![\"Jannik](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_2802-e1757307145193.jpg\")
<\/a>Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
(If you\u2019re a tad behind on all of it, and are curious as to exactly what has happened, you can still read about the star-studded Mixed Doubles here: itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/tennis-the-2025-us-open-began-yesterday<\/a>, and here are the links to my articles about all of the interesting, and sort-of sad, issues with the proceedings: itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/holiday-happy-labor-day-week-end-2025 <\/a>and itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/tennis-us-open-2025-controversies-so-far<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Before anything fun, good, or interesting that I\u2019m about to weigh-in on, I first must discuss the absolute hoggishness of hideous-in-every-way Orange Hitler, who showed-up to watch the Men\u2019s Final. There were no Americans in it, he looked like he would much rather be on the golf course, (and cheating, of course,) and he showed-up to the US Open just for his own self-aggrandizement. (So what else is new?) That was so incredibly selfish and rude to the competitors who didn\u2019t need that major distraction, and even moreso to the spectators, who were then delayed getting into the Final by first, increased traffic, and then subjected to longer security measures. The crowd, many of whom had paid thousands<\/em> of dollars to see Jannik Sinner <\/strong>and Carlos Alcaraz<\/strong>, missed much of the match because of Hitler\u2019s extreme hubris. People sacrificed their time, money, and other events to attend this one, and I\u2019m sure they all had looked forward to seeing it for a long time. But the Cheeto Satan cared about only himself. Truly disgusting.<\/p>\n Just SOME of the people whom Orange Hitler made miss a lot of the Men’s Final! They were at the end of the first set (of four) when these ticket holders were still stuck outside! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Now on to happy<\/em> topics.<\/p>\n I congratulate the two victors, Aryna Sabalenka<\/strong> and Carlos Alcaraz! I can\u2019t believe that both of the people I rooted for won! Actually, I also triumphed with my choices for the Mixed Doubles from the start, and of the two duos in Women\u2019s Doubles, I got that, too. (I still don\u2019t even know who won the Men\u2019s Doubles because ESPN didn\u2019t show it and never mentioned the winners\u2014nor even the two finalists!\u2014of that discipline even once!!!)<\/p>\n US Open Champion Aryna Sabalenka. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this article.<\/p><\/div>\n There\u2019s so much to say about Aryna\u2019s and Carlos\u2019 historic victories, but those cut-and-dry facts you can read in many other places. There\u2019s so much else to cover that I have to leave the topic of winners at this. Except to ask\u2014can you imagine if those two played Mixed Doubles together??? Boy, would I love to see that<\/em>!<\/p>\n And now, here are my random thoughts on everything else. (In no particular order):<\/p>\n ~ First and foremost, I give all of these players and coaches sooo much credit for speaking so well in English! It\u2019s truly amazing and something that I feel that most of us in America take for granted.<\/p>\n ~ In the second women\u2019s semi-final between Naomi Osaka <\/strong>and Amanda Anisimova<\/strong>, ninety percent of the crowd from the earlier semi was gone! That was very strange because Amanda is American, and Osaka is a human oddity. Perhaps because it was after midnight on a weeknight, but it was Thursday, and on the holiday week, so I don\u2019t get leaving an interesting and important match.<\/p>\n ~ Both Women\u2019s Doubles winners, Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe<\/strong>, congratulated the runners-up before even lauding each other! On the other hand, after declaring how classy she is all tournament long, runner-up Taylor Townsend<\/strong> didn\u2019t even have the class to congratulate the winners at all! Her partner, Katerina Siniakova<\/strong>, did, but sort-of half-heartedly. What bad sportsmanship.<\/p>\n Sam Querry and John Isner. (And yes–they ARE standing up!) Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n ~ British commentator Jason Goodal<\/strong>l, said of Tommy Paul<\/strong>\u2019s recent engagement, \u201cHe\u2019s got himself a decent Mixed Doubles partner now for life; let\u2019s keep our fingers crossed there.\u201d Ouch!<\/p>\n ~ I occasionally wonder how people adjust to post-tennis-playing life. It has to be a total shock at first, but recent-players-now-turned-ESPN-commentators Sam Querry <\/strong>and John Isner<\/strong> are making me feel better about what I imagine. All of a sudden, those two became such grown-ups, in their suits and ties and interviewing other players, some whom they even played against!<\/p>\n I guess that ESPN really trusted that duo because Sam and John even did segments alone<\/em>!!! And they were good! Sam hosted them, with his good voice, in just his first year with the network! Wow.<\/p>\n Lorenzo Sonego, aka The Karate Kid. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n And it appears that John has even been working on lessening his lisp! And it\u2019s fun to have some younger commentators. It was amusing to hear the two of them discuss if Italian player Lorenzo Sonego<\/strong> looks more like Luigi of the Mario Brothers or the Karate Kid! (John said, \u201cHe\u2019s the Karate Kid to a tee!\u201d) They even started calling him \u201cRalph Macchio\u201d during their coverage of his match!