Pennetta’s royal exit

At 33, Flavia Pennetta finally won her first Grand Slam title, and announced her intention to retire at the end of the season. Enough to earn the top spot in our ranking of the week, before the other winner of the US Open, the doting father Novak Djokovic who dominated in final, the saviour of a young autograph hunter, Roger Federer.

 

1- Flavia Pennetta (NE).

 

What an entrance in our ranking! The Italian Flavia Pennetta succeeds in the most remarkable way the end of her career by winning her first major title...`

 

 

...Since she announced right after winning the title that she will retire at the end of the season.

 

 

It was a dream final for Pennetta, who was able to count on the unwavering support of her boyfriend, Fabio Fognini...

 

 

 

Dream final as well for Italian tennis, with Roberta Vinci as valiant opponent and two other compatriots as supporters, Sara Errani and Francesca Schiavone.

 

 

2- Novak Djokovic (+3).

 

The clash of the Titans in the men's final necessarily caused one to be disappointed, and it wasn’t Novak Djokovic. Imperial in the final, the Serb completed a perfect week at the end of which he leaves with the trophy, the tenth Grand Slam of his career...

 

 

Already. To say that Novak will feel at home in Flushing Meadows even more in coming years, a place he already seemed to really enjoy before this victory.

 

 

During the tournament Djoko could count on the support of his wife and his faithful Boris Becker, who hasn’t failed to throw a little dig to Roger Federer.

 

 

But the best and most important support of Djokovic, it's Stefan, his young son born in October 2014, who seems to enjoy crawling on the body of his daddy!

 

 

3-  Roger Federer (/).

 

Almost fantastic Roger Federer! At 34, the Swiss has never been so close to winning his 18th Grand Slam title, his sixth US Open, the first since 2008. But he fell against a great Novak Djokovic who left him very little opportunities on the court.

 

 

In wonderful shape throughout the New York fortnight, Federer has won the admiration of the spectators in every match. Well... The audience wasn’t trying to play smart in front of the cameras! Isn't it Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake?

 

 

Still the classiest, Federer also consoled a young supporter crushed by other ones much bigger and much more aggressive than him, during the traditional agitation surrounding the autograph session after the match.

 

 

Dry your eyes, little one, you finally have the signature of master Roger on your ball and even on your cap.

 

4- Roberta Vinci (NE).

 

The unlucky finalist in the final of the women's draw still managed a nice entrance in our ranking, thanks to the most beautiful fortnight of her career. Even after her defeat against Pennetta, Roberta Vinci had a wide, genuine smile.

 

 

Live these moments with her friend and compatriot, it's true that it’s beautiful. The repeated performance of Vinci the warrior have in any case been welcomed by the local press...

 

 

...And by another friend of the tour, the French Kristina Mladenovic who also had a fine US Open.

 

 

5- Serena Williams (+7).

 

Huge surprise at the US Open! The big favourite of the women's draw, Serena Williams lost at the gates of the final, defeated by a strategist named Roberta Vinci. Even though she was at home, the American couldn't manage to complete the calendar Grand Slam in 2015 as she was hoping for, not joining Steffi Graf amongst the victorious players of 22 majors.

 

 

Still remains the performance and some beautiful moments to remember during these two weeks at home, such as this emotional confrontation against her sister Venus...

 

 

…The support of her fans, even the youngest…

 

 

Or the most famous, such as Kim Kardashian.

 

 

6- Stanislas Wawrinka (NE).

 

Generous fortnight in New York for Stan Wawrinka. Generous with his compatriot Roger Federer, of whom he didn't stop the qualification in final at the end of a semi-final that went only one-way. Not without a fight though.

 

 

 

Generous with the public also, since he gave the racquet he broke during his match against Donald to two young spectators.

 

 

And finally generous with the journalists, to whom he gave after a press conference a few keychains in the image of the famous shorts with which he won the French Open.

 

 

Nice stunt, Stan The Man. And a good way to get the media in your pocket, literally and figuratively!

 

7- Kristina Mladenovic (NE).

 

So many good performances for the French! In recent months, the progress of "Kiki" Mladenovic on the courts have been dazzling and the results have obviously followed, with a first Grand Slam quarter-final played at Flushing Meadows. Enough to make the little brother proud of his sis!

 

 

Mladenovic didn't only played well, she also made the show, with a very nice successful "tweener", the Federer’s way...

 

 

...And a beautiful series of juggling. You can call her Ronaldo.

 

Despite the defeat in three sets in quarterfinal against Roberta Vinci, the new French number one quickly forgot this missed opportunity by going on a little shopping spree in the streets of New York...

