In 2009, many of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s elite suffered through an inexplicable inability to close out tight matches. Such a task has never been easy, but in 2009 it seemed a little more impossible than it should have been. Throughout the year, heartbreak was a recurring theme, and many top players found that their tennis superpowers went amiss at precisely the moments that they were needed most.
But not everyone suffered equally. Some even managed to thrive. While others played on in fear of that next big pressure cooker, one player was quietly surfacing as the newest model for dealing with the mind-bending stress of performing at the highest level on tour: Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Last spring in Paris, at a period of her career where many believed that it was her fate to perpetually fall short of expectations, the 5th most winningest Russian woman of all-time broke through in a big way. Some experts never saw it coming, while some still can’t believe it. But it happened. By embracing her reckless nature and refusing to dilute her high-octane game, the 24-year-old Kuznetsova was able to exorcise a closet full of demons as she engineered an electrifying run to her 1st French Open title.
The 2004 U.S. Open champion always possessed the high-octane game, but her new-and-improved demeanor was a new twist. It became the glue that held her game together. Instead of short-circuiting her ability, Kuznetsova’s loose approach enabled her to bypass the pressure valves and hit out with vigor. The change was an important shift within the psyche of Kuznetsova, and even though her Roland Garros success hasn’t parlayed into more slam hardware as of yet, the positive developments in her mental game will make the challenges of the sport seem that much easier down the road.
After parting ways with two different coaches in two years (Stefan Ortega in 2008 and Olga Morozova in 2009), and settling back in her homeland of Russia (with the help of some fatherly advice from Roger Federer), Kuznetsova found a working relationship that was conducive to calmness with former top-ranked doubles player and current coach, Larisa Savchenko.
Kuznetsova, a free spirit both on and off the court, made the decision to move back to Moscow after much deliberation in 2008. But not until May of 2009 – when she hired Savchenko as part of her team – did the pieces of the puzzle all fit together. “She’s very easy going and relaxed and we have great communication,” said Kuznetsova of Savchenko, in an interview with Tennisreporters.net. “She tells me little things and it helps me find my way. For me, external opinions help, but it doesn’t have to be pushy and bring me down.”
Confidence and deflecting pressure to the other side of the court haven’t always been the calling cards of Kuznetsova. Before her French Open victory in 2009, the tempestuous Russian was considered more of an enigma than a steady force by tennis pundits. One-Slam Wonder, unfortunately, was a stigma that the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s No. 4-ranked player originally found difficult to overcome.
Kuznetsova’s disturbing streak of 10 of 11 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour final losses as she headed into spring of 2009 hovered over her like a black cloud, and many questioned the chances of her ever returning to the top of the sport. Her ineptitude in finals relegated her – in the mind of both the media and fans – to the ranks of WTA under achievers. To them she was a woman who had exceptional talent but lacked the tennis IQ to reach her true potential.
In spite of the hits her reputation took, the black clouds eventually passed. Kuznetsova came through with a vengeance in the late spring, taking the hard road through Serena Williams in Roland Garros, and eventually outclassing Dinara Safina in the French Open final.
Looking back now, it’s easy to see that something extremely important took place within the framework of the Kuznetsova psyche over the course of 2008 and 2009. That which did not kill her had only made her stronger. The culmination of several years of self-revelations, ones that enabled Kuznetsova to employ and embrace a low-pressure coaching relationship and a go-for-broke match philosophy, would finally enable her to thrive again.
Kuznetsova won three of her next four finals (Stuttgart, Roland Garros, and Beijing) and in doing so has removed the debilitating monkey from her back.
Buoyed by newfound belief, Kuznetsova appears to be more at peace with herself and her game than ever. Her sails are full of that ever-coveted second-wind that promises to transform a very good career into an undeniably great one. This season, she will be vying for her 5th consecutive year-end top-10 ranking, and she’s only 8 wins from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s elite 400-win club.