<\/p>\n ~ American player, (and heiress<\/em>\u2014her fam owns the Buffalo Bills and Sabres!,) Jessica Pegula<\/strong> is the most honest, normal-talker perhaps ever in tennis. I hope she becomes a commentator when she\u2019s done playing.<\/p>\n ~ In the first round, Coco Gauff <\/strong>and Ajla Tomljanovic<\/strong> had the most very long rallies I saw during the entire tournament! I could not believe what I was seeing. Their match went almost three and half hours! It was good of Ajla to hang in there so well with World #3 Coco.<\/p>\n ~ The commentators barely even mentioned the Mixed Doubles during the two weeks of the rest of the tourney, after all the fuss they made about it the week before!<\/p>\n ~ Taylor Fritz<\/strong> always has the creepiest group of people in his box, especially his fake-faced girlfriend and her chubby, duck-lipped mother. Ugh.<\/p>\n Taylor Fritz’s coaches, friends, and family box. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n ~ Why can\u2019t ESPN mix the sound better??? The whoosh of the crowd on the two main courts at night was dreadful! At times we couldn\u2019t make out a word they were saying, especially Jason Goodall who whispers to begin with!!!<\/p>\n ~ Tommy Paul\u2019s outfit is the neatest, (in terms of looks, not like the beatnik \u201ccool.\u201d)<\/p>\n ~ Someone has to be the one to say this, so it may as well be me: Those hideous Y-3 outfits that a lot of the players wore looked like a white bedsheet right after a heavy flow during a woman\u2019s \u201ctime of the month.\u201d<\/p>\n Just one of the many players with those hideous outfits! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n ~ I\u2019m thrilled that someone finally said a word right! Mary Jo Fernandez<\/strong> said that someone played \u201caggressiveLY,\u201d as opposed to the stupid, (and unfortunately, usual<\/em>, for all the commentators,) \u201caggressive!\u201d<\/p>\n ~ But the poor vocabulary continued for the rest of them. New commentator Coco Vandeweghe<\/strong>, who seems to think she\u2019s all that and a bag of chips, keeps saying \u201cprefala\u201d for \u201cplethora.\u201d OMG! She shouldn\u2019t be using a word when she has no idea what it is!!! You know how stupidity like that chaps my hide. (On a side note, a few hours later, out of the blue, Mr. X said, \u201cVandeweghe\u2014that chick can rap!\u201d I love that assessment!)<\/p>\n ~ And then Sloane Stephens<\/strong>, Sam Querry, and John McEnroe<\/strong>, along with some others, need to learn how to say the simple name \u201cNaomi!\u201d They all pronounce it \u201cNi<\/em>omi\u201d with an \u201ci\u201d instead of an \u201ca\u201d! That is so illiterate of them. How does no one correct them? At the very least, Naomi Osaka<\/strong> herself<\/em> should! It\u2019s infuriating for all normal-brained people listening to it. I was so thrilled that ESPN got rid of Alexandra Stephenson, who always did that mispronunciation, too, this year. It\u2019s maddening.<\/p>\n ~ And all of them were absent the day they taught kids the difference between \u201cfewer\u201d and \u201cless,\u201d and \u201cnumber\u201d and \u201camount.\u201d (So that you<\/em> guys don\u2019t sound really dumb, too, here\u2019s the difference: \u201cfewer\u201d and \u201cnumber\u201d are for things that can be counted, such as points, dishes, shirts. \u201cLess\u201d and \u201camount\u201d are for situations that cannot be counted. Things like water.)<\/p>\n ~ Tommy Paul\u2019s coach, Paul Stine<\/strong>, and Pam Shriver<\/strong>, (who should have really known better,) both said, \u201chyperbolic<\/em> chamber,\u201d instead of the correct \u201chyperbaric<\/em>!\u201d Even Mr. X noticed it!!! (In case you want to be more intelligent than they<\/em> are, \u201chyperbolic\u201d means exaggerating the truth for emphasis or impressive effect, such as, \u201cI haven\u2019t done that in a zillion years!,\u201d whereas \u201chyperbaric\u201d means \u201cof or involving a gas at a pressure greater than normal,\u201d usually used about hyperbaric chambers.)<\/p>\n ~ Actually, the organizers<\/em> need to go back to school for a grammar lesson because they keep billing tennis, in general, as \u201cthe healthiest sport in the world!\u201d That<\/em> statement actually means that the health of tennis<\/em> itself is the best. What they mean<\/em> is that tennis is the most healthful<\/em> sport, meaning that it gives health to the people who engage in it. Things and concepts can\u2019t be healthy\u2014only living entities can; situations and things can provide<\/em> good health to people, animals, plants. (I think I need to start tutoring bigwigs, don\u2019t you?)<\/p>\n ~ Everyone<\/em> should be as classy as Carolina Muchova<\/strong> when she takes her bow after a win. No fuss, nor screaming, no even really making it about herself! Just a simple wave of the arm.<\/p>\n Happy Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n ~ The very new Women\u2019s Doubles team, Leylah Fernandez<\/strong> and the newly-returned Venus Williams<\/strong>, seemed to be the happiest people there! They either tied the Italian team of Sara Errani <\/strong>and Jasmine Paulino<\/strong> in the elation category, or perhaps they even had more<\/em> fun than those two adorbs munchkins!<\/p>\n ~ All the ESPN commentators kept trying to make like Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka are such good friends, and constantly declared Naomi to be Coco\u2019s \u201cmentor.\u201d In an on-court interview after a win, Naomi even said of Coco, \u201cI kind of still see her as a little sister.\u201d But, in a press conference, Coco set it all straight by saying, \u201cWe aren\u2019t super close or anything, but we are friendly with each other.\u201d But commentators just ignored that honesty because it doesn\u2019t fit their narrative.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>