When WTA Player Clashes ATP Player (Who Wins?)

[@jjktng]

57th losing to 1145th, so McEnroe’s take that Serena Williams would be ranked 700th among male players is about spot on.

[@yigitkabaday3179]

I think this guy has a legitimate chance to win against Serena Williams

[@bmsuperstar1]

This guy is not a pro. He's ranks 1145.? Are you kidding me? 😂 He was going easy on this kid to make a fight more interesting. It's like watching a 10 year old black belt going against a fully grown 250 pound man. It's ridiculous.

[@tatechasers2393]

yeah she's not beating the top 10 sixteen year old boys, bigger stronger faster

[@brianlafev4261]

The backlash McEnroe got for speaking facts was outrageous. We live in a world where ideology trumps science in the eyes of so many (idiots).

[@TurKishsoulja]

It's a stupid comparison imo. Top 1k man is at the very end of the bell curve. This women would still beat 99% of all other men in the world.

[@Tennis_Siblings]

Kudos to the male player who stepped up and agreed on this match last minute. It was a lose-lose situation regardless of the outcome

[@MrBjorn6]

He knew he couldn't lose if he tried hard

[@CR4WLFC]

Nah I don’t really think it’s an argument between pro male and female players. However fans always make it a heated political discussion. Serena said several times she would lose badly against male pro players so….

[@chubun6631]

Unfortunately, it is political. Think about these trans athletes wreck havoc in woman sports. Individuals with low male ranking and low testosterone steamroll their competitors. Here we have a male with decent ranking and with normal testosterone level, it's hard to imagine a different outcome.

[@CR4WLFC]

@@chubun6631 we don’t have a trans person in tennis. I don’t know if its allowed but it wouldn’t be fair at all. The pro male tennis players are athletically superior to the woman so it makes no sense for them to compete. On the other hand the wta players still train probably as hard so it’s not like i am belittling them or anything. They have a good product for a female sport. The wta is the most popular female sport out there and produced many stars like Graf, Serena, Venus, Sharapova, Osaka who earn more money than a lot of male players.

[@Holowel71]

Looked like a great match and it was much closer than I thought it would be. Kudos to Mirra.

[@ValensBellator]

I was actually surprised by how well she played in this matchup. 16 years old too. She’s dang good.

[@whollymindless]

And she is surely better now after this experience.

[@Anfa18]

100%. She gave a great performance and was not disgraced in anyway. Every point mattered, every point counted and her skill is undeniable. One to watch in the coming years no doubt.

[@MrVvulf]

I really enjoyed the fact that she doesn't grunt/scream like too many female players of the past. The detractors of the practice were always correct - loud grunting/screaming was just a way to hide the sound of the racket striking the ball to disguise the strength of the shot and gain an advantage.

[@quietackshon]

Her age is irrelevant, she was ranked 57 and failed to beat a man ranked 1145, that's the point.

[@shanz7758]

@@quietackshon I'm not sure the age is irrelevant, either because younger means better body condition usually, or because it could mean she has less experience.

[@sillymonkey725]

I love watching tennis without seeing the ball! Brings me back to the 90's!

[@quinnprochaska2963]

Change resolution!

[@sillymonkey725]

@@quinnprochaska2963 Why would I? I said I love it.

[@marvelguy8101]

Bingo! I couldn't see anything. They should make court's black and play with a white ball.

[@Goswamiworld1234]

Man of his words. Respect​@@sillymonkey725

[@hkpandey1]

😂😂

[@John7No]

it is very saddening to see the majority commending on Andreeva, but very few on Yannis. thank you Yannis for stepping up and making this game happen

[@oggyoggy1299]

Cry harder lady

[@stephaniechaffin1154]

Everyone always has to complement the lesser player and since it's a woman it's doubled.

[@023achilles]

What happened to Andreeva's original opponent?

[@craigmooney3744]

yeh they forget this is her job, she’s not some teenager they dragged off the steet.well done to yannis

[@4end]

it’s because she’s a child

[@SimonBellaMondo]

John McEroe’s statement that Serena would be ranked 700 on the men’s tour in 2017 seems very accurate given how this match played out.

[@billyd5749]

He was right

[@JimHinCO]

Wow.

[@Braselton21]

Probably closer to 1000

[@jacobpaint]

@@Braselton21based on this match you’d expect Serena would beat this guy and he’s ranked a bit outside 1000. I don’t know why you’d think she’d be 1000

[@G4MBIT]

He was being generous

[@lordjimbo2]

I think more highly of both players after this match. No drama, no posturing, no complaints, just good competition for the fans when they didn't have to do it at all. Go get some titles, Andreeva!

[@kevinerose]

I think for the most part it is people outside of sport that stir up drama.

[@mateusrodrigues7983]

​@@kevineroseyep

[@lonewaer]

@@kevinerose Yeah, that's the thing : anyone within a sport, is generally happy to play everyone, and respectful, so they already know, everyone knows. The reality check, when needed, generally happens off-camera, during training. Serena Williams knew, and also knows that Murray was joking, Ronda Rousey knows that she can't really fight men… there was just that female fighter who, because she was going all out during sparring, thought that the men she sparred with were also going all out… until one actually did and knocked her down.

[@SlyNine]

@@kevinerose It's mostly social constructivists that pretend there is no difference between men and women. That all dispariaties are caused because men are oppressing women. Then trying to correct those disparities with discrimination. Like women getting the same pay while playing less games or in a different league. Because girls.

[@booberry6715]

And best of all, no female tennis player "UUHHHGGG!!" on every swing.

[@JoseHer-u7i]

At the time, these two probably never realized that they will forever be written in tennis history. Good job!

[@georgewallace8933]

and they wont be

[@bartholomewlyons]

@@georgewallace8933😂😂😂😂😂

[@jlebrech]

they should do this once a year and call it the McEnroe cup

[@reuelray]

😂....

[@konstantinkoteski2333]

You cannot be serious...

[@reuelray]

@@konstantinkoteski2333 😆

[@robertdahammer4850]

Yes. This will remind the feminist and male feminist how the world really works.

[@adanalcalaleon7426]

Dude, you're a fu... genius!

[@jonathanbosma9932]

Very suprising outcome. I definitely expected something close to 6-1 6-1, you could clearly see she trained a lot more than he does. Her placement and technique was better, but it couldnt beat the differences between power and stamina that were in his favour. well done both for playing this match.

[@rainerhaas180]

First set make her think she stands a chance, second set crush illusions.

[@monkey2.092]

She was much better than expected. I expected him to crush her with his serve, but she returned very well.

[@sleepyjoe7616]

It's not surprising at all. Ashkenazim are fake jews.

[@TheAlphahot1]

@@rainerhaas180 she started loosing more and more balls from the end of the first set onwards

[@budbarlang3729]

He was a bit tight in the first set. if they were to play with no crowd then it will be 6-1 6-1. but credit to her for playing this match. I hope she win a big title next year.

[@Funkytrip73]

If you check the guy's bio, he played some local M15 matches in his home country France where he managed to salvage some ATP points. His total price money is less than $2500. With some random points like that you enter the official ATP ranking. In other countries, there are also probably hundreds of players like him without an official ATP ranking. In the beginning he seemed to be nervous and having to get used to the big crowd and the different play style, but after that he realized there was no chance of losing and he loosened up a bit. Guy probably hangs around a year or maybe a couple of years at the bottom of the ATP lists before realizing making a living is very harsh at that level and drops off. Andreeva on the other hand has a really bright future ahead of her! She will storm the top of the WTA ranking.

[@Seaby41]

Get a good draw through qualifying and there you are. I've spent a fair bit of time watching those level tournaments when they come through town. The main draw standard is amazing. Quallies have a bunch of people burning through money (usually their parents. Interesting chats with them on the sidelines) that are a bazillion levels below the standard required. then theres all the local guys who get into quallies as anyone can get in if there is a spot in the draw. Quallies also has some really really really high level players.... Very much luck of the draw. One of the local guys in his 40s was smoking these kids into the main draw until he realised he was going to be the oldest person person on the ATP rankings and choked it up. Being a thousand year old grinder, in the heat , against 20 year olds didn't help either. He was clearly a level above these ' professionals' as a guy who played a few hours a week. ( He was a very high level junior player. Who has 10s of thousands of hours in but chose a finance degree over tennis and now has enough money and time to mess about at tournaments when they come through town. I have enough to come down and watch... ) You can also get some dude coming back from injury that was ranked inside the top 200 in the first round of quallies and get completely and utterly humiliated.

