2019 Off Season

Season Recap

Here we go, the year is done, so I thought I'll post the winners of the most important tournaments (GS, YEC, M1000, PM, P5, DC and FC). I'm gonna go chronologically, mixing the ladies with the gents.

January

AO

Naomi Osaka - She must be very happy, right?

Pique (Davis?) Cup

Davis (Pique?) Cup by Rakuten Finals, Madrid

Map!

NATPF London

Nitto ATP Finals, London

Yeah, the map...

The ladies ended their season. We're left with the gents... what can you do?

Fed Cup Final; ATP Next Gen

Fed Cup Final; ATP Next Gen Finals

What can I say? It's a global sport!

We had the SWTAFS, but the real end of the season for the women is always The Fed Cup Final. The men turn into boys for one week with The Milan Next Gen Finals, as an appetizer for London.

SWTAFS; Paris

Shiseido WTA Finals, Shenzhen; ATP Rolex Paris Masters

Hey! See in the corner up there? The Earth is round!

So here we are! The WTA is at the end of the season. With a BANG (a BIG BANG, hopefully, for the bucks they'll get!) in Shenzhen. The men get their last Masters in Paris, and there are several players still hoping to get to their YEC.

Zhuhai, Basel, Vienna

WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai; ATP Basel and Vienna

I love this map! Vertical Italy and Japan!

The women enter the penultimate week of the WTA season, and this year it makes sense, at last, as it is the week of the 2nd banana YEC - The WTA Elite Trophy, in Zhuhai. The men warm up for the last Masters (Paris) by having two indoor ATP 500 - Basel and Vienna.

100% Europe Indoor

WTA&ATP Moscow; WTA Luxembourg; 

ATP Antwerp, Stockholm

The perfect time zone! Right? Right?

It's the men's turn to take the back seat, having three ATP 250s while the women have a Premier and an International.

Shanghai

ATP Shanghai; WTA Linz, Tianjin

Both Koreas in it! Sorry!

The women take the back seat this week with just two WTA Internationals. The men have a Masters 1000 in Shanghai. The penultimate one of the year.

Beijing and Tokyo

WTA&ATP Beijing, ATP Tokyo

This is not about any of the Koreas! I swear!

Last Premier Mandatory of the season for the women and two ATP 500 for the men.

100% Asia

WTA Wuhan, Tashkent; ATP Chengdu, Zhuhai

Asian Swing in full swing. Ladies come swinging into the last P5 of the season, gents don't bother much (there's a swinging joke to be made here but yeah...) - just two ATP 250. Ladies first.

Outdoor Asia, Indoor Europe

As the title says, we're pretty spread out. WTA continues the Asian Swing on HC outdoor (rain was already a problem last week in China). ATP gets indoors on HC in Europe. Unlike last week we get some big names in action.

WTA Osaka, Guangzhou, Seoul

Post USO Blues

WTA Zhengzhou, Hiroshima, Nanchang; Davis Cup

So the ladies start The Asian Swing while the gents have a Davis (Pique?) Cup weekend.

New York New York; cont.

I know one thing - we love to "talk".

So how are your story lines unfolding?

New York New York

Yeah I did a map!  Am easily pleased.....😇😊

The Grand Finale of the Grand Slams

Winston-Salem, Bronx; cont.

Ok Ladies and Gents this is a quickie for us to continue posting until tomorrow when I post the new USO blog...

ATP Winston-Salem; WTA Bronx

So we're closing fast to the final GS of the year: USO. It's the last week and both tours take it easy, with a WTA International and an ATP 250. Even the few big names in those draws decided on a no show. Understandably. They're still playing in the qualies and we can expect more withdrawals, but here's where we're at:

MCM ATP/WTA TOP 5

 by JoJo  

GUIDELINES TOP 5 PICKS (Updated June, 10, 2023)

1. Picks limited to 15 individuals as follows:

• 5 active ATP players
• 5 active WTA players
• 5 retired/legends/doubles specialists that are not active in singles. 

Favorite = player who tops your viewing enjoyment (may have no personal affinity toward); favorite all-around current player - but either way takes a spot as ONE of your FIVE. Ideally those two qualities are the same player!

In the past, submission of changes were relegated to twice a year: Week after Roland Garros and Last Week of the off season. However, since our membership has not only shrunk but few remaining even remembered about the List or the time to change your picks, the new Rule is now more flexible. 

If anyone feels extremely convinced they need to remove and/or replace a player from either their WTA or ATP Top 5, alert one of the two, active Sheriffs.  We'll do our best to accommodate This applies just for the two active players lists. The legends list (if you've chosen any) remains a one-time deal.