Retired players Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Mary Joe Fernandez and Martina Navratilova held a news conference after their exhibition doubles match Sunday at the U.S. Open and spoke enthusiastically about the success of U.S. women’s tennis.
There was an all-American women’s final on Saturday, won by Sloane Stephens. And Sunday’s women’s final was a clash between two young Americans, with Amanda Anisimova beating Cori Gauff, 6-0, 6-2. This year, the women’s finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon were also an all-American affair.
“Anisimova, she can play,” Navratilova said of the New Jersey-born 16-year-old.
Fernandez added praise for Gauff, who goes by Coco, then mentioned her age. Navratilova panted loudly.
“Thirteen?” » Navratilova said, incredulously.
The shock was understandable: Gauff was the youngest player to reach the US Open women’s final and could have become the youngest champion at a junior Grand Slam tournament since Martina Hingis won the 1993 French Open at the age of 12. The second youngest was Jennifer Capriati. , who won the 1989 French Open at age 13.
The precocious Capriati was greeted with breathless excitement as she emerged from the tour. Sports Illustrated’s March 1990 cover exclaimed, “And she’s only 13!” » Newsweek dubbed her “The 8th Grade Wonder.”
Facing too much pressure and exposure too young, Capriati would become a cautionary tale, a textbook case of burnout on the professional tennis circuit. In 1994, the WTA decided to limit the number of professional tournaments that teenagers could participate in at each age. Players aged 13 and under cannot play it; Ages 14 to 17 can play a limited number, gradually increasing each year from eight to 10 then 12 to 16. Up to four additional tournaments can be added per year if a player performs well.
“You only have to look at what happened with Jennifer Capriati to realize that there was clearly a level of expectation far greater than was fair or humane before she reached a reasonable age,” said Pam Shriver, then president of the association. WTA, said at the time.
Some players like Hingis and Venus Williams were grandfathered in; otherwise, the pipeline of adolescent phenoms has all but dried up. Maria Sharapova was the last 17-year-old to win a Grand Slam tournament, at Wimbledon in 2004.
Gauff noted that the men’s circuit had no such age limits, but said she had accepted them as a reality of the sport.
“I wish the age rules were a little different, because they have no limits on the men’s side,” she said. “But if it doesn’t change, I’ll accept it.” I understand why they put rules in place, to try not to exhaust girls so young. But I feel like I could be doing better things.
While no one doubts the rule was well-intentioned, many still question its fairness, including Gauff’s father, Corey.
“They set this thing up for something that hadn’t gone well in the past,” he said. “That’s what the rule is for, and I don’t think this is that situation.” I just want to give him the chance to compete with better players. You saw today: she is facing a girl who participates in many WTA tournaments, and this is not accessible to her.
Gauff, originally from Florida, trains in France at Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy. Mouratoglou, who coaches Serena Williams, said some players might naturally reach their peak earlier.
“I know it was created to protect the players, but I don’t think it protects the players,” he said. “I think it only stops them from being as good as they can be. And I think Martina Hingis would never have been world No. 1 if there was this rule.
In 1997, at age 16, Hingis won three Grand Slam singles titles, including the US Open, where she defeated 17-year-old Venus Williams in the final. She won her last of five major singles titles at age 18 in 1999.
“You can’t kill the players’ momentum,” Mouratoglou said. “Some players play their best tennis at 30, others at 16. Everyone is different and you have to respect these differences.”
Mouratoglou said Gauff should replicate the experience she would gain on tour with competitive training sessions.
“She will play practice matches, but it’s not the same,” he said.
Davenport added that the limited number of tournaments could put additional pressure on younger players.
“I understand what the WTA is trying to do; I don’t like it,” she said. “I think when some of these kids play a tournament, they feel even more pressure.”
Navratilova suggested Gauff could “hire a good lawyer” to get the rule overturned.
“But you know, the tour will still be there when she turns 18,” Navratilova added. “She’s not really going to lose much, but at the same time, it’s such a phenomenon.”