[@robk5745]

As a person who has played entry level atp tournaments this is 100% accurate, which means there is 1000s of guys that could beat him with no rank, it’s crazy, the depth of the sport in Europe especially.

[@chimyshark]

perhaps transitioning would improve his chances.

[@nymbusDeveloper86]

@@chimysharkthis is a mean comment, but also so true... :)

[@OscarEggen]

@@robk5745 There are many factors involved in achieving a certain status or ranking. Sometimes you also have to have luck on your side

[@plmnjioqazzsw7962]

What a brave man . Proud of him for taking this match against a high ranked player . Respect him .

[@MultiBadger32]

It's not brave at all - it's a fantastic opportunity for a 1000+ ranked player! Usually get tiny fees, poor crowds and second rate facilities.

[@davebudge4526]

To be fair to the guy the pressure would have been pretty bad, lose he's a joke, win and still people would knock him. To anyone just casually following tennis the young woman is an elite junior champ almost certainly a future top tenner and probably a Slam Champ in the not too distant future, the man probably won't hit those heights yet I'd still call him a terrific player thats how tough and deep the talent is on the mens tour.

[@jm7804]

Both of them were very one dimensional. You'll never hear from him again. Her, maybe. The WTA tour is so god awful these days that she definitely has a shot at making a dent in the tour.

[@bigrobsydney]

@@jm7804 What's wrong with the WTA tour??

[@cobra7282]

I think he was feeling some nerves as well. Don’t imagine he has played in front of an actual crowd much in his career.

[@alani3992]

Yes the WTA went from bad to worse after the retirement of most of the Top-10 a couple years ago. Anybody can win things now.

[@bigrobsydney]

@@alani3992 The fact that "anybody can win things now" is the opposite of what you describe. Previously, there was a level where you had a few players at the top, and a big gap to the chasers. Now, there is a smaller gap to the following players, because the level as a whole has risen so much. Go back to the days of the Williams' sisters. They were power players, who blasted everyone off court. The both had huge serves, serving around 125 - 130 mph, and the chasing players served nowhere near that. Today, you have less of a gap between the top servers, and the chasing players, just as an example. Also, ground strokes; players today hit the ball, on average, closer in speed and spin. They have better coaching, with the advent of facilities that focus on movement and recovery, ice baths, etc. There is a level of professionalism that has been increasing year after year. Your comments are a joke, because you have no clue what you're talking about.

[@EvanNagao]

Regardless of the whole gender thing, it's always fun to see people around the same level who have major differences battle. It's like watching a 125lb black belt fight a 260lb white belt.

[@Marc-vk7rl]

Same reason why Fed vs rafa was always fun

[@omerfidan892]

she seems a better player but strenght diffirence comes in and in every second.

[@alani3992]

About 10 years ago they had a Laver Cup like event with Top-5 player like Williams & Wozniacki playing mixed with 45-year olds Edberg & Chang.

[@EvanNagao]

@@omerfidan892 Yeah, I had a feeling that endurance would be a key factor. The man generated pace with less effort. The WTA player was keeping up with it, but it was tiring her out.

[@EvanNagao]

@@Marc-vk7rl True. Federer, righty, one handed backhand, attacker, pure finesse and skill. Rafa, lefty, two handed backhand, defender, lightning speed, athleticism. One of the most entertaining matchups of all time for sure.

[@rangersmith4652]

Quite a good match. He committed a number of unforced errors early on, but she committed very few throughout the match. That helped keep things pretty even until Set 2, when she was clearly tiring and he was still relatively fresh. She tried a lot of drops shots, which no doubt she was used to seeing work, but he was faster than her female opponents and ran most of them down. All in all a good match, but let's remember their respective rankings.

[@KoiKoy56]

Those drop shots were out of desperation. I doubt she tries than in a more even match-up. She dictated every point in the first set, she actually could have won it. That much effort is absolutely exhausting. Even in the second set you could tell she was more talented, but there was just no way to keep up body to body. Hence the drop shots. You can tell she didn't even have the strength to hot those drop shots, they were terribly executed and were only tried because she didn't see any other way to reasonably continue the point. I honestly think that if she was a 20 year old or 22 year old that she would have won the match (if he was exactly who he is right now)

[@momentary_]

@@KoiKoy56 She'd be around Serena's skill level and capability at that age and McEnroe says it would take a rank 700 male to beat Serena, so that checks out.

[@michaelsorensen7567]

Yeah, the respective rankings is the whole point. Trying to line up where the women's league would end up playing in the men's league is the question. Some ignoramuses think #1 women would be in striking distance of #1 men. That's clearly not the case.

[@ivblizzard3616]

@@KoiKoy56 you can see he clearly underperformed ... it's obvious that he has a disadvantage cause he has nothing to win of this match

[@KoiKoy56]

@ivblizzard3616 not at all. He doesn't have any disadvantage. He's a dude. Sorry, but you haven't played tennis if you think he has any disadvantage. Not having points to gain is not an excuse. He also didn't clearly under perform. She was the more talented player of the day. He was just a dude who ended up turning his game on later rather than sooner. Sorry, I actually play tennis. This shit is obvious.

[@pavlenikolic3555]

It's a lose-lose situation for the guy. He wins: "Ohh you won against a girl, you think you're a tough guy?" He loses: "Daaamn you lost against a girl, that's so embarrassing."

[@chee_wai]

no one accused him of being a tough guy though

[@marksmith4346]

And notice, he relaxed early because he broke her first serve and then she fought and made the first set extend. But the first volley this showed, she got him in the perfect place, her hitting forehand and him in his backhand...and it still didn't matter. He relaxed again in the second set and she broke his serve again. But, this is pro level vs club level. I didn't even know they ranked players passed 500.

[@propheteyebert7063]

Not any more, because of toxic feminism.

[@dennisb6954]

you're absolutely right, he should have just let the girl win.Who needs all that bothersome stuff about pushing boundaries and spurring each other on? And who gives a hoot about the excitement of competition or the sheer delight of overcoming challenges?

[@TheDragon160]

@pavelenki That comment "so you think you are a tough guy" made me spit out my drink.

[@ryethII]

Lol. At 2-0, the dude was like… “ screw this, i better start playing.”

[@evasionbycartwheel12345]

In the second set,she was way back for his serves and going off camera to reach the ball and he was still on the base line for hers.

[@KoiKoy56]

Neh, he was just cold.

[@citroen-fe3qq]

He stopped playing to her stregths; it whats happens if you dont think about the game when playing.

[@KoiKoy56]

@citroen-fe3qq I don't think he did. All that changed was he was able to put more power behind his shots. He was just cold.

[@gideondejongh838]

@@evasionbycartwheel12345 Yep

[@ren2871]

I played tennis at a high level, I also coach tennis. One thing seldom mentioned when talking about men vs women in tennis is the fact their styles are completely different. The men's game is built on top spin and ball placement, the women's game is flat, hyper aggressive and they're trying to overpower each other. It's much easier to use the pace someone else gives you and to add height, depth and top spin to their shot. Women's balls also pass much lower over the net. When you add the fact that men are already stronger than women and can generate the same power much easier, receiving a flat, lower passing shorter ball that is slower than what they're used to when playing against other men allows them to dominate women with angles and depth as they can hit the ball perfectly at that sweet spot at hip level. Players like Rafa and Nole keep you behind the baseline or their top spin makes you hit the ball at shoulder level or even higher, which is much harder to do. Also men tend to play with more variety, so more slices to slow down the pace of the game, more approach shots using the slice, drop shots, high kick serves, serve and volley and etc.

[@maestromaestro]

Unfortuantely, this is the 'modern' womens game - introduced largely by the Maria "Mindless Basher" Sharapova and taken to its extreme by Williams. Consider how Justine Henin used to play - that was a "thinking woman's" tennis.

[@gmnotyet]

Yes, Serena said the women's game is COMPLETELYL different.

