SI.com: Jon Wertheim

Jon Wertheim: How Nadal's 8th French Open impacts GOAT debate; mail

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:53:10 EDT

Cut the crap with the Rafael Nadal/greatest of all time discussion. Clay-court tennis is so different from the other surfaces that it could legitimately be considered a different sport. Clay slows everything down so much that seniors can play on it and be reasonably competitive. All clay does is allow marginally talented players to have pro careers by playing mostly clay events. Now, obviously Nadal is not a marginal talent. But, if he ends up with 16 majors and, say, nine or 10 are French Opens, in my opinion you can't really count all those titles as equivalent to other major titles. He is far more than a specialist, but one or two titles in the other events makes him a great player, not the GOAT by a long shot. -- Willie B., Bethesda, Md.

Jon Wertheim: Eighth French Open title takes Nadal's career into new realm

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 13:52:49 EDT

Here's one of the great ironies of the French Open: the venue is named not for a tennis player but rather for a Gallic World War I aviator, Roland Garros. The man died in 1918, but the grounds are plastered with images of Roland flying his prop planes, posed in his aviator goggles, themes of flight.

Jon Wertheim: Fifty parting thoughts from French Open

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 12:00:53 EDT

PARIS -- Fifty parting thoughts from the French Open, where two legends added to their collections ...

Jon Wertheim: Serena's personalities, legendary game produce French renaissance

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:46:58 EDT

In one of her more revealing moments this tournament, Serena Williams addressed the various personalities that reside deep within her. Since she first infiltrated the Tennisphere in the late 1990s, Serena has been a bundle of contradictions and unpredictability. We call her by her first name, yet she remains mysterious in some ways. Now, 15 years into an astonishing career -- filled with all sorts of plot twists and relentless, almost devotional, winning -- we have some insight into the driving forces.

Jon Wertheim: Nadal on his way to No. 8 after epic semifinal win over Djokovic

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:03:51 EDT

PARIS -- Three thoughts on Rafael Nadal's 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 9-7 win over Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals on Friday ...

Jon Wertheim: No. 1 contender Sharapova gets WTA champion Williams in French fight

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:15:49 EDT

The parallels between tennis and boxing are so common and commonplace, you'd be forgiven for not knowing tennis has a lexicon all its own. Spend a set in a broadcast booth, and you'll hear relentless references to "knockout blows" and "drawing first blood," "jabs" and "getting up off the canvas." But can a line be a clich� when it's so apt? The competitors leave covered in dust, not blood, but a clay-court tennis match can be the ultimate fight.

Jon Wertheim: Sharapova is more fighter than glamor, as shown at French Open

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:35:14 EDT

How could anyone watch the Serena Williams-Svetlana Kuznetsova match and not think, "That Sveta has simply underachieved?" In a perverse way, it makes me respect even more what Maria Sharapova has managed to achieve, given how few clubs she has in her bag. -- Dale Stafford, Washington, D.C.

Jon Wertheim: Tsonga's time comes with upset of Federer, but now pressure builds

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:40:39 EDT

It was a year ago that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga issued one of those Gallic pfffffts and dismissed the chances of a French player winning the men's title at Roland Garros. Too many other good players in the draw. Too much pressure. Too much history. Too many delicate nerves.

Jon Wertheim: Stephens' maturation continues as she exits French Open quietly

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:19:24 EDT

PARIS -- In what might be considered an act of postmodern damage control, Sloane Stephens issued an apology to Serena Williams via Twitter last month. She ended her mea culpa with the hashtag "#lifelessons." All part of the process of a tennis player, maturing on a global stage.

Jon Wertheim: Serena, Federer lead French Open Midterm Grades

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 14:31:08 EDT

PARIS -- Eight days in, four Americans remain alive at the French Open. As do the usual suspects. Herewith, our Midterm Grades, on the usual curve ...