Issue #15 | US Open Part One: Fallin' Off

Issue #15 | US Open Part One: Fallin' Off

Fallin’ Off

At the Lovers and Friends Festival last year, Ginuwine, in an effort to get closer to some fans, attempted to jump from the stage to a riser in front of him. Somehow he underestimated the distance of the jump, and his 52 year old knees buckled on him like a cheap tent. The singer lost his balance and fell between the two platforms, nearly taking the sign language interpreter with him.

Now I know my old ass shouldn’t be laughing, but if you saw it, it was kinda funny. It wasn’t the fall that was funny per se (thankfully he was not injured), but it was funny how slow the fall happened. Perhaps even funnier, was the fact that, despite being out of anyone’s line of sight, he continued to bellow out the words to “In Those Jeans” as if no one saw his ass just disappear into thin air. He may be clumsy, but the man is a true professional.

I bring up Ginuwine for context, but I’m really the punchline here. Because over the last month, nobody has more slowly fallen off harder than me. After a whirlwind week in New York, we returned to the Bay Area for forty-eight hours, only to head eastbound again to St. Martin for two weeks (I know, boo-muthafuckin’-hoo). A weeklong offsite of meetings back on the West Coast, and an ugly eye infection later, I failed as a writer to deliver a recap post about the biggest and most important tournament (at least to an American writer) of the year, the U.S. Open.

In my defense, I had several great ideas in motion that never got fully flushed out. We watched a ton of great tennis that deserved mention. We had a wonderful time in the city, like we always do. And a lot of really cool things happened while we were in New York. And the people, the best part about the entire trip was definitely the people. 

And the more notes I jotted down, the more overwhelmed I became with trying to piece it all together. The more anxious I became trying to make it all make sense. Before long, the month had gotten away from me, and everything I had been working on, like Ginuwine, had slipped right through the cracks.

Fortunately, I’m under no pressure to put anything out. I don’t have an editor breathing down my back or a deadline to meet, but I do owe it to the project to be consistent. Some writers can just write, and I’m honestly not there yet. I look for the time and space to let the ideas come to fruition, and that’s not often consistent with news cycles. I have to get better. I will get better.

That said, I’m going to break this down into two posts (I know ain’t nobody trying to read 6000 words), first some quick thoughts on the US Open. Part two, a more interesting read, will be a series of really short stories about some cool things (tennis and non-tennis related) that happened during the New York trip.

If this were a college paper, I realize it would be an automatic F. If this were a work assignment, I’d likely get fired. For now, I can hope to still entertain a person or two, like Ginuwine, the show must go on.


Jannik Sinner - Top Billin’
Jannik Sinner proved why he’s the World No. 1 with a dominant performance at the 2024 US Open, defeating American Taylor Fritz in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, to capture his second Grand Slam title of the year. After winning the Australian Open earlier in 2024, this victory solidified Sinner’s position as the top player in tennis, despite facing personal and off-court challenges throughout the season. In a year where upsets were common and competition fierce, Sinner consistently demonstrated that he was always the man to beat. 

Sinner immediately set the tone against Fritz, applying pressure from the first point. Although Fritz’s run to his first Grand Slam final was unexpected but well-deserved, he was outmatched by Sinner’s precision and power. While the American put up a valiant fight, particularly in the third set where he went up a break, Sinner’s depth and shot variety proved too much for him to handle.

Fritz did manage to excite the home crowd with several impressive rallies, including a thrilling 23-shot exchange in the first set. In the third set, he broke Sinner to go up 5-3, giving the American fans hope of extending the match. However, Sinner remained composed, reeling off four consecutive games to win the set and the championship, sealing the victory after a Fritz forehand found the net on match point.

With this victory, Sinner became the fifth active player to win multiple Grand Slam titles. His ability to rise to the occasion under pressure has been unmatched (until this week in Beijing), and he will comfortably end the year as the World No. 1. Jannik’s chillin’. Trophies chillin’. What more can I say? Top Billin’.

Eye of the Tiger
Aryna Sabalenka’s victory over Jessica Pegula in the 2024 US Open Women’s Singles Final was a showcase of her power, precision, and strategic maturity. Sabalenka’s aggressive net play was key, winning 78% of her net points (18/23) and constantly pressuring Pegula. In contrast, Pegula struggled at the net, managing just 36%. Sabalenka’s ability to control the pace with drop shots further disrupted Pegula’s baseline rhythm, with Sabalenka winning 78% of points after a drop shot.

Sabalenka’s explosive forehand also made a significant impact, delivering 38 winners compared to Pegula’s 13. Her controlled aggression, reflected in a positive winner-to-error ratio (+3), left Jessie scrambling for much of the match. 

The match's pivotal moment came at the end of the first set, when Sabalenka, despite Pegula's late comeback, held her nerve to close the set out 7-5. When there were windows open for Pegula, Sabalenka elevated her game under pressure, and closed them immediately.  

With a well-deserved 7-5, 7-5 win, Sabalenka claimed her first US Open title, and her second Grand Slam of the year. Sabalenka blended power and tactical intelligence to solidify her hard court dominance, and take home her third Grand Slam title.

Americans Came Through
The 2024 US Open signaled the potential and strength of American tennis, as four homegrown talents—Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Emma Navarro, and Jessica Pegula—made it to the semifinals, marking a resurgence of U.S. dominance on the sport’s biggest stage. This incredible showing from the American contingent ignited continued excitement in the home crowd and reinforced the present and future for American tennis.