 

 

...Before going back to France and to the Karabatic brothers’ PSG handball club.

 

 

8- Richard Gasquet (NE).

 

The stroke of genius of the fortnight? Attributed to Richard Lionheart, who knows intermittently how to justify his reputation of “Mozart of tennis”.

 

 

A pretty moody Mozart in any case, if we are to believe the rumour that he and his friend Jo-Wilfried Tsonga managed to get the head of the French captain in Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, Arnaud Clement. Weakened by the recent defeat to Britain and therefore challenged internally by some of the players, the former bandanas fan would be replaced by an old acquaintance, a young man called Yannick Noah.

 

9- Viktoria Azarenka (NE).

 

The Belarus always loves to be beautiful and to be appreciated by her fans on social networks, with pictures always carefully chosen...

 

 

... And even some virtual autographs, as the ones signed on the camera when the players leave the court.

 

 

She also knows how to be a little mischievous with some insinuations a little naughty to say the least...

 

 

Otherwise on a tennis point of view, the fortnight was satisfactory but cut short by a defeat against Halep in quarterfinals, after a magnificent fight in three sets punctuated by some nice points, like this unlikely lob succeeded by the Romanian.

 

 

10- Kevin Anderson (NE).

 

 

One of the best perf 'of the New York fortnight is signed by Kevin Anderson. The South African giant won against Andy Murray in the last sixteen after a match beautifully contested, completed in four sets including three whose outcome was decided in the tie break.

 

 

The feat was worth the congratulations of the organizers, who decided to award him the price of fair play.

 

 

Yes, because he’s also a gentleman!

 

11- Rafael Nadal (-2).

 

The year 2015 is definitely a year to forget for Nadal, eliminated in the third round of the US Open by Fabio Fognini in five sets, while he had won the first two. Obviously deeply affected by the loss, Nadal still had the class to sign autographs before leaving the court... Including the programs of the day on which he appeared as a conqueror. A picture both beautiful and sad.

 

 

To clear his head and try to bounce back, Rafa has a plan: to make his return in the Spanish team for the playoffs of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, against Denmark with David Ferrer. Nothing like going back to your "family" to dry your tears and plan new goals.

 

12- Marin Cilic (NE).

 

After a quite average season 2015 so far, Marin Cilic courageously defended the title won to the general surprise at the US Open last year, only Grand Slam title on his prize list. The Croat particularly managed to defeat Tsonga in five sets in the quarterfinals before unfortunately losing in three straight sets against a truck called Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals...

 

 

Physically diminished, Cilic was humiliated by his Serb neighbour by only managing to take him three games. Unheard of. Inevitably it's hard to swallow.

 

13- James Blake (NE).

 

The WTF news of the week in the world of tennis happened in spite of himself to a recent retiree. On September 9th, James Blake was arrested by mistake by the NYPD for a mobile phone stolen as he was waiting at the exit of his hotel to go to Flushing Meadows. The Former American champion had obviously nothing to do with the identity theft case that inspectors were investigating but the arrest by one of them was rather assertive, as evidenced by a video that leaked since.

 

 

NYPD apologized and Blake chose to take the incident placidly...

 

 

14- Timea Bacsinszky (NE).

 

Eliminated prematurely from the women's draw at the US Open, defeated straight away by the Czech Barbora Strycova, Timea Bacsinszky took advantage of her unexpected free time to enjoy a first flight in a small plane, not very far from her home above Geneva.

 

 

 

For consolation, she will also receive the honours of the city of Lausanne, which has decided to reward one of the revelations of the WTA tour this season. Stanislas Wawrinka will also receive this high distinction during a ceremony on September 16^th. This award is usually given to personalities who have contributed to the good reputation of the city. Class.

 

15- Pierre-Hugues Herbert (NE).

 

He's the little French who never stops improving! Already doubles finalist in Melbourne earlier this year with Nicolas Mahut, the finalist, in singles this time of the Winston Salem tournament in late August did it again with the same partner, reaching the final against Jamie Murray and John Peers.

 

 

Must see, the wonderful match ball played by « P2H »…

 

 

But tennis isn’t the only discipline where Pierre-Hughes is shining, according to a video that circulated on social networks recently and which shows him, guitar in hand, playing (brilliantly) a Ben Harper's song: Amen Women.

 

 

Since Noah, we know that it's possible to be a French tennis man and a successful singer...!

 

Out:

 

Kyrgios, Vandeweghe, Wozniacki, Paire, Safarova, Murray, Dodin, Ivanovic, Robredo, Fognini, Bouchard

 

By Régis Delanöe