Aging awsomely

A drink for every occasion.

How it started -> How it ended. pic.twitter.com/KAmG2hvu4O

— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) May 17, 2025

This past weekend, world number 4 Jasmine Paolini not only showed (yet again) that she's a true member of the Fighting Italian contingent--she also displayed a particular Fighting Italian characteristic--the power of age. Francesca Schiavone was 30 when she won the French Open, and Flavia Pennetta was 33 when she won the U.S. Open. Those were the only majors they won, though Schiavone was a French Open finalist the year after she won the event. And--while Sara Errani achieved a Career Slam in doubles when she was 27--she won Olympic gold in doubles when she was 34. Billie Jean King Cup specialist Roberta Vinci never won a singles major, but she became a finalist at age 32, and she was 31 when she achieved a Career Slam in doubles.

Paolini, age 29, just became the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the Italian Open, and she won it twice, getting both the singles and the doubles trophies. Last year, when she was 28, she reached the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. Prior to that, the spirited Italian player was known more as a hardworking journeywoman on the tour. 

What is it about these Italian players that allows them to carry on through the years, and then--when many other players would be retired or winding down--achieve the top awards in professional tennis?

"When. the. moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie..."
"That's Pennetta!" pic.twitter.com/hXbbz1NZOV

— Diane Elayne Dees (@WomenWhoServe) September 13, 2015

When writing about Italians, one is tempted to use a food or wine metaphor. Schiavone once said, when speaking about her game: "Is a mix. It's like Capricciosa pizza. I don't give you Margherita, I give you Capricciosa, different kind of ingredient." I did use a kind of wine as a metaphor when describing Maria Sharapova's second French Open victory, and indeed, Sharapova and champagne seem to go together. 

The Fighting Italians, however, are obviously in the red wine camp. When I think of aged, complex Italian wine, Barolo comes to mind. Nebbiolo grapes are fermented in oak for a couple of months. The wine, depending on the variety, is then aged for as long as long as five years, with some of that process occurring in the bottle.  

The Fighting Italians are definitely Borolo Reserva, which requires maximum aging. Borolo is spicy and complex, and if that doesn't describe Schiavone, Pennetta, Errani, Vinci, and Paolini, I don't know what does. Aged in oak: those years grinding in out on the courts, then aged in the bottle--the maturity that comes when you are determined to reach your highest potential, yet you also know not to take everything too seriously. 

Theoretically, the pressure is now on Paolini to defend (and surpass?) her 2024 French Open and Wimbledon runs. I trust the way Italians age, and the way they handle pressure. Paolini has already won more 1000 tournaments than any of the original four, and the season is still young. Sooner or later, she'll be raising another glass--as well she should.

With fans like these, who needs enemies?

Recently, when discussing Jannik Sinner's drug ban, Serena Williams said, "I can't help but think about Maria Sharapova all this time. I can't help but feel for her." In a related statement, Sam Stosur said: "My point of view used to be very black and white. You get caught, you are done, no matter what. But I have to say, in this instance, where all those things are the facts, like it’s been proven from many, many doctors and people going through this, a player shouldn’t be banned for this, in my opinion, you shouldn’t be now one or two years banned, which is normally what would happen.”

Nice, but what should have come next was a public apology to Sharapova, whom--without having any relevant information--Stosur harshly criticized upon hearing that the Russian star had been suspended. It didn't come.

I have written a lot about WADA, etc., and the gross unfairness shown toward players like Sharapova and Simona Halep. Craig Reedie, who was president of WADA at the time, publicly stated that--because Sharapova made more money than WADA had in its budget--he was glad to see her brought down. That statement alone was grounds for a lawsuit, but Sharapova didn't file one. And both Sharapova and Halep were (and continue to be) trashed by so-called fans who are familiar with either part of the evidence or--in some cases--none at all.

Now the target is world number 2 Iga Swiatek, who is in what some might call a slump. At any rate, something is wrong, and that includes something wrong on clay courts, which Swiatek has dominated for some time. Many observers are certain (because they have supernatural vision and information-gathering powers) that the problem is the Polish star's mental coach. Others are quick to say that the problem is that Swiatek can no longer "use drugs."