Taylor Fritz, often regarded as a consistent player with untapped potential, proved his critics wrong by powering his way to (and through) the semifinals. And though he fell short in the final against Jannik Sinner, Fritz’s performance showed he’s ready to play on the game’s biggest stages in its biggest moments.

Frances Tiafoe’s journey to the semis was nothing short of electric. With his infectious energy and love for the big moments, Tiafoe brought the crowd to life with each match, reminding fans why he’s one of the most exciting players on tour. His all-court game and big energy earned him a well-deserved spot among the final four where he was bested by Fritz. We know how much Frances wants to get the US Open final, and he’s closer than he thinks.

On the women’s side, Jessica Pegula once again showed her consistency, advancing to her first Grand Slam semifinal (and eventually her first Grand Slam final). Pegula’s tactical approach and mental toughness have made her a formidable force on tour, and her run at the US Open solidified her as one of the top players in the world. She’d have her chances in the Final against Sabalenka, but would just come up short in straight sets. Nonetheless, it was a welcomed breakthrough for Pegula, we love to see it.

Meanwhile, rising star Emma Navarro had a breakthrough performance of her own. The young American played fearless tennis, upsetting some big names along the way. Her semifinal run was a statement that she’s here to stay, and that she’s quickly putting the pieces together. Navarro is a model of consistency, it could only be a matter of time before she develops some real weapons, and has a major breakthrough.

With four Americans in the semifinals, the 2024 US Open proved that U.S. tennis is thriving, and the future looks brighter than ever. It will be interesting to see if any of the American talents can raise their games into the echelon of Grand Slam champions.

Notable Mentions

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka’s much-anticipated return to the US Open, where so much goodness happened for her, was bittersweet this year. Osaka may have made a huge fashion statement in the first round of the tournament with her beautiful, custom Yoon Ahn designed kit, but the kit was secondary (respectfully) to her tennis. 

Osaka won a first-round slugfest against Jelena Ostapenko, and for a minute, I think we all thought she was going to rekindle the magic in Flushing. Karolina Muchova however had different plans (see “Vibe Czech”), in the second round. We always say, “you can’t do anything about the draw,” and Muchova was just that good in New York, taking out Osaka and Paolini on route to the semifinals, where she’d lose to Pegula. 

Osaka showed the world why she’s a four-time major champion and fashion icon. While she didn’t take home the trophy, her powerful groundstrokes were back in full swing. Osaka reminded everyone that her comeback is just getting started and that she’s still putting the pieces back together. 

Coco Gauff
Defending champion Coco Gauff, would make it to the fourth round where she’d fall in three sets to a red hot Emma Navarro. And while Navarro played rock solid tennis, Gauff would double fault 19 times during the match, and there’s just no way to win Grand Slam tennis with that many unforced errors off your own serve. It was a bad day at the office for Gauff, and it just came at a bad time. 

After New York, Gauff parted ways with Brad Gilbert. Earlier today, Coco Gauff beat Karoline Muchova to take home the 1000 title in Beijing. With a new coach, Gauff seems to be working out the kinks, and is quickly trying to course correct the fixable issues in her game. 

With the  pressure of the Grand Slam repeat gone, and a 1000 title under her belt, it looks like she’s already back on the right trajectory heading into the WTA Finals at the end of the season.

Ben Shelton
On the men’s side, Ben Shelton continued to dazzle and was looking forward to building on his semifinal appearance from 2023. The young American’s aggressive serve and energetic style carried him into the third round where he had a rematch against fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe. 

We were fortunate enough to see Shelton’s first and second round matches, and I was convinced he was in form to make a deep run into the tournament. However, in the third round, Shelton would fall to another American fan favorite, Frances Tiafoe, in a match that will be in the conversation for “Match of the Year,’ 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, 4-6, 3-6. 

Tiafoe was clearly looking forward to this matchup, and wanted to avenge his loss to Shelton in 2023, and he did just that. It was unfortunate to see these two on the same side of the draw, and having to play each other this early in the tournament. That’s the way draws go and we trust Ben is going to see the lesson in the loss. He gon’ be alright.

Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe’s heart was broken a third time in as many years at the US Open, but it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of spirit or a lack of effort. Tiafoe was magnificent this year, and strangely, in a match where I least expected it, he seemed to have simply run out of gas. Tiafoe would fall to countryman Taylor Fritz in five grueling sets, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Tiafoe and Fritz would make history, giving the Open crowd its first all-American semi final since 2005. Unfortunately for Tiafoe, it wasn’t the history he was looking to make, and it was really feeling like it was his time. And I think that’s progress.

There are several American players, both men and women, who are on the cusp of really putting American tennis permanently back on the map in a big way. We’ve seen Coco Gauff do it, the only question is who’s going to join her? 

We Back Up
So there you have it, a month late. And in the end, much like Ginuwine at Lovers and Friends, I might have gotten tripped up, but the show must go on. The U.S. Open, again, delivered the excitement, drama, and heart that we’ve come to expect from tennis’ grandest stage.

Despite a busy end of summer travel schedule, heavy workload, and a nasty eye infection, I’m desperately trying to get things back on track. For what it’s worth, the IG channel has been on point lately. For now, I’m going to do my best to finish the season strong like our favorite players. So be sure to check out the New York stories post when you have the time, and like Stringer Bell once said, “put the word on the street, we back up.” 

LoveGame baby.

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