All Swiss out in first round – Are the great days of Swiss tennis really over? – Sports

As in 2020, the Swiss no longer plays in the second round of the U.S. Open. But the future is bleaker than it was four years ago.

When no Swiss player made it to the second round of the US Open for the last time in the coronavirus year of 2020, an impressive series broke out. Since Wimbledon in 1995, at least one Swiss tennis player has made the first round in the four Grand Slams.

Now, for the second time in nearly 30 years, all Swiss were eliminated in the first round. Viktoria Golubic, Dominik Stricker and Stan Wawrinka only won one set together.

So the question is: Are the good times really over for Swiss tennis? The answer is: Unfortunately, yes.

Is the power Bencic?

Thanks to standouts such as Martina Hingis (5), Roger Federer (20) and Stan Wawrinka (3), Switzerland has won no fewer than 28 Grand Slam singles titles since 1997. This is an incredible record for such a small country. It is no surprise that Switzerland has no current players or players with the potential to win a Grand Slam tournament.

Olympic champion Belinda Bencic is definitely capable of doing just that. But when the 27-year-old will return to the tour after maternity leave, and whether she can match her previous performances, is anyone’s guess.

But really, it’s not the absolute top lenses that are worrying, but the breadth behind them.

Only Golubic is in a better situation than in 2020

Recap: Swiss tennis was a different story in 2020 when no one made it to the second round in New York. Federer has been injured since February, and Wawrinka and Bencic have decided not to start in the “Big Apple”, but there is still hope for the overall starting position:

• Together with Bencic (WTA 10), Teichmann (WTA 52), Vogler (WTA 114), Golubic (WTA 123) and Leonie Kong (WTA 148), there are five Swiss women ranked in the top 150 of the world rankings.
• In the shadow of superstars Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, teenagers Dominic Stricker and Leandro Reedy have caused a stir. The two were even scheduled to face off in the French Open final a month later, but the final was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Four years later, Federer and Vogler have resigned, and Bencic is taking a break. Wawrinka is currently questioning his career Küng and Teichmann suffered car accidents. Only Golubic is in a better situation than in 2020. But the former world No. 35 also seems to be past his prime at the age of 31.

Will Kim be No. 1 soon?

So who should take responsibility for the future of Swiss tennis? The most important thing is that Bencic should return to the tour – this is expected. In an interview Sunday NZZ She recently raised the prospect of a comeback this year or in early 2025. Stricker and Reedy also have potential, but they’ve had trouble playing against the “big guys” — also because of injuries.

Jérôme Kym (ATP 180) is a beacon of hope, having performed well over the past few weeks. If the 21-year-old hadn’t been injured, he might have quickly become the new number one goalkeeper for the Swiss men’s team, as both Marc-Andrea Hussler and Alexander Richard have been stagnant.