I have no idea what the problem is, though it isn't illogical to wonder whether Swiatek's suspension had a profound psychological effect on her. But that, too, is just a guess. Only Swiatek knows what's really bothering her.

Today's a good day to remember that some of you judge these players way too harshly based on a very limited set of information.

It's always a good idea to assume that you don't know the full picture. No amount of time spent on this app will change that.

— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) May 1, 2025

Iga Swiatek is an easy target. A rather charming nerd, she prefers Lego construction and map-drawing in the clay to creating TikTok videos (though Aryna Sabalenka has gotten her to do that) and making red carpet appearances. And, according to the hopelessly sexist Jimmy Arias, she's bad for women's tennis because her cap doesn't allow us to see her face ("smile!)". An enthusiastic Swiftie and an avid reader, the world number 2 is intelligent and articulate, but those qualities don't seem to matter much to many who call themselves tennis fans. 

This is also a good time to mention that the Ukranian players are still repeatedly bashed on social media for not shaking hands with the Russian and Belarusian players. So, for the hundredth time, they cannot shake hands for fear of having the resulting photos and videos used as propaganda. Is that really so hard to understand? Apparently, it is.

The WTA's top players--Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, Gauff, Svitolina, etc.--are constantly criticized for being too inconsistent, too disappointing, too rich, too lazy, too fill-in-the-blank. The fact of the matter is that they work very hard all the time, they're under a lot of stress, and they're human. They have to deal with fans, sponsors, their teams, constant travel, intense training, injuries, increasing threats from sports gamblers, and questionable drug accusations and bans. 

I remember once, many years ago, sitting in the stands of a small court in Charleston. A player had a long discussion with the chair umpire about whether a ball was out, and about the examination of the mark on the clay. A man across from me yelled at her to “shut up and play,” To this day, I regret that I didn’t yell back at him, “You’re here for recreation—she’s trying to make a living,” (I cleaned that up.) 

ATP players also get their share of unjust criticism (while getting almost no criticism at all for their sexism and misogyny), but they don't get criticized nearly as much for their appearance, and they don't get threatened with sexual assault and rape (though they do get threatened), nor do they get told on a regular basis that they are inferior athletes because of their gender. 

As I've written before, being a sports fan is a personal thing. We identify with athletes, are inspired by them, and project all manner of our own issues onto them. Sports is a kind of shorthand for the lives we all live--enjoy victory or suffer defeat, play it safe or take risks, keep trying or give up. That involves a lot of drama, and a lot of emotion, and that can be exciting. But with increasing access to misinformation and disinformation, an obvious deficit of critical thinking skills among many people, and no end in sight to sexism and misogyny--the world of women's tennis has become increasingly fraught with falsehoods, hostility and all manner of unpleasantness. 

Fortunately, there's a lot of positive and interesting news to report about women's tennis, and there are several organizations and individuals who report it--and who also report the not-so-positive news in a rational, fact-based way.

Jessica Pegula wins her first clay court title in Charleston

Jessica Pegula (photo by Daniel Ward)

 
For the third year in a row, Jessica Pegula reached the semifinals of the Credit One Charleston Open. This time was different, though, in that the world number 4 made it all the way to the final. And she did even better than that--Pegula defeated Sofia Kenin 6-3, 7-5 in the final to claim the championhsip. When the rankings are published tomorrow, Pegula will be the highest-ranked U.S. player. This is her ninth title, and her first title on clay.

 

Jessica Pegula (photo by Daniel Ward)

Pegula, the number 1 seed, took the first set fairly easily, but then wilted a bit. Kenin, as one would expect, took advantage of what appeared to be some fatigue on Pegula's part--Pegula made a run to the Miami final last week and had acknowledged that she was tired--and went up 5-1. But Pegula's reputation as a smart, level-headed tactician served her well. And Kenin, for her part, seemed to implode (not unlike Danielle Collins in her quarterfinal match against Pegula), though, in this case, there was evidence that she may not have been feeling her best physically. Pegula won the next six games, and that was that. 

 

Sofia Kenin (photo by Daniel Ward)

 
 After the match, Pegula confirmed that fatigue was an issue:

"I just got really tired because I think I was like realizing I was going to go to a third; and I was kind of like, oh, I don't know if I can do this again. Like I've done this the last couple matches. Even in Miami, playing a couple tough three sets.

