...a messenger, a two-time U.S. Open winner and a three-time major champ at age 22
2. Iga Swiatek, POL
...after a slow open (2-3) to the Restart, the Pole became the latest GenPDQ talent to break out on the slam stage, rushing through Roland Garros without losing a set at age 19 to win her first major (and first WTA title)
3. Victoria Azarenka, BLR
...the "Vikaissance" is real, as her near-"Gotham Double" came up just one set short, then she carried over her hard court momentum to early clay court success
4. Yui Kamiji, JPN (WC)
...with the Tokyo Paralympics around the corner, she picked up her second '20 wheelchair singles slam in Paris, while coming up a Super-TB short of a three-for-three doubles sweep alongside Jordanne Whiley
5. Simona Halep, ROU
...the Prague/Rome champ was looking suspiciously like a soon-to-be three-time slam champ, then Iga showed up
6. Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
...not the most dominant team of '20 (that'd be Rome champs Hsieh/Strycova), but they've won two of the three majors this year, including a successful defense of their RG title
7. Jennifer Brady, USA
...proving that hard work pays off, she entered a new phase of her career by winning Lexington and reaching the semifinals at Flushing Meadows
8. Sofia Kenin, USA
...the AO champ's under-the-radar Round of 16 run in NYC preceded an out-of-nowhere appearance in the RG final -- by far the best clay court run of her career -- that was maybe more impressive (and strategically fascinating) than her title run in Melbourne
9. Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL
...three years removed from the sport, the Bulgarian returned and got back to doing "Pironkova things" (i.e. upsetting seeds in majors) en route to the U.S. Open QF and RG 3rd Rd.
10. Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova, TPE/CZE
...the most dominant doubles duo of '20, they've been shut out when it comes to majors. But they reunited after a seven-month absense to win their fourth title of the season in Rome
HM- Diede de Groot, NED (WC)
... de Groot's 2020 struggles both preceded and followed the shutdown, but the world's best wheelchair tennis star still managed to win her third straight U.S. Open singles crown and three-peat as the RG doubles champ alongside Aniek Van Koot. Still, it seems like a "disappointment." Based on her history, her standards are just higher than the rest.
SURPRISES: Martina Trevisan/ITA, Renata Zarazua/MEX & Mayar Sherif/EGY
VETERANS: Laura Siegemund/GER, Petra Kvitova/CZE & Serena Williams/USA
COMEBACKS: Genie Bouchard/CAN, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova/SVK & CiCi Bellis/USA
FRESH FACES: Clara Tauson/DEN, Leylah Fernandez/CAN & Paula Badosa/ESP
JUNIOR STARS: Elsa Jacquemot/FRA, Zheng Qinwen/CHN & Matilda Mutavdzic/GBR
DOUBLES: Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS), Peschke/Schuurs (CZE/NED) & Carter/Stefani (USA/BRA)
ITF: Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA, Georgina Garcia Perez/ESP & Federica Di Sarra/ITA
TEAM: New York Empire (WTT)
WHEELCHAIR: Momoko Ohtani/JPN & Manami Tanaka/JPN
DOWN: Mertens/Sabalenka (BEL/BLR), Sloane Stephens/USA & Madison Keys/USA
MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS: Nadia Podoroska/ARG, Varvara Gracheva/RUS & Irina Bara/ROU
COACH: Michael Geserer (Brady), Piotr Sierzputowski (Swiatek) & Dorian Descloix (Azarenka)
2021 WATCH: Ann Li/USA, Clara Burel/FRA & Katrina Scott/USA
2021 JUNIOR WATCH: Alina Charaeva/RUS, Linda Fruhvirtova/CZE & Brenda Fruhvirtova/CZE
BACKSPIN MVP's: The "Vikaissance," "The Messenger," "The Church of Simona," "The Polish Octopus," "The Pironkova Effect" & "The Kenin Way"
?? BACK TO BACK ??@TimeaBabos and @KikiMladenovic are your 2??0??2??0?? @rolandgarros
— wta (@WTA) October 11, 2020
Doubles Champs!
