent Clinton and Trump would win the nominations, she thought the campaign could turn into something like her Battle of the Sexes match against Bobby Riggs in 1973, which was seen by 90 million people worldwide.

“Hillary vs. The Donald totally reminded me of the Battle of the Sexes, that’s right on the money,” King said.

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There was playful banter between King and Riggs during the promotion leading up to the event, which had Riggs wearing a “Sugar Daddy” jacket, and King presenting him a “chauvinist” pig.

The campaign between Trump and Clinton has been anything but friendly. It has been one of the most contentious elections ever. But King said she sees some similarities to the climate in this U.S. today and in 1973. 

“The country was quite divided back in the 70s, and it is today, right now,” King said. “In the 70s, you had Vietnam, you had Watergate heating up, you had the women’s rights at its heights, you had Roe vs. Wade, you had all kinds of things happening.

“I think it’s almost like a repeat in some ways. If you live long enough, you see the repeats.”

King also supported Clinton during her 2008 presidential run. For this election, King has campaigned in New York, as well as Paris and England for Clinton.

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If Clinton wins, King is intrigued at how it might change how children look at leaders, which started with President Barack Obama when he was elected in 2008.

“If you’re a 14-year-old, your frame of reference (of the President) will be a person of color in Obama and a woman when you go to vote in four years,” King said. “Think about what their frame of reference is compared to mine, where I will be 73 this month. I’ve only seen white men as Presidents of the United States until Obama. That is amazing. I was thinking, if I was 14-years old again, my frame of reference would be totally different.

“I think it’s great. It’s for the better. It’s about inclusion, it’s about equality, it’s about anyone can be President of the United States.”

Note: King was in Palm Desert for the Mylan World Team Tennis Rec League Nationals at Palm Valley Country Club. For more on World Team Tennis, visit their website http://www.wtt.com

 

Why do some people think Serena Williams career is over after the year she’s had?

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Watching the ESPN talk shows and many were ready to declare Serena Williams’ career over, or she might not win another major, etc.

It always seems to happen to all the great players when they suffer an upset loss and they are over 30-something.

Williams lost her semifinal match to Karolina Pliskova, who is No. 11 in the world and might have the biggest weapons on the WTA Tour, outside the Williams sisters.

But the overanalyzing of Williams began soon after the match.

So here’s my take on a few of the issues.

  1. HER DAYS OF DOMINATION ARE OVER: When the new rankings come out Monday, Williams will be No. 2 behind Angelique Kerber. This year, Williams reached the finals of the Australian, French and Wimbledon and the semifinals of the US Open. She won Wimbledon. And ask yourself, is there a player on the WTA Tour you would make a favorite over Williams? Kerber will be No. 1, but I still don’t think I would favor her over Williams just yet.
  2. WILLIAMS’ BEST DAYS ARE BEHIND HER: I felt this last year, when she completed the Serena Slam for the second time. Williams is not the same player she has been, but to her credit, she has evolved her game. She’s gone from intimidating power player to more of a cerebral assassin. What hasn’t changed is Williams’ fierce competitive nature. On the WTA Tour, no player really has elevated to Williams level, and the ones who have haven’t maintained it until Kerber. But it remains to see how long Kerber can keep up this level, and if some other players can rise.
  3. AGE HAS TO CATCH UP WITH HER: Williams turns 35 later this month, which is old for tennis players. Her shoulder hurt was an issue in the Rio Olympics and now her knee was giving her problems. This could be the most legitimate threat to her career. But for right now, we don’t know the extent of these injuries. But Williams says she plays for the majors, so we could easily see her take the rest of the year and relinquish the year-end No. 1 ranking to Kerber, rather than chase her. Williams has proven she doesn’t need a good seed to win a tournament, so she could lighten her schedule and still contend for majors.

In tennis, there is this desire to declare someone’s career over prematurely. When Pete Sampras went on a two-year slump, they thought he was done until he won the US Open. People thought Roger Federer was through last year because he hadn’t won a major since the 2012 Wimbledon, but he was No. 2 in the world and reached the finals of the US Open and Wimbledon.

We don’t always know when it’s over for a great player. But there should be real evidence. Although there will be a change at the top, Williams is still at the top of the tour.

Unless there’s something more, I anticipate Williams will be back next year contending for major titles and the No. 1 ranking.

 

 

 

Could Novak Djokovic lose out on Player of the Year honors in a year he completes the Grand Slam?

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Novak Djokovic speaks during a press conference at the BNP Paribas Open in March, 2015.

 

In a year where Novak Djokovic became the first player to win all four Grand Slam titles, there is a possibility that he could lose out on Player of the Year honors.

It’s unlikely, but plausible.

What makes is plausible is the way Andy Murray is playing of late. If Murray captures the US Open, then he will have a stronger case.

Currently Murray has a Wimbledon title and reached the finals of the Australian and French Opens, both of which Djokovic won. Then you throw in the Olympic gold medal, that’s an incredibly strong year.

What might give Murray an edge is how Djokovic had done at Wimbledon and the Olympics.

Djokovic lost in the third round at the All England Club to No. 41 Sam Querrey and the first round in Rio, although he did lose to the eventual silver medalist in Juan Martin Del Potro, who is currently No. 141 in the rankings.

It’s been a draining year for Djokovic, who has played at a superior level for an incredibly long time. But since the award is for accomplishments since January, he could be leaving the door open for Murray.

It won’t be easy for Murray. He would have to win the US Open, and he has never won two majors in the same season (depending on how you rank an Olympic gold medal). And the US Open is the most grueling Slam.

Now if Murray does win the US Open, that might still not be enough to surpass Djokovic.

In Masters 1000 events, Djokovic has won four of six events. Murray has won just one, but did reach two finals.

How much the Masters 1000 events count into Player of the Year honors, I’m not sure, but these are significant tournaments.

And there is also the ATP finals in November. If Murray can win that, then people will have to look closely.

So US Open and ATP Finals titles, and with Djokovic still playing high-level tennis, is a huge mountain for Murray to climb.

But it is also possible.