[@idontknow1919]

Imagine playing this match vs a clay court specialist on clay. It will definitely be 6-0 ,6-0. She won a few games on her serve because it was a fast indoor court

[@LevyHappyClapper]

@@gmnotyet Thats just Serena code for "Men are better than me"

[@adhvaitchauhan8449]

Thing is, there's technique to it. Mens sports are all techniques. They work to get the techniques better, which inturn makes the game evolve. Women sports I feel is just them wanting a piece of the pie. I'm not hating, but men and women sports will never be equal. I just hope sports never sees a day where there are men and women in the same team, it only works on video games.

[@PochoNieves]

Two warriors entered the square and honored each other by playing each other the respectfully and at 100% effort. This is what sports is about. No politics, no agendas... just merit! I think she is a very great athlete as she had more to lose since her ranking is so much higher in women. She could have said NO and not give fuel to a debate thats so talked about nowadays. They shaked hands and called it a day, move on to the next match. Wish we could see this level of sportmanship more often at the highest level.

[@sleepyjoe7616]

She proved that the level of the WTA is a joke compared to the ATP. That does not mean the WTA is illegitimate, it just means we have to face reality as well as come back to the question of equal pay on the two circuits.

[@Realbdjb]

I don't know if the guy played 100% first set

[@seamustheplatypus]

What debate ?

[@marvingeheim8513]

i respect your point, i even want to support it. but i think the man had more to lose... way more! he is a professional man and could have lost against a 16 year old girl in his sport. a sport that benefits from strength and experience. naaah he cant lose that or he will be laughed at for the next 50 years.

[@sublimeranger]

😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆unfreeze your brain bro

[@MrGreenMath]

Man that crowd was really pulling for her. Quite a difference in the volume of applause when she scored a point compared to the polite golf claps when he did. 😂😂😂

[@dblevins343]

To be fair, the applause felt more like encouragement for her to keep fighting. I think the crowd liked him too but he wasn't the one showing signs of exhaustion. She really could use the boost from the crowd a bit more than him. The crowd still clapped pretty loudly for him when he made really great shots. But near the end his shots seemed to get a lot easier as she got more and more tired.

[@InceyWincey]

It’s quite natural in sports for people to root for the underdog.

[@MrGreenMath]

@@InceyWincey in that case they should have been pulling for him. He was the much lower ranked player.

[@dblevins343]

@@MrGreenMath no need to go there. The crowd knows the situation just fine.

[@johnfisher9969]

They were most likely all gay. It was in France.

[@Respect-dg6px]

Congratulations and a big thank you to both players for being willing to play publicly under such circumstances. This must have been very difficult for both of them: for him, because he is a guy; for her, because she is much higher ranked on the WTA tour. The match was actually very enjoyable to watch with her being a more balanced and complete player in terms of ball placement and point construction, and him being a harder hitter. Well done. Much respect to both players regardless of who wan. She's someone I was look for on the WTA tour.

[@rainman1242]

" for her, because she is much higher ranked on the WTA tour." he would be highly ranked too if he decided to 'identify as a woman', probably higher than her

[@Rodrinks82]

lol@@rainman1242

[@francisdashwood1760]

What's wrong with his ball placement? Not only is he a harder hitter, but his placement is superior, as well. The fact is she's way out of her league and is inferior overall to him. BTW, he obviously took it easy on her the first set, allowing her to seem competitive....lol!

[@JeffreyGoddin]

@@rainman1242 What's the matter with you?

[@JeffreyGoddin]

@@francisdashwood1760 What? Did we not watch the same close match? How do you know he took it easy on her? You are projecting a sick mentality.

[@warriorson7979]

Guy plays good... Just took him a while to get used to the flat shots instead of heavy topspin. Almost all his errors in the first set were into the net because of it.

[@HeavyTopspin]

You could tell he didn't really know what to do with the moonballs either.

[@dajohn990]

@@paulb3243 This isn't why women don't play 5. In fact I remember when the women used to play best of 5 at the year end championships up until about 1998. The women agreed to play best of 5 at gland slams years ago, in the early 90's when the equal pay disputes were highly discusses but this was them blocked by tv execs due to messing with their scheduling. I also believe Serna was quoted as saying that even in her tenure on the players council women again said they were willing to go best of five, again they were not taken up on the offer.

[@stefanthomassen4750]

No, the guy played bad. In the first set, he didn´t really know, what to do. For an ATP1100 he really looked stupid. Normally, he should be able to shot/blast her easily away. But he has no real weapons, guess, he will never do much better than ATP 700-900. I have friends, which are ranked higher and lower than him, but both would easy destroy her. I know a couple, where he is around ATP 1500 and she is WTA around 100, she gets a 6:0/6:0 by him on clay. They play in different speed dimensions.

[@lukewilson624]

@@dajohn990 Cope harder.

[@mnztr1]

@@dajohn990 they should make them play 5 sets from the quarters on at slams.

[@cybergrail]

I'm very impressed with the courage both players showed to play that match. Excellent match and thank you for showing it!

[@PentaRaus]

Stronk and independent too. Much Brave.

[@plmnjioqazzsw7962]

She didn't show any courage . She had nothing to lose , everyone knew she will lose . What courage she showed . He showed courage to play and if he had lost he would destroy his career . Nothing happened to her career after losing . So stop pandering to women . He is the brave one not her .

[@bigbuckoramma]

I thought this was a pretty fun game to watch. A nice blend of technique and tactics, versus speed and power. It created a very dynamic game where it was very clear as to how their individual approach to the match played out set by set. It was also interesting watching them both size each other up through the first 4 sets and adjust their play style accordingly. Such as when she tried to match him on power the first set, but by the 3rd, she was starting to get gassed, and he was just getting warm and hitting his stride. So she started to play more tactical cross court off speed shots, and tried to force him to move vertically on the court more. In return he started playing the edges more, and started to rely more on cross court backhands, to up the tempo. Which she also adjusted on her baseline distance to try and cover off his backhands, and again changed up her shots trying to draw him to the net. Great stuff! It is that kind of real time tactical interplay set by set that i dont think you really get to see develop in tight ranked match ups, where the play styles are so close to each other, that unless you are a seasoned tennis fan, its hard to spot thr difference. This really broke it down to the base elements, if you will. I found this match extremely entertaining, and its the kind of thing i wish was a possible to have happen more often, but given the unfortunate politics that would undoubtedly get in the way, its highly unlikely. Kind of a shame.

[@austinwilloughby7752]

I feel much the same, the two constrating approaches made for a great battle. She nearly took the first set of him, but didn't match up in stamina . When they were both firing on all cylinders at games 5 through 12 and it might be some of the most fun tennis ive seen in a while.

[@yaroslavchernyshov3725]

what are you on about? it was a 2 set match and he won both of them

[@plmnjioqazzsw7962]

Ya she lost 😂😂😂😂

[@e.d.1642]

Finally an intelligent comment, thank you.

[@brownro214]

Buck, there were only two sets. I’m sure you meant games.

[@zaneclone]

Hats off to the pair of them... He had little to gain... she perhaps found herself in something she'd rather not have- but they both went for it...

[@XIplupIX]

They both had money to gain

[@orwellknew9112]

It was a good match. Very entertaining.

[@Yimvision]

a 16 year old who's already in the top 50 in the world is on track to be a top 5 player. I have a feeling she will become very well known by the time she hits her 20's! She played well.

[@SportsMaster72]

I commend them both. They each could’ve refused and would’ve been well within their rights to do so. I don’t think anyone could’ve faulted them for that had they done so. But they certainly didn’t disappoint and gave not only the audience, but the world an amazing match you don’t always get to see. Bravo!

[@elhananhardaway8728]

why the fk would the guy refuse this match up LMAO

[@orwellknew9112]

@@elhananhardaway8728 Since you don’t understand, you act like you know better? Like you’re ridiculing the thought because, …..well, you don’t say why. LMAO

[@XxKidnoffxX]

@@elhananhardaway8728 Really? She has NOTHING to lose here, but he have everything to lose there. If he win, okay, it was Vs a woman. We see the scores because we are interesseted and follow tennis, but if he lose, every News will show the score all day long....