"And I think it's just more emotionally draining than anything, but I think at the same time sometimes I've done it before in the past where once you kind of like accept that you're not trying to fake on it or force it, you're like, okay, I'm tired. How do I figure this out? And I think sometimes when you can kind of relax, take a breath and refocus, that sometimes that can help, and I think it actually did help me today."

Earlier in the day, top seeds Alona Ostapenko and Erin Routliffe won the doubles championship, defeating 3rd seeds Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk 6-4, 6-2. Ostapenko hadn't planned to play doubles in Charleston. However, Routliffe found herself without a partner--her regular partner, Gabriela Dabrowski, decided to take a little time off--so she asked Ostapenko to play with her, and Ostapenko happily accepted the invitation.

Erin Routliffe and Alona Ostapenko (photo by Daniel Warsd)

 

Erin Routliffe and Alona Ostapenko (photo by Daniel Ward)

This result made me think of something similar that happened in Charleston in 2013. Lucie Safarova, the defending doubles champion, didn't have a partner. Neither did Kiki Mladenovic, so--right before the tournament began--they entered as a team. (In those days, some of us liked to say that a winning team was "Mladenovic and Anybody"--substitute "Siniakova" today.) Safarova had never played doubles together before; in fact, they had never practiced together. I asked Lucie how she thought they would do, and she gave me a strong "what do you think?" side eye. They won the tournament.

I'm not used to watching the Charleston Open on television. I attend ever year--it's one of my favorite things to do--but this year, I was unable to. It was gratifying to hear both hosts and players at the Tennis Channel desk talk about all the things that make the event so great. 

In addition to having new champions, some other big news came out of Charleston today. First, Credit One has agreed to be the title sponsor through 2031. Also, starting next year, the Charleston Open will offer equal prize money.

Top seed Jessica Pegula to face unseeded Sofia Kenin in Charleston final

Sofia Kenin, Jessica Pegula (photos by Daniel Ward)

 

 

 

 

Today was a windy day on Daniel Island, and Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova, had to make constant adjustments in order to compete effectively in their semifinal. Alexandrova is not an easy opponent for Pegula, who said, after the match: "It's been the same kind of story line in the past when I played her; played good first set, she comes back in the second, and then usually I tend to lose the third. So glad I was able to flip that script today."

Pegula had more nice things to say about her opponent: "She's really good. She's a really good player. I mean, there's a reason she beats a lot of players. She can play at a really high level. Her game is tough to play against, the way she strikes the ball, when she serving well, returning well."

Each player dominated for a set, and the third set was all that spectators could have hoped for. The match, which featured thirteen breaks of serve, lasted two hour and twenty minutes, and, in the end, it was Pegula--known for her consistency--who was the more consistent, defeating Alexandrova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. 

Ekaterina Alexandrova (photo by Daniel Ward)

This was Pegula's third consecutive Charleston semifinal. In 2023, she lost to eventual runner-up Belinda Bencic (who was also the defending champion), and last year, she lost to Daria Kasatkina, who was also the eventual runner-up.

The other semifinal was, unfortunately, a different story. I was expecting quite a battle between Sofia Kenin and Amanda Anisimova, but after the third game of the first set, Anisimova sustained a right hip injury and had to get treatment. With Kenin leading 5-2 in that set, Anisimova had to retire. 

Sofia Kenin and Amanda Anisimova (photo b Daniel Ward)

The last time that Kenin, who is unseeded, was in a clay court final was in 2020, but it was a big one--the French Open. Kenin won the Australian Open that year, and then had an excellent run in Paris, defeating both Danielle Collins and Petra Kvitova. She fell, however, to Iga Swiatek in the final. Since that time, she has not had the same success on the tour; however, this week in Charleston, Kenin has been playing superb tennis, taking out a resurgent Belinda Bencic, 5th seed Daria Kasatkina, and Anna Kalinskaya. 

Pegula is 3-2 against Kenin. One of Kenin's victories took place in the third round of the 2021 French Open, when Kenin was the defending champion.

Tomorrow will mark the first time in 35 years that two women from the USA meet in the Charleston final; in 1990, Martina Navratilova defeated Jennifer Capriati.