They defeat Krawczyk/Guarachi 6-4, 7-5pic.twitter.com/TcvUgLJtnJ
Iga Swiatek/POL def. #4 Sofia Kenin/USA 6-4/6-1
=WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#2 Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA) def. #14 Alexa Guarachi/Desirae Krawczyk (CHI/USA) 6-4/7-5
=GIRLS SINGLES FINAL=
#3 Elsa Jacquemot/FRA def. Alina Charaeva/RUS 4-6/6-4/6-2
=GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL=
Eleonora Alvisi/Lisa Pigato (ITA/ITA) def. #6 Maria Bondarenko/Diana Shnaider (RUS/RUS) 7-6(3)/6-4
=WOMEN'S WHEELCHAIR SINGLES FINAL=
#2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Momoko Ohtani/JPN 6-2/6-1
=WOMEN'S WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED) def. #2 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR) 7-6(2)/3-6 [10-8]
...YEAH, NO KIDDIN' ON DAY 15:
2/ “... about the efforts of federal public health officials.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 11, 2020
The ad falsely suggests Fauci was talking about Trump; he wasn’t.
...AGREE ON DAY 15:
I’m sorry, but that’s a ridiculous thing to say about a woman who has starred in The Age of Innocence, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Dangerous Liaisons, et al https://t.co/qQTFyoPXnm
— Max Weiss (@maxthegirl) October 11, 2020
I mean pic.twitter.com/GQmXMr1R1E
— PositivelyKen (@PositivelyKen) October 11, 2020
...LIKE ON DAY 15:
Y’all, please watch this. I’m hollering omg ???????????? pic.twitter.com/a7bPSt1FVT
— Cameron (@SirCamCarter) October 9, 2020
...LIKE ON DAY 15:
Girl drops off her foster dog to be adopted and ... ?? pic.twitter.com/xrOhQaonIh
— The Dodo (@dodo) October 11, 2020
...Hmmm... ON DAY 15:
I can’t even begin to sum up these past 2 weeks.. It has been really special! Paris is one of the cities that I love and I can say that I enjoy playing on the clay! I’m going to take all the positives! I miss my fans very much and I can’t wait to see you guys in 2021!?? pic.twitter.com/Ewg7SLR778
— Sofia Kenin (@SofiaKenin) October 11, 2020
...JOHANNA KONTA... ON DAY 15:
For those of you asking to see the dogs, here’s one of them... the other was on a scent elsewhere...?? pic.twitter.com/J2APQ7fwmF
— Johanna Konta (@JohannaKonta) October 11, 2020
...LIKE ON DAY 15:
...EVEN IN SELF-IMPOSED EXILE, WIMBLEDON SOCIAL MEDIA BESTING THAT OF ROLAND GARROS ON DAY 15:
Poland's first ever Grand Slam singles champion ????@iga_swiatek defeats Sofia Kenin to win @rolandgarros ?? pic.twitter.com/qr0IvTCSkn
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) October 10, 2020
I found a perfect bag for @Daria_gav. ???? pic.twitter.com/HfzmHxL0eO
— Barbora Strycova (@BaraStrycova) October 11, 2020
There aren’t many players who can come out of nowhere and win a Grand Slam title, but to come out of nowhere and completely steamroll to a Grand Slam title is another thing entirely.
— TENNIS (@Tennis) October 11, 2020
Enter @iga_swiatek.https://t.co/JjL76DzsUk
[2017]
AO: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova (USA/CZE)
RG: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova (USA/CZE)
WI: Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina (RUS/RUS)
US: Latisha Chan/Martina Hingis (TPE/SUI)
[2018]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
RG: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
WI: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
US: Ash Barty/CoCo Vandeweghe (AUS/USA)
[2019]
AO: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai (AUS/CHN)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (TPE/CZE)
US: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
[2020]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
US: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva (GER/RUS)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
*CAREER WOMEN'S DOUBLES SLAM TITLES - active*
14...Serena Williams, USA
14...Venus Williams, USA
5...Sara Errani, ITA
5...Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
5...KRISTINA MLADENOVIC, FRA
4...TIMEA BABOS, HUH
3...Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
3...Sania Mirza, IND
3...Samantha Stosur, AUS
3...Elena Vesnina, RUS
3...Vera Zvonareva, RUS
*CAREER OVERALL SLAM TITLES (WS/WD/MX) - active*
39 - Serena Williams, USA (23-14-2)
23 - Venus Williams, USA (7-14-2)
9 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA (0-5-4)
7 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (1-3-3)
7 - KRISTINA MLADENOVIC, FRA (0-5-2)
6 - Kim Clijsters, BEL (4-2-0)
6 - Sania Mirza, IND (0-3-3)
6 - Katarina Srebotnik, SLO (0-1-5)
*RG "DOUBLES STAR" WINNERS*
2006 Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
2007 Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
2008 Anabel Medina-Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual, ESP/ESP