[@rainman1242]

@@orwellknew9112 extraordinary claim require extraordinary proof: the claim was "and would’ve been well within their rights to do so" beyond the obvious that true, free individuals are not obligated to participate in sports. The one political motivation for her not to want to participate would be that it was going to provided clear data confirming the obvious to everyone but some nuts meetoo feminist. But for all we know she is not dumb and just wanted the experience, and possibly the money, and was not trying to make a feminist statement. He had nothing to loose. he will get a stipend, and if he loose.. well he is ranked 1175, she is ranked 54....

[@rainman1242]

@@XxKidnoffxX "but if he lose, every News will show the score all day long...." and show that she beat a 1000+ ranked man... it is like an Autralian National Women soccer team, ranked 5 in the world, beating a U15 Boy team.. oh wait they lost that game 7-0. There is no doubt that there exist plenty of men tennis player out there that she can beat.. it is just that at her very best, being world #1, she could not win a men decent national level tournament.

[@Giuseppe-cd3jc]

Former professional table tennis here. This game reminds of my time during 90s, I was in the Cadet National team with 15 years old. We host a south-american U19 female table tennis tournament in my city. A 18 year old young woman who was current Panam champion, played there and won the singles tournament without losing a single set. My coach arranged a friendly match right after tournament. A promising skinny 13 year old boy who didn't even reach puberty and wasn't even in my state U15 boys team, because he wasn't good enough but he was looking to make the State team after trials. He played against current female Panam champion (for the whole american continent) and managed to beat her in 2 straight sets 2x0 (21-18 and 21-17) Before 2001, Table Tennis games used 21 points per set, not 11. Game was really close from beginning to end, he didn't even have a professional racquet and still managed to win. He was simply faster, had better reflexes and was stronger as well. He was able to fool her with the ball direction when he served and attack her with a quick forehand topspin, just using body/head movements, something nobody else in the tournament was able to do it to her. No point arranging games between females and males in professional table tennis either, although I've seen female players who train with men, they become much better and have advantage over female players who only train among women.

[@superiorkaos]

whatever happens the first thing they have to do is upgrade the camera

[@TheBoris777777]

😂

[@kedrprao]

They were using 720p camera

[@ComfortableTool86]

Yeah it hurt my eyes trying to track the ball

[@j3tski343]

a lot of the times they were doing shadow tennis. 😁😁😁

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

Seriously. I had to go back to some points because I thought for a moment they were giving her the entire court to hit, a la doubles.

[@AbdJiA]

Really loved this. Kudos to the guy for accepting to play her, I think he wanted to know her game before striking appropriately & that's why the first set(edited) was more fun. She'll beat most of the top 10 players in the WTA in a matter of time. She's a threat to the top 10 WTA stars. I love her style of play, calm, confident( good body posture too) & she didn't take it personal like the delusional Claressa shields gal who got KOd by an unknown male boxer from Russia & thinks she can outbox a male welterweight champion.

[@enlightenment6278]

he was just tight, and so many obstacles to playing a woman it's not the same sport is men's tennis.

[@sayresrudy2644]

she is a serious threat in WTA, top 20 easily on a given day, getting better fast, & still so young.

[@stevemahoney1733]

If she's ranked 57 how is she "top 20 easily on a given day,"?

[@pants1359]

@@stevemahoney1733because due to her age the rules limited how many wta events she was able to play this year.

[@davidgpz]

​@@stevemahoney1733 It means certain days she plays better than what her ranking tells us. She is 16 and ranked 57, she's gonna be top 20 even top 10 next season

[@_youssef1989]

@@stevemahoney1733 she's still 16 and hasn't really played on the wta tour since april, now she pretty much has direct entry in every tournament in 2024 and is only going to get better

[@stevemahoney1733]

@@_youssef1989You're most likely right however, we don't give excuses to professionals based on age when she's in a win / win & he's in a lose / lose situation.By then giving her another out we're stacking the deck in her favour....something we wouldn't do for him, correct?

[@j.jmcquade5278]

Funny thing about this is that Andreeva is not a #57 player. She's ranked 57, but much better (as she's recently proven). And still can't handle a guy ranked outside of the top 1000. Huge difference with men's & women's sports. It is what it is

[@HenriRegnaultUserpage]

despite the results, i'm actually impress by Andreeva. Andreeva showed really great shot, reading, strategy, for a 16 yo that's impressive i think

[@birdman9585]

Yep, really impressive! She is going to be a force in coming years, only 16!!!

[@ramdishali8313]

Lol

[@sonderman8079]

Stop being a simp!

[@HenriRegnaultUserpage]

@@sonderman8079 At Australian open she has just 6-0 a top 10, so... It seems I was right c:

[@a.m3478]

People that are impressed haven't played competitive tennis, she's in the top 100.

[@JSmith73]

That was awesome and interesting on so many levels. Could see the cobwebs come off on the one side, and a very pro attitude devoid of ego on the other. Kudos to them both! Finally a tennis match I could listen to without turning the audio all the way down as well, a very welcome change.

[@davideleardi3894]

It is quite clear that she was more or less even in the first set, but collapsed physically in the second......like Serena said, there is no way a top WTA player can make it with anyone in the ATP tour...

[@marcusbrsp]

And this guy is barely even on it. He certainly can't make a living on his tennis. Not with that ranking.

[@j.j.1517]

He's hardly on the ATP tour, more of a national player or less but yeah the point is the same, the biological differences is just too much.

[@michaelthorpe1869]

He seemed nervous and once he settled down it wasn't close. she couldn't handle his serve.

[@tomsd8656]

​@@michaelthorpe1869And that was only a second serve on the ATP tour.

[@michaelthorpe1869]

@@marcusbrsp doesn't even count all the D1 players who are probably as good if not better than him

[@arontung]

That was great. Would like to see more of these matchups.

[@Tan12]

Seems the biggest differences are in the guy's serve, speed, and stamina. About what I'd expect. This girl's also 16 though, she's gonna be a beast.

[@JLC_Subutai]

In the women’s tournament, yeah for sure

[@somedud1140]

But who is Yanis Ghazouani? He's not even in top 1000 in an individual sport discipline, which in turn means he either does a day job or relies on his family/government to sustain living. Which in turn means he falls outside of definition of "pro" -- the person who does it for the living. In the other hand, even though pro sports between sexes are nowhere equal, this 16-years-old girl will still beat you and anyone you know personally despite sex and age disadvantage. You have to appreciate how much work she put in to get where she is now.

[@CC-bn2ws]

@@somedud1140 he played 12 singles matches last year, won 6, and it was his first "pro" year winning less than $2500. She started in 2022 and has already won $1 mil. She definitely has far more experience in front of a crowd.

[@willparrish863]

@@somedud1140Tennis is tennis, hit ball over net, guy does better

[@boxlessthinker1973]

She handled the harder pace for the most part early in the first set but she was worn out in the second set. This could have been from hitting “heavier balls” as talked about by pro women when commentating in the booth when preparing for a mixed doubles match. Or, she might have tired out because she is only 16. She may have faded against a top 10 female player in the same way. Younger pro male players often struggle in tough 5-set matches and they may find this becomes a strength after a few years on the tour. I really enjoyed the earlier part of this as they seemed very well matched. Also, whoever coached the female player through that backhand did a great job! She gets every ounce of body weight and strength into a consistent hard-struck ball. Great form in a 2-handler like hers is grace in motion. Thanks for posting this!

[@Oblitus1]

"She handled the harder pace for the most part early in the first set but she was worn out in the second set." Yeah, that's how I saw it, also. She seemed to be worn out in the second set, and appeared to try to slow the pace by hitting higher and slower return shots. She also began to hit more unforced errors in the second set, likely from fatigue. Meanwhile, he seemed to cruise through the first two games of the first set, and then he unleashed his normal pace in the third game.

[@miloszakielizka7010]

For sure For this man, was the biggest crowd he ever met in tenis court. Matched with 57s of man rank should end 6:0, 6:0 For male. About Age in wiman tenis is not so clear - the Best Age as in man tenis. Inteligence and muscles For man are Best around 25-35. It seems.

[@centurionyt431]

Well, it isn't really the pace that a man would use to put anyone, especially women, under pressure in a point. The spin is what would really help... So in reality, if he hits flat balls she can compete. If he uses a lot of heavy topspin she'll get blown off the court, she won't have the upper-body strength or stamina to keep up and respond in kind.

