Jensen Zone: The Amazing Return in New York By Luke Jensen

The Amazing Return in New York

By Luke Jensen

Tennis fans, did you see the amazing U.S. Open?

At the beginning of the last major of the calendar year, it seemed with Federer, Serena, Nadal, Venus, Thiem (last year’s champion) and other notables not playing, it would bring down the energy of what is traditionally a powerhouse event. I will never again underestimate what new faces and storylines can emerge when there is enormous opportunity.

The new kids on the women’s side did not disappoint with two teenagers reaching the final and British phenom Emma Raducanu bringing home the beautiful trophy. Going into the Open, she had only won seven matches at the tour level in just two events. Raducanu was awarded a last-minute wild card entry into Wimbledon and made the most of it by reaching the Round of 16. After that run she did not do much in minor league events and then got hot as she reached the finals at a WTA event in Chicago before heading to the Big Apple for U.S. Open qualifying.

I want to stress just how extraordinary the accomplishment by Raducanu was and is. She is the first qualifier to win a major in tennis history, and she did not drop a set in her ten matches in New York. The closest set was in the second round of qualifying and that was 7-5. So let’s break down how a teenage girl, who just finished high school in Great Britain right before Wimbledon, has such a massive rise to the top of the game?

As an ESPN tennis analyst I was able to interview Emma at both Wimbledon and the Open. The first thing that jumped out at me was her ability to embrace the pressure of being a main draw player against this level of competition. I have always believed there are a large number of talents that have the ability to win majors but few that have the mental approach to actually win it. Raducanu would consistently say how much fun she was having and how much she enjoyed playing on the biggest stages in the world. I think with this win you will see more youngsters see the Raducanu win and say, “It’s my time!” To do so, they need to accept the challenge mentality, emotionally and tactically when they step into that arena.

The ATP saw this in the 80s and 90s when Michael Chang won the French Open out of nowhere, then Pete Sampras won the 1990 U.S. Open, followed by Jim Courier and Andre Agassi winning majors by 1992.

On a separate note, having fans back at the U.S. Open was so much fun to be part of. The noise they make and energy they bring is unmatched. Let’s hope that can continue as we enter 2022. The Australian Government is mandating players to be vaccinated to compete in the 2022 Australian Open, which is another step towards global safety and a path forward towards normalcy.

Keep an eye on the teenagers that are in your area winning tournaments who are about to use the Emma example to what can happen with tremendous personal confidence and hard work. Maybe, just maybe, the Cinderella glass slipper will fit once again!

Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open doubles title. Luke is currently director of tennis at Sea Island Tennis Center in Georgia. He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or email lukejensen84@yahoo.com.