2009 Virginia Ruano Pascual, ESP
2010 Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
2011 Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka, CZE/CZE
2012 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2013 Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2014 Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
2015 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
2016 Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic, FRA/FRA
2017 Gaby Dabrowski, CAN
2018 Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2019 Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2020 Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
*2019-20 WTA DOUBLES TITLES - duos*
8...Hsieh/Strycova, TPE/CZE (4/4)
5...BABOS/MLADENOVIC, HUN/FRA (3/2)
4...Chan/Chan, TPE/TPE (4/0)
3...Aoyama/Shibahara, JPN/JPN (2/1)
3...Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE (2/1)
3...Melichar/Peschke, USA/CZE (3/0)
3...Mertens/Sabalenka, BEL/BLR (3/0)
*CAREER WTA DOUBLES TITLES - active*
42 - Sania Mirza, IND
39 - Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
35 - Kveta Peschke, CZE
33 - Latisha Chan, TPE
31 - Barbora Strycova, CZE
28 - Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
27 - Andrea Sestini-Hlavackova CZE
27 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
27 - Sara Errani, ITA
26 - Samantha Stosur, AUS
24 - TIMEA BABOS, HUN
24 - Lucie Hradecka, CZE
24 - KRISTINA MLADENOVIC, FRA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #25 Amanda Anisimova/USA (lost 4 games)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Iga Swiatek/POL (no sets lost; def. #1 Halep)
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): Iga Swiatek/POL (first slam title)
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #17q Barbara Haas/AUT def. Diana Snigur/UKR 6-0/5-7/7-5 [Haas led 6-0/5-0 40/30, then DF; won on 4th MP on 5th attempt to serve out match]
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd.- (Q) Clara Tauson/DEN def. #21 Jennifer Brady/USA - 6-4/3-6/9-7 (17/slam debut; saved 2 MP, wins on MP #5)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - Caroline Garcia/FRA def. #16 Elise Mertens/BEL - 1-6/6-4/7-5 (night match on Chatrier)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): Wheelchair SF - Momoko Ohtani/JPN def. #1 Diede de Groot/NED 7-5/6-4 (in second career slam, Ohtani upsets #1 seed and defending champion)
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Kamilla Rakhimova/RUS (def.Rogers/USA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #17 Anett Kontaveit/EST (1st Rd./Garcia)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Bara/ROU, Burel/FRA, Paolini/ITA, Podoroska/ARG, Rakhimova/RUS, Tauson/DEN, Trevisan/ITA, Zarazua/MEX
UPSET QUEENS: Australia
REVELATION LADIES: Romania
NATION OF POOR SOULS: United States (4 of 7 seeds failed to reach 3r, Serena w/d 2r, US QF/SF Rogers & Brady 1r, Venus 1r, Gauff 2r w/ 19 DF)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Nadia Podoroska/ARG (SF) [LL Sharma-2nd Rd.]
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Genie Bouchard/CAN, Clara Burel/FRA, Tsvetana Pironkova/BUL (all 3rd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Gavrilova/AUS (2r), AK.Schmiedlova/SVK (3r)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Fiona Ferro and Carolina Garcia (4th Rd.)
Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Iga Swiatek/POL
IT "New Dane on the Block": Clara Tauson/DEN
COMEBACK PLAYERS: Anna Karolina Schmiedlova/SVK (had 12 con slam MD L; def. Venus & Vika) and Alona Ostapenko/LAT (had zero RG wins since '17 title; def. #2 Ka.Pliskova 2nd Rd.)
CRASH & BURN: 2020 U.S. Open semifinalists (Osaka DNP; Brady out 1st Rd., Serena w/d 2nd Rd., Azarenka upset 2nd Rd. within 24 hrs. on Day 3/4)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Kiki Bertens/NED (2nd Rd.: injured; Errani up a break 5 times in 3rd, served for match 3 times, 1 MP at 6-5; 3:11; collapses and wheeled off court after 9-7 win)
DOUBLES STARS: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA (defended title)
VETERAN PLAYERS (KIMIKO CUP): Laura Siegemund/GER (32; first slam QF) and Petra Kvitova/CZE (30; first RG semi since '12)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Martina Trevisan/ITA
JUNIOR BREAKOUTS: Elsa Jacquemot/FRA (slam WD MD debut; first FRA RG Jr. champ since '09); Alina Charaeva/RUS (Jr. RU; upset 3 seeds)
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Court Chatrier roof (+night tennis) debuts
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Simona Halep/ROU [not able to be awarded on LPT Day/June 1, Justine Henin's birthday -- but Halep wins on Day 1 on *her* own birthday]