[@apollon011]

She faded because because he is a man and hits heavy. He is barely ranked and as many have noted could be ranked due to luck and some local showings in France. His career barely has any record on the ATP tour. And still if anything it seemed he was nervous and took it a bit easy especially in the beginning. She would do a lot worse in a 5 set match. Whether you get an older woman wouldn't make much of a difference. Well matched here says a lot. He's a bottom of the barrel player barely somewhere in the 1000s and she's on a trajectory for top 50. And he still beat her fairly casually.

[@Zraknul]

Some men start playing NHL hockey at 18 when they are very good. They're technically adults, but they are considered several years away in terms of size, strength and stamina. The NFL is very happy to let players grow and develop in the college leagues. 16 is not seasoned and developed for women either. Just look at women's olympic sports. Sprinters, swimmers, distance runners, you name it. Gymnastics and figure skating are the rare exception where being smaller is advantageous. She is playing profesionally, she is not seasoned.

[@normanbowers5669]

I really appreciate Andreeva playing this match. She could have had a day off for rest during the tournament which might have been a benefit. They gave a good show for the fans who came to the tournament. She is a fighter with good speed around the court. She could be really, really good as her game matures. It was an exhibition and they wanted to make it entertaining for the fans. I think the first two games, he didn't think he had do too much to win or was nervous that he didn't want to be seen as picking on a little girl. After that, he realized that he had to take it more seriously and play hard or he would get beaten badly. He upped his effort and they played evenly for a while, which is what you do in an exhibition. At 5-5, not wanting to lose the set, he started to play more aggressively, hitting closer to the corners, running her more, and advancing to the net when appropriate. At 5-1 in the second, he either got lazy or gifted her a game to make the score look better. She did a good job of making him play hard to win.

[@BreeZieDoesiT]

For anyone who doesnt know tennis, this girl is a well oiled machine in the womens game. At 54 WR and 16, its incredible. She probably has sponsors at her door and wont have to ever worry about money again. On the male end, ranked at 1100+, there is a chance he might not see the spotlight again after this match. No sponsors, no paid trips. This guy is grinding every week in pro ams trying to get a few ATP points so he can either get a wild card entry or make it into an ATP event. ATP means the pro/world tour. Ive known many players ranked 400+ and they all ran out of funds and couldnt get through and make a living. I explain it this way just to show the difference in quality of these player's and how different a 50 ranked player is, compared to a 1000 ranked player. Im not even gonna bring up the difference in sex but if you want to daydream about a 50 ranked male vs women go ahead. This sport is a grind on both ends and respect all who can make it through and make a living playing professional

[@raregoodds3143]

Well for a 16 year old she is really good. She has a bright future. This guy won with no serve at all.

[@ajkorras]

I think he has a really good serve

[@ThePianistONE]

@@ajkorras Not really its pretty slow. When I saw Serena return a proper male serve she didnt even know where to move. So after few serves she decided to guess where the serve gonna go. Women just doesnt have the fast reflexes for 230km/s serves.

[@ajkorras]

@@ThePianistONE fo women have worse reflexes than men? I doubt that.

[@ThePianistONE]

@@ajkorrasWell you can doubt that but its just facts. Many studies were made on this topic. Men have better reflexes and hand eye coordination in all age groups, thats why not even in esports women can compete with men.

[@ajkorras]

@@ThePianistONE is this your special field?

[@notagolfer9340]

Andreeva shows as 12.61 UTR for singles and Yanis shows as 13.25. The outcome was pretty close to expected. Iga shows 13.30, Gauff 12.97, Pegula 12.93.

[@alani3992]

Apparently he was not prepared for the match, not to mention mentally playing a female. If she were male with the same game, he would prob have won more easy.

[@treplay8846]

Should be 6-1 6-2 according to utr

[@MttSuddarth]

Yep. The best WTA player would beat the worst ATP players. But the level at the top of the ATP is way higher than the WTA.

[@keith6032]

My UTR is 3.2 and i beat people all the time. The disparity between my tennis friends and these guys is unreal.

[@andrejchalas6799]

your UTR makes no sense at all

[@TemT8]

That was to fun match to watch! I commend both these players, as each played hard, and didn't make it a gimmick. Respectful and both sportsmen about it. No matter the outcome both these players gained me as a fan. Even the crowd showed respect for the players. Unheard of these days.

[@kentuky1233]

Her backhand is amazing. Even though she's a top 50 player and he's very low ranked I thought she would get crushed. But she surprised me by taking advantage of the guys's initial power when hitting the ball back. Anyone who played tennis with some technique knows that one can adjust to a more powerful player just by hittibg back as long as he keeps the ball on court instead of hitting winner shots. In any case good for both of them. Great match

[@turradi1126]

She did better than I expected. Thanks for the video.

[@VarunTomee-kr6nf]

57 ranked beaten by 1145 you call it good 😂😂😂

[@dj-jazzy-jimbob]

@@VarunTomee-kr6nfdude piss off. It’s a different game completely. Yes she did well.

[@HarryJohnson69]

When I was a junior, I played against a lot of top nationally ranked women. I’d win almost every match. If it went to three sets, I would win for sure. However, sometimes I’d lose the first set because getting used to the different pace and playing style can be difficult. Although I was usually more consistent, I couldn’t believe how they’d try to attack almost every single shot no matter what I was throwing at them and they wouldn’t care if they missed. This sometimes paid off for them. Also they are very good at attacking second serve and the return of your return forcing you to have the start the rally with low and fast paced balls which you’re not used to and can throw you off

[@orwellknew9112]

@@OscarEggen I don’t think do. He’s just recounting his experience to add context to what we just watched. I found his post interesting. I think you misunderstood his motive.

[@rajarajanp]

@@OscarEggen His experience is very interesting, adds great value to the context of this match. I appreciate his efforts to provide his experience. I hope he continues to provide his insights by ignoring mean people out there.

[@topneorej]

@@OscarEggen I think your comment shows more ego than his.

[@Romans8-9]

@@topneorej delete of shame. lol

[@topneorej]

@@qwaszx2 haha there are men in the top 100 that are shorter than some of the top 10 women, yet these women can't win a single rally against them

[@suryas5865]

Notice the difference in crowd applause when female winning the point vs her male counterpart. This is the society we live in 🙃

[@alistairbolden6340]

Well it was a grown ass dude vs a kid.

[@trixfix7802]

​@@alistairbolden6340Agreed, if the case is a grown man vs a teenage boy, it'd get similar crowd reactions.

[@alexeykim8104]

Her opponent refused to play and instead of winning she was given a man

[@briansmith1352]

Western society in decline.

[@baldassodouniversoparalelo6972]

It's a teenage girl, and not only that, a very talented one, a future star. Against a nobody, is only logical the crowd would lean to the tennis prodigy Mirra Andreeva.

[@MegaBoolaBoola]

She just beat the World #2 in the Roland Garros quarterfinals. Great to see her crushing it since this match! Her willingness to play against a man, speaks volumes about her desire to improve, and not care about the immediate outcome.

[@J0sho495]

So if he identified as a girl, he could have won the championship?

[@MegaBoolaBoola]

@@J0sho495 I think so. McEnroe's estimate was too conservative. It's not the 700th ranked man that could beat the #1 woman, it's the 1145th.

[@plmnjioqazzsw7962]

His willingness to play against a women speaks volume . She didn't risk anything , every body knew she will lose . He risked playing to lower player and if he lost he would risk his reputation . So stop simping for women . She lost even after training for so many years . What a shame

[@MegaBoolaBoola]

@@plmnjioqazzsw7962 His reputation? What reputation? He has never qualified for an ATP tournament, not even a Challenger event. She makes semi-finals at Grand Slams, and just beat the #2 woman in the world. She is in the elite of women's tennis. He is a nobody. And he beat her.

[@plmnjioqazzsw7962]

@@MegaBoolaBoola what do you mean he is nobody . So you are saying he has no career ??? You are a misandrist . She is a loser she lost . What a waste are those semifinals at grand slams have to be that she lost to 1145th rank players . How is she making that money when she can not even win against a 1145th player . This means she is a privileged who is getting paid just because she is a women . What a shame she could not even win . Loser .

[@abderrezakboukazouha4254]

technically, they are close, but the athletically ? there's an ocean in between. but it's nice to see it.

