Weeks 3-4 - Australian Open, Women's Main Draw - Melbourne, Australia - Hard

HarryGem · Club Coach

Weeks 3-4 - Australian Open, Women's Main Draw - Melbourne, Australia - Hard

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I think your numbers for breaking even are high:

Old stats, 2013:

"According to the International Tennis Federation, which runs and operates futures tournaments, the Davis Cup, the Fed Cup and tennis at the Olympics, among other events, 336 men and 251 women break even in professional tennis each year. The ITF conducted a study in 201415 that looked at prize money between 2001 and 2013 for all pro players the 9,000 men and 5,000 women who played at least one pro tournament. The results didnt factor in the cost of a coach."

From 2019 ITF article:

"A survey carried out by ITF chiefs concluded that reform was drastically required in the lower echelons of the sport. The survey is said to have been the biggest in the ITFs history with around 55,000 people consulted including players, coaches, administrators and player support team members. Concerns were raised regarding prize money, with just 336 men and 253 women able to break even before even factoring in coaching costs"

So, it's only 250 women - but that's BEFORE coaching costs.

emmsie69 · Top national player

Exactly, thats 250 women in the world breaking even compared to 60,000+ in the UK alone making £150,000+ a year with no worry about getting iinjured and losing income, being able to go out partying every weekend if they want with friends rather than sit in a hotel on their own, not being completely stuffed if they find themselves pregnant (still some work to go on that granted) You have to have some serious talent and self belief to go the route of professional tennis player for any length of time. I don't necessarily think UK are doing anything wrong, there are just so many other routes to take these days for women born in the UK, following a dream to be a professional tennis player is the equivalent of buying a lottery ticket. The opportunity to get a scholarship for Tennis in the US is probably the only thing keeping a lot of girls playing past 16 now that University is so expensive in the UK.

flamingowings · All-time great

QF line up:

[1] Ash Barty vs. [7] Petra Kvitova
[14] Sofia Kenin vs. Ons Jabeur
[4] Simona Halep vs. [28] Anett Kontaveit
Garbine Muguruza vs. [30] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

The Garbi/Pavs match may be interesting as Pavs is now with Garbi's ex coach SumK. Conchita is obviously doing something for Garbine's game. Tough call for Ash vs Petra as I love them both and wish that was the final.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

flamingowings wrote:
QF line up:

[1] Ash Barty vs. [7] Petra Kvitova
[14] Sofia Kenin vs. Ons Jabeur
[4] Simona Halep vs. [28] Anett Kontaveit
Garbine Muguruza vs. [30] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

The Garbi/Pavs match may be interesting as Pavs is now with Garbi's ex coach SumK. Conchita is obviously doing something for Garbine's game. Tough call for Ash vs Petra as I love them both and wish that was the final.

Tennis Abstracts latest forecasts

2020 Australian Open Womens' Draw Forecast

Player	SF	F	W
(1)Ashleigh Barty (AUS)	67.5%	51.1%	35.7%
(7)Petra Kvitova (CZE)	32.5%	19.8%	10.6%
(14)Sofia Kenin (USA)	76.5%	25.9%	12.7%
Ons Jabeur (TUN)	23.5%	3.3%	0.8%
(28)Anett Kontaveit (EST)	20.3%	7.8%	1.7%
(4)Simona Halep (ROU)	79.7%	56.8%	28.1%
Garbine Muguruza (ESP)	54.0%	20.0%	6.2%
(30)Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)	46.0%	15.4%	4.3%

ROSAMUND · Futures level

flamingowings wrote:
QF line up:

[1] Ash Barty vs. [7] Petra Kvitova
[14] Sofia Kenin vs. Ons Jabeur
[4] Simona Halep vs. [28] Anett Kontaveit
Garbine Muguruza vs. [30] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

The Garbi/Pavs match may be interesting as Pavs is now with Garbi's ex coach SumK. Conchita is obviously doing something for Garbine's game. Tough call for Ash vs Petra as I love them both and wish that was the final.