We also have doubles finalists. Top seeds Aļona Ostapenko and Erin Routliffe will face off against 3rd seeds Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk.

Paths to the final:

JESSICA PEGULA (1)
round 1--bye
round 2--def. Irina Shymanovich
round 3--def. Ajla Tomljanovic
quarterfinals--def. Danielle Collins (7)
semifinals--def. Ekaterina Alexandrova (9)

SOFIA KENIN 
round 1--def. Bernada Pera
round 2--def. Belinda Bencic (17)
round 3--def. Daria Kasatkina (5)
quarterfinals--def. Anna Kalinskaya (24)
semifinals--def. Amanda Anisimova (8) (ret.)

Pegula to play third consecutive semifinal in Charleston today

Jessica Pegula, Ekaterina Alexandrova (photos by Daniel Ward)

When Jessica Pegula walks onto the court today, she'll be making her third consecutive semifinal appearance in Charleston; she lost to Belinda Bencic in 2023 and to Daria Kasatkina in 2024. It will also be her eighth appearance at the Charleston Open. Pegula, currently ranked number 4 in the world, is the top seed in Charleston.

Pegula, who holds an 18-12 tour level semifinal win record, will face 9th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in today's semifinal. The Russian player has a 2-1 record against the top seed, but her one loss to her was on clay (Rome, 2021). This is Alexandrova's fourth appearance in Charleston, and her second appearance in semifinals--she lost to eventual champion Belinda Bencic in 2022.

Amanda Anisimova, Sofia Kenin (photos by Daniel Ward)

In today's second semifinal, 8th seed Amanda Anisimova takes on unseeded Sofia Kenin. This is Anisimova's second run to the Charleston semifinals; she lost to Ons Jabeur in 2022. A win for Anisimova today would mark her best WTA 500 performance.

This is Kenin's seventh appearance at the Charleston Open; prior to this week, she had never made it past the second round. Kenin played her only other clay court semifinal in 2020 at the French Open, where she would go on to be a finalist. She and Anisimova have played each other only twice before, in 2017; Anisimova won their match on clay.

Unseeded Sofia Kenin advances to Charleston semifinals

Sofia Kenin (photo by Daniel Ward)

2020 Australian Open champion and French Open runner-up Sofia Kenin, unseeded at the Credit One Charleston Open, found her game in a big way this week, taking out a resurgent Belinda Bencic, 5th seed Daria Kasatkina and, today, Anna Kalinskaya, 6-4, 6-3. Kenin, who has yet to drop a set, will face Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals.

One of the things that commentators talked about today was that--when she's "on"--it's very difficult for anyone to beat Kenin. And something that I remember about her run to both the Australian and French Open finals five years ago was her blessedly short memory; when she made an error or a wrong shot choice, she just moved on, with no energy wasted on regret or anger.

Jessica Pegula (photo by Daniel Ward)

In today's first quarterfinal, top seed Jessica Pegula faced off against defending champion Danielle Collins, and nothing about that match felt like anything what I imagine most people were expecting. Collins steamrolled through the first set, taking it 6-1. And while I doubt that anyone thought that Pegula was going to just roll over in the second set (and she didn't), I also don't think that anyone was expecting Collins to implode. The 7th seed began making uncharacteristic errors--and then continued making them, easing the way for Pegula to defeat her, 1-6, 6-3, 6-0. 

Collins looked out of sorts in the second and third sets, and later--when she met with the press--she said that she was feeling out of sorts in the first set, too, despite her dominant display. When a member of the media remarked that Collins must have been feeling pretty good after the first set, she replied that " Yeah. Surprising that I actually wasn't. I think I just got into my own head about stuff and just didn't--wasn't--yeah, wasn't in a positive mindset today, and it cost me the match."

Pegula is now 6-0 against Collins.

Ekaterina Alexandrova (photo by Daniel Ward)

9th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova won her quarterfinal match against an injured Zheng Qinwen, whose ongoing arm/elbow injury disabled her excellent serve. Alexandrova held her nerve--something players don't always do against elite injured opponents--and defeated Zheng 6-1, 6-4.

