Novak Djokovic, Simona Halep and the Winners and Losers of 2016 Rogers Cup
Tennis rolled on with and without its biggest stars competing for the Rogers Cup, but the one constant is always Novak Djokovic. Facing a draw that did not contain his three biggest career rivals, the Serb swept to his record-extending 30th Masters 1000 title.
Meanwhile, Simona Halep saved her best tennis for flag-waving Romanians in Montreal, eking out a classic win against Angelique Kerber and teaching young Madison Keys a thing or two about shot selection and defense.
Canadian fans were somewhat disappointed in seeing important stars pull out of their biggest tournament, but at least they got to root for growing home-country hero and Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic. Except that this Rogers Cup story did not end with the ultimate prize either.
Who were the winners and losers of the week?
Loser: Growing Trend for Superstars to Miss Huge Tournaments
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Roger Federer did not play for the Rogers Cup after he announced he would have to sit out the rest of 2016 to recover from his knee injury. Other superstars missing included Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
The Rogers Cup took a huge hit from these absences, and there is simply no way to replace Federer and the drawing power of these major names.
The disconcerting part of this news is that it could be only the beginning. Federer, Nadal and Williams are aging and have already reduced their schedules to prioritize their best opportunities.
Where stars are often rested at level-250 or level-500 tournaments, it’s increasingly common for a tournament like Canada or Madrid to see players exit in order to be fresher for the U.S. Open or French Open.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has almost exclusively pared down his schedule to the Masters 1000 and major events.
Expect this trend to continue for the biggest stars, which is necessary for their health, but also understandably disappointing for the fans.
Winner: Gael Monfils
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His nine-match winning streak came to a crashing halt against Novak Djokovic, but that’s been the end result to all 12 of their career matches. Instead, think of how far Gael Monfils raised his level of tennis in two weeks.
The flamboyant Frenchman had to withdraw from the French Open with a viral infection. He was burned in the first round at Wimbledon and seemed to be in another down portion of his roller-coaster career.
Out of nowhere, Monfils won Washington D.C.’s level-500 tournament and ripped through Borna Coric, Sam Querrey and Alexander Zverev among others. In Toronto, he defeated David Goffin and Milos Raonic to get to a Masters 1000 semifinal.
Monfils moved his ranking up to No. 11 and is playing like the Dr. Jekyll version that many tennis fans had hoped to see for several years. Always an entertainer and a high-risk shotmaker, he has also paid the price with head-scratching losses and nagging injuries.
Could Monfils be ready to leap into a couple of epic moments at age 29? At the least, he’s a breath of fresh air for fans craving more superstar action and presence, with many of their heroes sidelined. The Frenchman is responding.
Loser: Nick Kyrgios
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It would be easy to keep piling on Nick Kyrgios for his growing list of reactive behaviors and comments on and off the tennis court, but after he lost to Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov he told the media, per Tennis.com, that “I think the Canadians probably support their athletes a little better than the Australians do.”
A few things to consider. Shapovalov did enjoy the moment in which he had nothing to lose. Canadian fans were understandably supportive and boisterous for that match, and Kyrgios had to feel like the antagonist. Nobody likes to play the losing role of an upset story.
Kyrgios did not exactly endear himself to Canadian and tennis fans a year ago when he made inappropriate remarks to opponent Stan Wawrinka about his girlfriend. He was booed heavily in his next match, leaving him an easy target for this year’s upset.
Furthermore, the Australian media has made a fat living off of Kyrgios and turbulent young player Bernard Tomic. There has been plenty of criticism for the former's behavior and poor performances because he is a talented potential star.
However, Kyrgios made an error by calling out his nation of fans. Australia has one of the greatest tennis traditions in history with legendary stars and wonderful moments in one of its signature sports. The 21-year-old might crave bigger support, but to project his frustrations on his home country was to show that he does not understand Australian tennis.
Eventually he can win them over with greater humility, deeper dedication to tennis and championship wins, but his reactionary comments have not made things easier.
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Winner: Simona Halep vs. Angelique Kerber
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Tennis purists might look no further than Angelique Kerber vs. Simona Halep in the 2016 women's Rogers Cup.
Kerber, ranked No. 2 in the world, lost to new world No. 3 Halep in the semifinals at Montreal. It was a match that had drama, fight, resolve and beautiful combinations of defensive footwork and creative shotmaking.
Kerber might major in geometry. She glides and stretches her defensive retrievals with outstretched forehands that often angle off the court, flat and fast. She was in her “Australian Open mode” in the second set with her tenacity, all the more impressive after she was bageled in the first set, something she noted in her post-match press conference, per WTA Tennis:
"I was trying to come back and play again, trying to play my game, thinking about every single point actually, and not thinking that I lost the first set 6-0.
I know that I can turn around matches like this. I was not too stressful after the first set.