I don't suppose it will happen but I would love Jabeur to win or at least reach the final. It would be a first for North African tennis. Not for anyone living in the present but South Africa did have a Wimbledon singles finalist in 1960. (even I don't remember that)

flamingowings · All-time great

ROSAMUND wrote:
flamingowings wrote:
QF line up:

[1] Ash Barty vs. [7] Petra Kvitova
[14] Sofia Kenin vs. Ons Jabeur
[4] Simona Halep vs. [28] Anett Kontaveit
Garbine Muguruza vs. [30] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

The Garbi/Pavs match may be interesting as Pavs is now with Garbi's ex coach SumK. Conchita is obviously doing something for Garbine's game. Tough call for Ash vs Petra as I love them both and wish that was the final.
I don't suppose it will happen but I would love Jabeur to win or at least reach the final. It would be a first for North African tennis. Not for anyone living in the present but South Africa did have a Wimbledon singles finalist in 1960. (even I don't remember that)

That truly would be special. Also worthy noting that no player left has won AO before so it's a new winner and 4 players haven't won a slam or reached a final (Pavs, Kenin, Jabeur, Kontavett)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Also rooting for Jabeur. I saw her play several times as a junior (in France).

Would be great to have new faces at the top level in the sport.

For those who like to follow the junior-adult correlation, it's true that they're hardly any ex-winners of the Aussie Open Juniors in the Aussie Open adults, but the ranking shows a clear follow-through:

@Parsa_Nemati

ITF juniors career-high rankings of the 8 #AusOpen quarterfinalists:

1 - Simona Halep/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2 - Ash Barty/Sonya Kenin
4 - Ons Jabeur/Anett Kontaveit
27 - Petra Kvitová
302 - Garbiñe Muguruza

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Also rooting for Jabeur. I saw her play several times as a junior (in France).

Would be great to have new faces at the top level in the sport.

For those who like to follow the junior-adult correlation, it's true that they're hardly any ex-winners of the Aussie Open Juniors in the Aussie Open adults, but the ranking shows a clear follow-through:

@Parsa_Nemati

ITF juniors career-high rankings of the 8 #AusOpen quarterfinalists:

1 - Simona Halep/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2 - Ash Barty/Sonya Kenin
4 - Ons Jabeur/Anett Kontaveit
27 - Petra Kvitová
302 - Garbiñe Muguruza

It's pretty clear Muguruza will win this event now, CD

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Ons Jabeur's best junior Slam was the French. She was runner up to Svitolina in 2010 and won it in 2011 beating Puig in the final.

flamingowings · All-time great

Coup Droit wrote:
Also rooting for Jabeur. I saw her play several times as a junior (in France).

Would be great to have new faces at the top level in the sport.

For those who like to follow the junior-adult correlation, it's true that they're hardly any ex-winners of the Aussie Open Juniors in the Aussie Open adults, but the ranking shows a clear follow-through:

@Parsa_Nemati

ITF juniors career-high rankings of the 8 #AusOpen quarterfinalists:

1 - Simona Halep/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2 - Ash Barty/Sonya Kenin
4 - Ons Jabeur/Anett Kontaveit
27 - Petra Kvitová
302 - Garbiñe Muguruza

New faces at the top of the WTA is not something we need to worry about!! biggrin The ATP OTOH...

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I think I meant 'new sort of faces' i.e. wouldn't it be great to have a Muslim, North African female player in the semis?

But, yes, otherwise, there's certainly a pretty good merry-go-round with the women at the moment......although I quite like that

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Kenin beat Jabeur so won't be having a North African finalist. However it's back to the traditional Australia v. USA with Barty playing Kenin in the semi final..

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Muguruza has reached the semi finals so maintains the record of the Australian ladies singles having an unseeded semi finalist every year from 2015 onwards. There may be a new champion but the semi finals do include 3 Grand Slam singles winners including the current French and Wimbledon Champions.

indiana · Tennis legend

If it's a Barty vs Halep final then it will be the 3rd year in a row that the Aus Open final has featured the live #1 and #2.

The last 2 years ( 2019 - Osaka beating Kvitova and 2018 - Wozniacki beating Halep ) the final has determined the post Aus Open WR 1 and 2 order. This time the order is already certain to be WR 1 Barty and WR 2 Halep.

And with Serena beating Venus in the 2017 final, if Barty wins the title this year it will be the 4th year in a row that the champion has left Melbourne as WR 1.