Good Week/Bad Week: New tournament, same Roger

Roger

For the seven billionth time, Roger Federer participated in a tennis tournament and won.

Emoji rating: Prayer hands

So, like, is Wozniacki the best player in women’s tennis?

There’s a case to be made. Caro just won the WTA Finals championship in Singapore and will finish the year as world No.3. The Dane is a model of consistency and durability: she’s on track to play 800+ matches before her 28th birthday, she (again) won the most matches this year, she has beaten the most top ten players this year and she is set to finish inside the top ten for the seventh time in ten years (with four top-five finishes in that decade).

If an alien came down from space and challenged you to a tennis match for the fate of the world, and Serena was too busy taking photos with her baby girl, then who would you pick? I’m going with Woz (inb4 no Slams/choker/never wins anything big/takes too many bikini photos).

Emoji rating: Flames, flames, flexing biceps, flames, trophy, Denmark flag

Related: In appreciation of Caroline Wozniacki

Guy Forget

This Paris Masters was released, and we were all like, ‘Well, at least we’ll get to see Roger and Rafa in the final again.” But then Roger pulled out, and now we’re all like, “Oh dear God Lucas Pouille is a seeded player in a Masters event time to watch Drama in Women’s Tennis Parts 1, 2, 3 4 and 5 on YouTube again.”

My only question is: what’s harder, Tournament Director Guy Forget trying to get butts in seats for a Cilic vs Thiem semifinal or Rafa winning the tournament without dropping a set?

Emoji rating: Skull

Genie

Another Halloween passed which meant it was time for Eugenie Bouchard to break Tennis Twitter again:

Baywatch pic.twitter.com/GHqqGuTW1g

— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) October 29, 2017

Emoji rating: Heart eyes

Ivo Karlovic

The old Croat was out for Nick Kyrgios’ ‘Funniest tennis player on Twitter’ crown:

Sorry to announce I will not be able to attend Next Gen finals in Milan this year due to injury in my left ankle. Hope to see you next year

— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) October 27, 2017

Diego Schwartzman

Pablo Carreno Busta hit a powerful forehand down the line and then went in for the kill at the net —

Wheeeeels @dieschwartzman ?????????#erstebankopen pic.twitter.com/c7jXmFjOwm

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 26, 2017

–little did he know Diego Schwartzman covers the court like some kind of Argentinian McLaren.

Emoji rating: Sports car, smoke

Venus Williams and Juan Martin del Potro

Venus first. Can we take a second to stop and think about how amazing this is? The woman is 37-years-old and just beat this year’s Roland Garros champion, Wimbledon champion and Caroline Garcia, who had won 15 of her last 19 matches with two back-to-back titles.

And then there’s Delpo, who was ranked 1041 in 2016 and was considering retirement due to major injury issues. Fast forward to the last couple of months and the Tower of Tandil has a win rate of 85% with an ATP title and two semifinals and a runner-up finish in Basel. He is now within reaching distance of Carreno Busta’s ATP Finals spot (a title in Paris-Bercy would guarantee a place in London).

Emoji rating: Applause hands

Related: Federer prioritizing body management over No.1  

The WTA

The tennis in Singapore was world-class, so maybe I’m spoiled, but Simona Halep finishing the year as world No.1, really? The Romanian topped everyone with 6175 points, which is almost four thousand points below Maria Sharapova’s No.2 finish in 2011. In 2012, Agnieszka Radwanska finished No.4 with 7,425.  Garbine Muguruza, despite winning Wimbledon and Cincinnati, finished at No.2 with 6135 points. This is not a great sign for the Serena-less future of women’s tennis. Despite the even competition and sense of unknown going into the major tournaments, every sport needs its queens and kings — players that you can trust to always be there deep into the second week and not bomb against no names — and without them, you lose casual fans that keep the sport humming along.

Don’t believe me? Just imagine what the 2017 ATP tour would be like without Roger and Rafa.

Emoji rating: Sad face

Lucas Pouille

The young Frenchman defeated a heating-up Jo-Wilfred Tsonga to win his third title of the season (and first 500). He is now, remarkably, in contention for the ATP Finals in London, which has got me like:

Emoji rating: Thumbs up