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Halep’s impressive start was surpassed by her hard work in the third set, running down Kerber’s best shots and taking control with some terrific backhands to both sides of the court. She leaned in and rotated with the extra power she needs to be a major winner.
Romanian colors shook from the stands, and Halep completed a convincing 6-2 close-out to avenge her narrow Wimbledon quarterfinal loss to Kerber.
Halep vs. Kerber is another growing rivalry in women’s tennis that could figure mightily for the U.S. Open title. Best of all, the variety of how they battle is one of the best shows in tennis.
Losers: Potential ATP Stars
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We’ve kept a closer eye on the growing crescendo of young players who are drumming their way into contention on the ATP tour.
This past week was a golden opportunity for a few of them to make a run without the usual legends overwhelming the draw.
But the boom never came; it was more like a whisper.
We’ll go easy on Milos Raonic losing in the quarterfinals to Gael Monfils. It was disappointing for the home fans, and he lost to a hot player.
Everyone else went up in flames:
- Dominic Thiem retired after trailing 4-1 in the first set. The world No. 10 is banged up and might not be healthy to complete a good run at the U.S. Open.
- Nick Kyrgios lost to a younger player who had seemed thrilled just to be there.
- Borna Coric couldn’t find a way through Tomas Berdych after back-to-back three-set matches, including a surprising struggle over Davis Cup teammate Ivan Dodig.
- Alexander Zverev was humbled in the first round against 32-year-old journeyman Yen-Hsun Lu who had exactly two ATP wins this year.
- Taylor Fritz ran out of gas in a 6-2 third set after splitting tiebreakers against Ivo Karlovic who should have been the tired one after his finals appearance days before in Washington D.C..
- Lucas Pouille quietly dismissed by American fast-surface specialist Rajeev Ram.
- Jack Sock had his chance at Stan Wawrinka, but after a tiebreaker loss, he faded in the second set.
The ATP is deep and competitive. Even without the top superstars, there are 100 other talented players who can beat the best in the world.
Being a young player now is not easy against those with a decade or more of experience who have hardened their fitness and sharpened their minds. Winning takes time.
Winner: Simona Halep
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Does Simona Halep now hold the title as best player not named Serena Williams? For now, she might be, especially after defeating Angelique Kerber and rising star Madison Keys.
However, the Romanian is still ranked behind Serena and Kerber who have each won a major and appeared in multiple major finals in 2016. Halep is third for now.
But tennis fans have to like Halep’s upswing as the U.S. Open approaches. Last year, the 24-year-old was exhausted and retired in the Rogers Cup final against Belinda Bencic. This weekend, she was as sharp as ever, running, lining up shots and playing masterful strokes with her strategic efficiency.
It’s Halep’s fifth career WTA Premier Mandatory & Premier 5 championship, but until she wins a major she will be lumped with Agnieszka Radwanska as one of the finest tennis talents not to have a major title.
Loser: Kei Nishikori
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He was brilliant in dispatching Stan Wawrinka, but like everyone else, Kei Nishikori is virtually overmatched trying to defeat Novak Djokovic when a championship is on the line.
While the Japanese star gets credit for reaching the final, he is still searching for his first Masters 1000 title, so he gets the short end of the stick in our column.
“I think I need more experience in these kind of matches, but this is a great week even though I lost to Novak,” Nishikori said, per ATP World Tour. “It was the second time this year in the final of a Masters 1000. I think I'm getting closer and closer. I hope I can get a title as soon as possible.”
Nishikori has zero championships from four huge finals opportunities, including 2014 Madrid, 2014 U.S. Open, 2016 Miami and 2016 Rogers Cup. He was not supposed to defeat Djokovic this weekend, and he didn’t. So call it a stalemate or shooting for par, but Nishikori must be feeling the weight of not having enough to cash in on tennis’ biggest titles.
He’s one of the top players in the world, an exciting ball striker who can match up with anyone, except that he must be a firsthand witness to the reign of King Novak.
Winner: Novak Djokovic
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Recapping another Novak Djokovic championship may not be the most original news in tennis, but his 30th Masters 1000 title is another record that continues to pull away from history.
The world No. 1 was in his usually keen form, squeezing Kei Nishikori into extra mistakes and outclassing him with efficient offense.
Is it now time to hand Djokovic the award as “Player of the Decade?" There’s more than three years left for someone to catch him, but forget about it. What the Serb has accomplished from 2011-2016 is astounding:
- Won 11 of 23 possible major titles
- Won 25 of 51 Masters 1000 titles
- Won four of last five World Tour Final championships
- Ranked No. 1 for 210 of 292 weeks
- The only player of the Open era to hold all four majors, a Grand Slam on three different surfaces
Djokovic is the universe, expanding his stars and showing that there are no limits.
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