Australian Open 2018

[dodge]

I don't think Sam is a "natural" tennis player - there are too many times where she plays what she has learnt as opposed to what the opponent or conditions warrant.  Add an obvious mental frailty and it just doesn't work for her.

She has been amazing in all the press conferences over the years, never losing her cool, calm, polite, friendly.

[flyboy77]

i think she WAS a natural player but too many coaches tried to mold her game rather than deal with her core problem....her head, early on in her career.

She has lost entirely the ability to flatten out her serve and her ground strokes...and hence loses a lot of the power advantage she should have over most all of the other female players.

That said, she has won a Slam and beaten Serena in the process. That alone is praiseworthy.

[maxm68]

Sam should just sit back and count her Millions  

[Wet Willie]

Yeah...imagine how average you would have to be to play in the last 16 Australian Opens and remain in the world Top 20 year after year...

Here is a thought:  What is she preferred clay court instead of the AO surface and hated having "the nation's hopes on her shoulders" - she just wanted to play without the "expectations"?

Despite the cynicism here, I'm pretty sure Sam is happy with her CV...

[Thryleon]

She won her only grand slam at the US Open...

I think with Sam it is between her ears

She had another appearance in a grand slam final and that was the French.

The fact she didnt get the chocolates isnt as important as she has made both finals, and only won one of them.

[mateinone]

Yes & No WW
I would be very surprised if Sam didn't rue the fact she hasn't been able to perform down here and that she hasn't been able to perform well in the big tournaments regularly.

Also she has won more titles on hard courts than on clay (5-4). As well as made more finals (15-9), so it suggests she certainly can play hard courts.

I think she has had a great career of course and she has been the best Australian Woman in my lifetime and made the number 1 ranking. So that is superb... but that doesn't mean she has performed to her potential.
Of her 57 Grand Slam tournaments.
She has failed to make the 1/4 finals 50 times.
She has failed to make it past the 2nd round 34 times.

Calling out that she appears to have issues in big tournaments isn't saying that Sam isn't a great player. she is and has been. It is unusual though to have a Grand Slam winner and former number 1 with those numbers. The only other one off the top of my head that I can recall is Ana Ivanovic.
A look at her record shows
of her 48 Grand Slam Tournaments
She failed to make the 1/4 finals 40 times
She failed to make it past the 2nd round 16 times.

Now Ana (like Sam) had a great tennis career, but it was one that would be considered inconsistent and perhaps susceptible in big tournaments.

[mateinone]

She had another appearance in a grand slam final and that was the French.

The fact she didnt get the chocolates isnt as important as she has made both finals, and only won one of them.

She also made the semi finals a few times at the French and the QF a couple more times at US.

I was only referencing that point as I think at her best she plays well on clay and hard courts.
As I mentioned in just a recent post above as well.
She made 24 finals in her career, 15 on hard courts, 9 on clay courts.

It again, appears to point to me that Sam struggles at times were between her ears

[Wet Willie]

All great points and I generally agree.

I do find concern when the keyboard warriors start throwing out comments that she simply must have "mental health" issues (really??) and drawing ridiculous comparisons to Alana and Nick (who both have completely different background issues).

OK, she has difficult AO matches.  I would imagine she is aware of that, but before we start being disrespectful to a sports person who has always handled herself publicly impeccable and actually has an amazing CV in an era dominated by Serena and co...let's give a little credit where it's due.

As a "sports forum", I reckon we need to be better than this.

[PaulP]

What's up with Novak ?

[flyboy77]

All great points and I generally agree.

I do find concern when the keyboard warriors start throwing out comments that she simply must have "mental health" issues (really??) and drawing ridiculous comparisons to Alana and Nick (who both have completely different background issues).

OK, she has difficult AO matches.  I would imagine she is aware of that, but before we start being disrespectful to a sports person who has always handled herself publicly impeccable and actually has an amazing CV in an era dominated by Serena and co...let's give a little credit where it's due.

As a "sports forum", I reckon we need to be better than this.

Who mentioned "mental health"?

Saying she's not strong mentally when the going gets tough is a long way from saying she has a mental health issue....

It's clear as day she's fragile and that affects her performances more often that not.