[@HeavyTopspin]

Technically she was better at hitting her spots (as expected of a WTA player of her rank), but then it becomes the difference between 55mph and 70mph on the groundstrokes. She had to paint lines to pass him, while he didn't have to be as precise to pass her. Being stronger, taller, and faster on the court makes a HUGE difference that only truly transcendent skill can overcome, even against a player with a total of 6 ITF wins to his name.

[@abderrezakboukazouha4254]

@@HeavyTopspin we're talking about the 50 best woman in world, she has a team around her to help her acheive this technicity. A lot of variaty on the backend as well. but overall you've nailed it

[@razgriz1ne1ne48]

She is a still developing kid, not saying she'll match him but the "ocean" will become a lake

[@abderrezakboukazouha4254]

@@razgriz1ne1ne48 women reach their peak early in their career, usually before 24

[@alani3992]

Women's game has no variety, so she had to paint lines. Only person with touch or variety is Jabeur, but she can't move.

[@KIBICKE94]

It was quality tennis with very few errors. Andreeva did very well, did not give up even though her stamina lowered a bit at the end. She will go far! I think it was a great idea from the organisers, the crowd got to see a matchup that is very rare and it was an entertaining match.

[@tuneaddicted]

Very competitive match! Congrats to both players. It actually was pretty close. I remember Chris Evert saying when she was no 1 in the world I think, that her brother, who was a college player, not even sure if he was ranked, could still beat her.

[@topneorej]

I'll bet most of the top 100 ladies will have brother nobodies that beat them. Media keeps it a secret cause they have to push an agenda.

[@Hiltok]

Yep. Serena Williams was asked how she'd go against Andy Murray (I think it was 2016 after each had won Wimbledon). She said if she was given two points (30-0/0-30) each game, he'd still probably beat her 6-0.

[@topneorej]

@@Hiltok She also said that she really doubted she would win a single rally against Federer. And still she made more money than him. Doesn't sound fair, does it?

[@TheGeorgeD13]

If we reward results in what they play against, then it’s plenty fair that Serena earned equivalent or maybe more money. I like both the men’s and women’s games and watch quite equally. Both should be rewarded for their efforts equally. Both are arguable GOATS for their divisions in the sport. Seems plenty fair to me that they made a shit ton of money. I don’t think Federer cares either way. Federer makes money off of the Women’s game by the way. He has a sports agency. His Agency is an agent of Coco Gauff. She is sponsored by a couple of Federer’s other companies. He profits off of the women’s game, so again, I don’t think he gives a shit what Serena got paid.

[@Hiltok]

@@TheGeorgeD13 I agree with you. In any event, sports don't pay for 'fairness'. They pay for entertainment, and the top level of women's tennis delivers on that.

[@congareel]

Both players deserve recognition for this games professionalism and respect, best tennis ive seen in a while

[@zstick]

She played incredibly well. It looked like she was just getting tired toward the end, though. She wasn't getting returns that she might have earlier in the match. The guy was serving absolute bullets, but she returned them beautifully. Fun match to watch. Made me want to pull out my rackets and go play again (for the first time in like 15 years).

[@dirkdiggler2379]

long story short.. she couldn't hang with a man.

[@seohix]

go play man

[@이동현-j9o6k]

Andreeva is amazing for accepting this match. Hopefully she get into top 10 soon which i believe it soon. Thanks Andreeva

[@kleefton]

Mira did well. The main difference was the male player having a bigger serve and able to win so many free points or create so many short balls. Rally’s wise they were evenly matched. This guy wipuld probably lose to iga or sabalenka. They have more weapons than Mirra.

[@kevinkasp]

@@kleeftonI agree. Top 70 = high skill level and accurate shot placement. But she’s a 16 year old girl, so impossible to compete athletically against a man. So her strategy must be: go for long rallies because his ranking of 1,100 means he will make unforced errors. And for him: his strategy should be to hit harder or to places a girl cannot run fast enough to be able to return a shot. Deep to her opposite corner followed by a drop shot. And try to end rallies quickly via power shots because long rallies favor her accuracy over his.

[@rrrrrrrr1033]

@@kevinkaspare you saying men have physical advantages?

[@nojusome]

@@rrrrrrrr1033 are you handicaped or what ofc they have physical advantages

[@vladimironoprienko7177]

@@rrrrrrrr1033 hm???

[@prenomnom6203]

Not an avid tennis fan but I would have expected the outcome to be a bloodbath so congrats to the young lady for an amazing performance, wish her a very succesful carreer. Also hat off to the guy, took some balls to play this game and risk being remembered as "that guy who got beaten by a girl" forever.

[@dandiehm8414]

I never expected a bloodbath. She is ranked 57th. He is ranked 1045th. If she played a man rank 57th, then you would get the bloodbath.

[@Qarth56]

@@dandiehm8414Well yeah, but even rank 1045 is much better than 99% of people. You'd think by that point that the skill level would still be high enough that the physical advantages would be able to dominate more than they did. This result seems to suggest that if they got a top 10 women's player she might have had a serious chance of winning. Which is interesting given in most sports even the best women in the world would seriously struggle against even semi-pro men. Like how in football/soccer the best women's teams in the world get beaten 10-0 by teams of 14 year old boys playing for unremarkable American teams.

[@savsongs1306]

It would be a bloodbath if she played a guy in the top 100. This guy is ranked 1145.

[@prenomnom6203]

@@Qarth56 yup my point exactly.

[@joetheplumber2970]

It was a bloodbath.. Do you thing she could have even started a third set, let alone finished it?

[@campland2880]

He would be cannon fodder for a top 100 male. . . . Still, she made a very good showing. I thought he would have dominated considerably more. Bravo

[@Admiral___Ackbar]

Fascinating match. He was completely unprepared for her consistency and ability to adjust to pace. He, on the other hand, really didn’t have a lot of variety in his game and he really pushed to assert himself with high-risk bombs in the first set. After those first 3 games, he finally adjusted to longer points, played for consistency and never looked back. Her body language was super interesting to watch as he’d effortlessly chase down excellent drop shots. Clearly she wasn’t used to that male first-step power. At the end of the day, she looked far more refined than him in her game. That may be the result of coaching and resources. I highly doubt that a guy at his level has a lot of his own money to spend on elite coaching.

[@potzysk2]

Correct. He made a little over $2,000 in singles prize money for all of 2023. Probably didn't cover travel to the tournaments. He's basically an amateur who has to have another job, or parents who pay for everything.

[@adrianbrown1492]

And how much is the inferior player worth?

[@billyd5749]

It’s hard outside of the top 50 let alone top 1000

[@cjm3013]

@@adrianbrown1492 According to Wikipedia, she turned pro in '22 and has prize earnings of $771,168.

[@coloursoftherainbow8399]

@@billyd5749 I believe up to about 200 pay their way. Anyone who is consistently in the top 100 will make a lot of money out of tennis.

[@mikewazowski7713]

Nothing but respect for them both playing this and giving it their best. Especially Andreeva who goes into something like this knowing millions of people will say she should have lost if she loses, and that the guy must have been paid or tanking if she wins

[@reggrunow1460]

She goes in with zero pressure because the outcome is already known.

[@francisdashwood1760]

What do you men ''if'' she wins...lol?

[@elokao8070]

I don't understand why this is even discussion ofcourse a guy with God given advantages will win over a woman at the pro level. Just it being competitive just shows you also how good the top women are also. Let's just enjoy the atp and wta without these useless comparisons.

[@markfresca9765]

The progress of the match well reflects the two respective different rankings: Andreeva n° 57 is more accurate in placing the ball in the opponent's court, she makes fewer mistakes and has a more varied strategy; Ghazouani, n° 1145 is very good at hitting the ball, but he makes a lot of unforced errors, especially when the point needs only to be closed. The big difference lies in their respective physical strength. Andreeva spent a lot to stay at Ghazouani's athletic level in the first set and in the second she almost ran out of gas. Good match, anyway.

[@zenastronomy]

it took the male player the first set to realise he doesn't need to paint the lines to win and doesn't need to be so far behind to return the serves and rallies. For first set he was still playing like he was facing a man and leaving no margin for error. Losing a lot of games as a result. Once he realised he was playing a girl, and realised his maegin for error was huge. He destroyed her more easily as game went on.