A

Amanda Anisimova (photo by Daniel Ward)

And finally, two more USA players contested the last quarterfinal--8th seed Amanda Anisimova and 4th seed Emma Navarro. The stands were packed, and the players didn't disappoint. Anisimova won a tight first set 7-5, which was followed by six breaks in a row. Navarro then held, but was immediately broken. About this time, the commentators declared Anisimova to be cooked, but the Doha champion begged to differ, and at 5-all, she broke Navarro's serve.

To add to the drama, Anisimova then had to have a blister treated. Following the treatment, she served for the match, but was broken (of course), which led to a second set tiebreak, which Anisimova won decisively, giving her a 7-6, 7-6(1) victory. Anisimova is now 3-0 against Navarro.

 Here is the semifinal singles draw:

Jessica Pegula (1) vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova (9)
Amanda Anisimova (8) vs. Sofia Kenin

The semifinals are also set in doubles. Top seeds Alona Ostapenko and Erin Routliffe will play Hailey Baptiste and Caty McNally, and 3rd seeds Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk will compete against Diana Shnaider and Peyton Stearns.

I know what it means to miss--Charleston

Patty Schnyder in 2005 (photo by Diane Elayne Dees)

The first time I attended the Charleston Open, which was the Family Circle Cup back then, was in 2005. I went for the latter half of the tournament, and on a very chilly morning, I saw my first match, in which Patty Schnyder played Klara Koukalova. It was so cold that the players kept their warmup clothes on throughout the match. I was a Schnyder fan, so this third round match was perfect for me, especially since Schnyder won it.

I stayed in Summerville that year, and--for several years after that--I stayed in Mount Pleasant. You can watch the tournament on television, but you can't really experience the vibe that is the Charleston Open unless you're there. With the exception of 2020, when the event was canceled, and 2021, when a few of us covered the tournament (plus an extra WTA 125 tournament) virtually, I attended every year. Until this year. I tried to make it work, but this year, I was unable to go, so I'm watching it on TV, and it's rather emotional for me because I really want to be there.

(photo by Diane Elayne Dees)

The event, which used to be held in Hilton Head, has a long and rich history. The longest-running women's tournament in the U.S., it's also the only green clay tournament. The palm and palmetto trees of Daniel Island give the Charleston Open a different look from other tennis events, and the green of the trees--along with the green of the court surfaces--adds to the beauty of the venue. The players love it: For the last three years, they've voted it the best 500 tournament on the tour. That's because the atmosphere is very relaxing, the grounds are beautiful, and the players are given the kind of  personalized, special treatment that makes them want to return.

(photo by Diane Elayne Dees)

Before the already-attractive tournament site got a beautiful re-do with significant upgrades, the media worked in a building known as the "media tent," which shook during thunderstorms. Once, while Jelena Jankovic (who--though not quite as big a Charleston rock star as Schnyder became--was nevertheless a huge crowd favorite) was in the stadium playing a night match, the building shook so hard that a couple of us--remembering the famous 2011 New Haven earthquake incident--simply looked at each other and said "Jankovic." 

The weather could be crazy--blazing hot in the daytime, and freezing at night. In 2007, a tornado hit the stadium, knocking down several items (though, many of us noted, not the Justine Henin banner--it wouldn't dare). And in 2017, a combination rain-hail storm forced us to evacuate the media tent--but only after we had each donned a garbage bag.

just hanging out behind the media tent (photo by Diane Elayne Dees)

I'm not a fan of exhibition matches, but I saw one, many years ago, in Charleston that was so funny I laughed about it for weeks. The two stand-out participants were Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta, who were hilarious. 

Charleston crowds tend to be different from other crowds. When Vera Zvonareva performed her famous racket break--surely the greatest such break in WTA history--other crowds would have booed her, but the people in the Charleston stands cheered her on. And when Yulia Putintseva started yelling in the middle of a match, the crowd yelled along with her. Charleston fans also love doubles, and the stands are always packed. And Charleston Open attendees are quick to support lesser known players.

I could go on and on, but really, you have to be there. As a member of the tennis media, I should point out that Charleston's media volunteers are the cream of the crop. Again, you have to be there to truly appreciate the vibe. I'll get through this, and I'll keep watching the tournament on television while the camera-toting half of Women Who Serve, my friend Daniel Ward, keeps me supplied with his wonderful photos. But I miss being there. I miss Charleston.

tournament grounds at night (photo by Diane Elayne Dees)