Coco Vandeweghe is currently ranked 101 (she fell 46 spots).
2018 has probably got to be the season that Vandeweghe wants to quickly forget. Although she made it to the final in Stuttgart and the semifinals in ‘S-Hertogenbosch, it has been an abysmal season for the American (she won two prominent doubles titles: Miami and the US Open).
In 2017 she got to the semifinals of the Australian Open and the US Open; she also made it to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, the final of Zhuhai and the final in Stanford.
In 2018 she lost in the first round of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. When you are unable to defend so many ranking points the following year, it is inevitable that your ranking will fall drastically. Yet, Vandeweghe could have avoided such a drastic drop in her ranking if she had performed consistently well at the tournaments she entered. She lost in the first round twelve times this season and a few of those losses after she had won the first set. She has been a dominant player in Fed Cup for the US; yet, this year she struggled there as well.
In 2017, Vandeweghe was a top ten player, what has changed since then?
Vandeweghe has been on tour since 2008 and I remember quite clearly when she broke onto the scene with her big serve, forehand and attitude. Like many, I was excited at the prospect of America having another potential top ten player; however, I quickly came to realize that there was a certain something missing in her game. While there is no denying she is a talented tennis player, there is also no denying that her attitude may be what is holding her back. Although she has suffered with injury issues, like so many tennis players, I don’t think that is the reason she has only won two titles in her career as a singles player.
Talent will only take you so far; you have to be fully committed to the sport to consistently be the best and win titles. You have to be willing to consistently make the sacrifices necessary to maximize the potential that you were given and some players just don’t want to or can’t make that commitment. I go back to players like David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal; two players who have worked extremely hard to maximize their respective potential. Yet, it is more than that, they each thrive on pitting their will against their opponents’ will and they are passionate about the sport. When they step on court they are fully committed mentally, and even if their bodies let them down, you never doubt their fighting spirit. They are both willing to fight for every point.
Addendum: unfortunately for Vandeweghe her 2019 season is now on hold following her ankle surgery. We hope she makes a full recovery.
SOURCE OF IMAGES: serveandrally