While Kuznetsova may not be the consensus favorite heading into any Grand-Slams this season, the fact remains that she has the game – and now the mindset – to win any tournament that she enters. While she can’t be perfect all the time (she looked hesitant in a disappointing 3-set loss to Nadia Petrova in the 4th round of the Australian Open), she has evolved into a player who knows that playing loose and dictating to her opponents gives her the best chance to win.
In 2010, Svetlana Kuznetsova may very well prove to be the embodiment of the tiger tattoo that she sports on her stomach: Lying in wait, yet confidently poised to strike when the moment arrives.
Chris Oddo is a freelance tennis writer and blogger who is based in San Francisco, California. He is a regular commenter at OTB under the moniker The Fan Child. You can follow his blog at http://thefanchild.blogspot.com/.
Great piece on Svetlana. I hope her breakthrough lasts!
Thanks Chris, a very nice summary of Svetlana’s current form and (much improved) frame of mind. You know, it’s easy to forget how young she was when she won the US Open — she’s only 24 right now but people tend to forget that and put her in the same age bracket as Serena, Dementieva and company, who are a few years her senior. So there’s definitely both the time and potential for her to take another shot at the Slams.
However, I think things will get tougher for her now (along with all the other top players), partly thanks to the Belgian resurgence. Sveta, I think, is an opportunist. She masterfully took her chances against Serena in the semis of RG last year and then used her experience and comparative mental stability to ease past the notoriously-fragile Safina in the final. And good for her! But it’s hard to imagine her repeating that success at the French now that Justine is back in the mix. And on hard courts, both Kim and Justine have already proven they’re a force to be reckoned with, post-retirement. I think the women’s tour in 2010 will be a lot tougher — not to mention a lot more exciting — than it was in 2009. Hopefully we can expect GS finals that are a little more entertaining than Sveta’s (admittedly brilliant) demolition of Safina.
Finally, and I’m sure this must have only occurred a day after you finished writing your post, Svetlana has just lost to a qualifier (Regina Kulikova) in the third round of Dubai. Significant? Maybe, maybe not… but it again illustrates the challenge that the world’s top 5 will have to face this year, not just from the revitalized Belgians but also from the plethora of up-and-coming Russians who are beginning to make noise on the tour.
Rick,
Thanks for your very observant comments. You’re right, 2010 does promise to be a lot more competitive and challenging across the top-10. I wonder if Sharapova, Henin, and Clijsters can all get back there?
I’m not sure that Svetlana’s loss against Kulikova is significant. Part of Kuznetsova being an opportunist is that she’ll put all losses behind her when the door is open.
With her we know that if the confidence grows she can be a factor against anyone. I’d say that she’s having a temporary dip in confidence, and that’s natural. The third set of the Petrova match is probably haunting her a bit, as she didn’t really do much competing in that set.
4.5 years between Slams is a long time, but I feel that if Kuznetsova stays positive and relaxed, she may get a chance to win another one sooner rather than later.
Thanks Chris,
I concur that Sveta might get another chance at a Slam if she keeps this new-found positivity. I’ll be watching with interest to see how she looks in the run-up to the French. As I said before, I think defending that title will be a very big ask, but hopefully she’ll stay fit and positive and cause some problems for Henin and the other favourites.
As for your poignant question on Sharapova, Henin and Clijsters potentially making it back into the top 10, it’s certainly a tough one to predict. With the clay court season starting shortly, I think Henin has a real opportunity to rise meteorically up the rankings on her favourite surface with no points to defend. The extent of Clijsters’ resurgence, on the other hand, is less certain and her loss to Petrova in Melbourne was the worst scoreline she’d ever lost a match by. The next few months will tell whether her dream-like run at the USO last year was a sign of things to come or not. Lastly, I’m going to predict that Sharapova does regain her top-10 status, but only because the last time I wrote her off as past her best (end of 2007), she came back and won the Oz Open! As in the case of Sveta, it’s easy to forget how young Maria is, and how many more years she still has to experience dips in form and comebacks.
It’s always about who’s best on the day. That could literally be anyone – but I’ll cheer for Sveta. She’s worth it. Would be nice to see her get a few more titles under her belt (“feeding the tiger” so to speak).