[@pauleriknielsen]

Gotta be the first time in a long time watching a tennis match without a bunch of grunting

[@SilentHotdog28]

I'm ok with a little, because sometimes you might have to exert a bit more energy into a shot or run to reach one or something, but I hate when players do it everyshot to throw the opponent off, it's annoying. It's not illegal or anything, so fair play to them, but damn.......so annoying as a viewer.

[@lordcezar4657]

Sinner vs Djokovic there's no grunting

[@blaz3ofglory]

it was a great match, very entertaining. especially the 1st set when difference in stamina wasn't really a significant factor yet. I wish both athletes the best in their careers.

[@soccerlife5041]

There was no way she could have won despite her being more professionally trained than him. Mad respect for the lad

[@nerdzone]

Juding by the first few games I actually expected her to win. She was obviously more skilled and informed player. However, at some point it became obvious to the male player how much physically superior he is and most probably due to that realization and better stamina, he managed to win in a commanding fashion. What a great match nonetheless.

[@marcinm2871]

or he went easier on her early.

[@ThePsycho211]

@@marcinm2871 Nah, I've been in different sport (hockey) and that interpretation is almost always wrong (99%). Unless he said it himself, there is very little possibility that he went easy on her. He just found his rhythm after some time, that's it.

[@sportonjob6110]

Remember, she can probably afford coaching unlike him. Kudos to him. He really prroved why men are leagues above women in tennis and why there is a division.

[@CliveBramham]

Andreeva did great to take it to 7-5 in the first set. At that point the guy calmed down and found his rhythm. Expect Andreeva to make top 10 soon.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

it's hard playing against a woman for a man, the returns come much slower and that ruins your timing, you make mistakes you wouldn't with the ball moving at the speed you are used to. You could tell that as the match went on he was slowly adjusting and eventually his power and endurance were always going to be too much for her. She is used to playing 3 set matches, he is used to playing 5 sets, that will always ultimately give a man a massive advantage. I don't know why the women haven't been moved up to 5 set matches, they get paid the same as the men but if a woman plays every round and goes 3 sets, her maximum sets played would be the the same as the minimum sets played by the men. I don't see how that is fair or equal, personally.

[@enlightenment6278]

absolutely agree it is really tough playing women in singles because the ball comes much more flat without the powerful topspin and it's really hard to rip the ball on the return because the timing is totally different it's almost like playing a different sport.@@bipolarminddroppings

[@yamamancha]

@@enlightenment6278 I remember Serena saying that men's and women's tennis are two totally different sports.

[@enlightenment6278]

@@yamamancha that's absolutely true when it boils down to technique and strategy and also fitness, women don't train for five sets. tennis is one of the toughest professional sports on the planet, next to MMA, is absolutely amazing the level of fitness and training it takes to become a successful professional tennis player. only a thousand or so can survive at any one time on the circuit and 50% of those have to rely on local sponsorship or daddy's money. it's a tough life, I don't know why they don't make more movies about tennis players because it is an interesting topic.

[@orwellknew9112]

She might be better than her ranking would suggest, because she is a young lioness on the rise.

[@AvroBellow]

That was actually an entertaining match. They both looked pretty good out there.

[@chimastudios]

Andreeva is one to watch out for. Her shot making is seriously impressive.

[@tim1964x]

Good on *both* players for playing that game. So much pressure on both of them in many ways, and it was extremely competitive in the first set. The result was the one that (almost) all of us would have expected, but I enjoyed watching it, and I commend Andreeva on having the guts to take part in such a contest!

[@scrumpymanjack]

Hardly surprising. She played super well, though. What a talent.

[@cosjtm]

if you play tennis you would know that this guy was being very gentlemanly giving her a few points instead of 6-2 6-0

[@kjtennis1254]

I wonder how much the man got paid for stepping in at the last minute. This could have been the most money he ever got for playing tennis.

[@tonypapas9854]

I'm stunned it was even this close. That guy was FEELING the pressure, and looked tight. And still won easily.

[@pauthang2439]

and remember he is 1145th rank while she is the top 60 in wtp

[@johnkofi-theultimatelife1315]

@@pauthang2439 and remember that she is a small 16 woman and has only played against women while he is a grown up and strong man that has always played against men. Ranking is meaningless if you don't compare at least the body size and power. Best female athlete on 100m track runs as fast as 1400th male athlete. Yes, men hit stronger and run faster, please compare what's comparable and look at her great technique and consistency.

[@pauthang2439]

@@johnkofi-theultimatelife1315 no doubt about her technique and consistency. but like you said men hit stronger and run faster. Even if she is playing against a small 16 man and who has similar training like her, that 16 year old will beat this girl. no knock on this girl but that is the biological realty. also, the stats about best female athlete on 100 m tracks runs as fast as 1400th male athlete illustrates that point as well.

[@johnkofi-theultimatelife1315]

@@pauthang2439 yep, let's just stop comparing rankings, it doesn't make any sense. This proves that Tennis doesn't rely on technique and skill as much as power and speed.

[@Vishnuk-fe9iv]

@@johnkofi-theultimatelife1315 remeber the social pressure on Man. just remember it. thats why Men are intresting.

[@isabelcort6007]

Obviamente el hombre gana, por eso los deportes se dividen en categorías masculina y femenina pues la diferencia física es muy notoria. Aun así me gustó como jugó Andreeva el primer set, lo peleó hasta el final. El segundo fue más difícil pero igual logró robar 2 juegos al menos. Para tener 16 años lo hizo excelente. Y el chico demostró que un jugador 1000+ de la ATP merece mucho respeto tb

[@breathofawareness7903]

16 Year old girl playing against a fully grown man. I'd say she did great ! Keep it up girl. Playing against men is great practice. If she can hold her own against him, she will do great against other women.

[@edicionanimacion8879]

WOOOOOOW ANDREEVA, she's catching my atention a lot latelly, bravo

[@winniebrigino]

Sure Andreeva lost. Yet her tennis intelligence is so evident in this match and it is really a treat to watch her play. I expect great things from this young woman. It was also good that her opponent didn't hold back. That made this exhibition match more interesting. Congratulations to both protagonists for producing a great match!

[@ribbonsofnight]

I wonder if he held back on a couple of those potential smashes.

[@topneorej]

Don't you feel sorry for the guy? He's obviously a better tennis player than she, but she will become a millionaire, and he won't even be able to live of his tennis.

[@winniebrigino]

@@topneorej , i wouldn't know if he would like other people to feel sorry for him. for all i know, he may be a happier person than i am. not that i'm a sad person, though. but i don't personally know the guy, so i can't say. and maybe he may be able to raise his game to another level and break the top ten in ATP in the near future! who knows, right? even if it's hoping against hope. these two, as long as they do their best in what they believe is right for them, i think they'll be okay. in any case, from what they've shown in this game, it looks like these two have the right attitude. so i'll just wish them the best for what's to come.

[@d4slaimless]

​@@topneorej he is ATP player. She is WTA player. In their respective sports he is 1145 rated and she is 57. It is obvious they are going to make different money. I find that woman tennis is no less entertaining than man. Less speed and power, but dramatic enough. But if you put to girls like her against each other and to guys like him, I'd rather watch two girls play. Because she has better technique and more accurate, she would be more interesting to watch. People prefer to watch someone at the top of the game. And in WTA circle Andreeva is going to be on top. And I argue your point of him being a better player. He is stronger physically and it gives him the edge in this game. If anything I am happy for this girl doing good and this guy being a good sport and playing this match.

[@dn-anonymous]

I was thinking might be 60 60, but truth be told, his UTR (universal tennis rating) would be above hers, although not far off. He is prob around 13.5ish with that ranking (confirmed: 13.25). Andreeva, about 12.5 (confirmed:12.61; for reference, iga is 13.3), so def he was expected to win, with the final score being around par for the matchup. She did extremely well, but the point is that they get overpowered, then its just exhausting and discouraging. Over a single point, they are in fact pretty close, because her low power is offset by his propensity to hit unforced errors. But over the match, his bigger serve and court coverage would always be too much, maybe even for the #1 player. As serena said, braasch’s court speed was just too great, and her WTA winners were chased down too easily. Then you have to hit closer to the lines, and your error count shoots up.

[@123a-o5d]

How can the UTR be accurate if it has no data to go on? As in, there are no matches between players of different genders at higher levels.

[@dn-anonymous]

@@123a-o5d i never said it was necessarily accurate, only that this was as the UTR would predict. Thats in fact why i thought it might be a blowout - the UTR might be less convincing than previous information, such as Chris Evert admitting her brother could always beat her 60 60. It suggests the women’s game has come a long way. But the point is still, the UTR predicted this sort of outcome, and it was upheld. It remains to be confirmed, but with enough data at other levels, the UTR becomes an educated guess.

[@Crypt0n1an]

UTR isn't without it's criticism but interestingly Iga appears to match a 1048th male player(U16) all the way up to a 1676th player. Serena at her peak matches players ranked around 700th all the way up to 1200th. Yes, UTR is that unpredictable! However if you take the average of those two extremes perhaps we can reach an estimate of where they probably land. My best guess is that the best female today matches a 1300th male player and Serena at her peak matched a 1000th male player.

[@dn-anonymous]

@@Crypt0n1an its a fair guess, but also, at those levels, utr is probably more reliable than ranking. You have to enter the right tournaments to get ranking points, and that costs money - not everyone can manage the hassle. They are presumably operating at a loss, unless they have sponsorship, and i dont know how they would get that.

[@Crypt0n1an]

@@dn-anonymous Yes, that's a very good point you make. I guess it explains how an individual could have a lower UTR than someone ranked much lower than them. It also explains how the prize money for individuals ranked 500+ is virtually non existent. I suppose it's not easy to work out a ranking conversions from male to female. That's why I took the average of the two extremes.

[@aarongarcia2911]

Only 16!! Wow, she's going to just get better. She played amazing with finesse

[@korayaptall]

Thanks for the video. Interesting to see a match like that from our time. I can tell the biggest difference was the serves. As Anreea is more skilled, when the serves impact is eliminated and we are into a rally, then Andreea was head to head with him with better skill and strategy. But her second serve is just a major disadvantage and the man serve is a big advantage.

[@lewisdyne]

exactly! this man's first serve is the major reason he won

[@aut3ntik044]

Are you kidding stop looking for excuses she's a pro. He's ranking way higher. Stop with the nonsense already men and women are different and that's a good thing.

[@sultanabran1]

she played awesome. he settled in and started dominating. she would've had to work a lot harder than usual to keep up with the groundstrokes. great effort from her. you see many many top women player get smoked in the 2nd set against other women. so she's done well.

[@feroxludum]

In the context of patriarchy and how society oppresses women, it's worthwhile to note that even though these two players are reasonably well matched (he appears to have a slight edge over her), she is going to make hundreds of times more money from tennis than he is. Oppression.

[@devinmorales3668]

Props to both of these players for stepping up and not just playing, but taking it seriously. It made for a fun match!

[@kyleh503]

Tighter than I would’ve guessed. She had real chances. Her backhand was better than his.

[@briancp]

There's quite some difference in the power of the groundstrokes. It's like comparing weightlifting or arm wrestling - men's ranked 1145 vs women ranked 57. The more strength dependant the sport requires, the more dominant.

[@fabiorossetto2826]

Not only for strenght.

[@topneorej]

So explain chess (and all other brain sports), all billiards sports, darts and video gaming?

[@briancp]

@@topneorej Chess, I would imagine will be much closer matchup. Cue sports, the top 2 or 3 women players do often beat top 50s in mens. Video games, darts - overall, there are just way more interest and players that compete from the mens side compared to women.

[@topneorej]

@@briancp you forgot to mention that not only in computer gaming, but in almost all sports men are way more interested than women. For cue sports: in Snooker nor in Pool I don't think there is one woman in the top 100. If you can prove me wrong I would gladly accep it. In darts there is only one woman who can sometimes beat a top professional.

[@briancp]

Women's top snooker player Reanne Evans competes in the open comps and often beats professional men players. Reanne may have been in the top 100 at some stage of her career. I'm not so sure about pool as I don't follow it as much. Tbh, the number 1 women's player in almost every sport will struggle to reach the top 100 in men's.

[@ranrabi9381]

Man Andreeva have some serious talent! She’s only 16! That being said, there is absolutely no value in such competition. She has not reached her physical peak yet and he is barely a pro. Men and women’s tennis is very different game just like their physicality is different. Why is it so hard for people to accept it? Serena herself said it as clearly as it gets.

[@carlsanders7824]

The value is great for her. To play against this level of competition makes her raise her game to the next level, For him, there is no value.

[@Romans8-9]

Then Serena had a hissy fit that old John McEnroe said he could still beat her. lol

[@joekuul8769]

I started playing Tennis when I was 17 and I advanced pretty quickly, as I loved it. 3 years later, I was in college, and the D1 women's team was ranked around 25 in the nation. I'd struck up a friendship with the number one women's player, and played her twice in matches, losing both times, though the scores were close (6-4, 7-6 was one; I don't recall the other, but it was something similar). Physically, we were pretty equal, both weighing around 145 lbs., but mentally, her 15+ years of competitive tennis beat my 3 years pretty handily, as she seemed to win the big points.

[@awachsmann]

She is an amazing player and only getting better! We will see her in the top 10 very soon.

[@spadecat]

So long as she sticks with female opponents.

[@iwannadisappeartopluto]

@@spadecatshes literally in the wta tour, plus I think she learned a lot in this match against ghazouani, a male player

[@rjari8578]

This guy would become a millionaire if he happens to identify as women

[@caseygreyson4178]

Yikes

[@cineastik8220]

How so? He wouldn‘t be allowed to compete against cis-women if he did so…

[@jerrychen2302]

@@cineastik8220 actually i haven't seen many cases of trans women competing in tennis at all, not really sure about the rules

[@DurpenHeimer]

@@jerrychen2302 I don't believe there are any. It would likely be regulated the same way FINA did with trans swimming.

[@potzysk2]

@@jerrychen2302 Look up Renee Richards. You must be young!

[@gab_ale]

She plays great for a 16 year old.

[@wrench9103]

Too bad she had no childhood and it’s like a child movie star. Doubt she can hold a conversation

[@bigrobsydney]

@@wrench9103 You would be 1000% wrong. Top level players from Eastern bloc countries are usually highly intelligent, and are fluent in multiple languages for starters. They have also been to many countries, and loads of cities, and experienced much more travel than a lot of adults twice that age already.

[@uksquall]

@@wrench9103 Why are you callous and arrogant?

[@1211-n4d]

@@wrench9103 Any tips for getting better at holding conversations?

[@richardramirez2557]

@@wrench9103 What is the relevance of your comment on a tennis thread about gender performance with the OP speaking about her age as an aspect to consider in the outcome? Why dont you keep your contribution relevant to the topic, what's next, debating her outfit?

[@THADeeUSS]

Enjoyed every minute of this match ! Bravo both players ❤

[@dlamish]

Interesting and slightly surprising. Both players seemed to have played well. I thought the guy would have it a bit easier but it was quite competitive. By appearances one of the differences was Andreeva appeared to believe she would lose so there was a little bit of a mental factor. John McEnroe's estimate of an 800 ranked male being able to beat the No.1 Female (or Serena at the time) seems to be fairly accurate. I must admit I felt it would be closer to what the guy above was ranked - around 1500, but he might struggle to beat Iga - based on the highlights only though. But I still think it would be close.

[@JA_BRE]

"I thought the guy would have it a bit easier .." Dude, he is ranked 1057 or similar shes 47...

[@clarkkent1680]

@@JA_BRE1145 in the world,not 1057

[@1simonruss]

He did have it easy. Zero intensity. It was very comfortable for him from the start. He had to lose a few games for the fans, but realistically this was never in doubt. He could probably beat Swiatek quite easily too.

[@JA_BRE]

@@clarkkent1680 you get the point bro..

[@HehoiHehoi]

Dude a college male could beat any female 😂

[@Tennis85]

This was actually a good match. It had nothing to do with ranking or playing the gender card, it was more of who has the mental calmness, experience and technique to win this match. Andreeva definitely did a good job keeping up, despite losing, she will definitely be a threat in the WTA tour in the future! Also, I think she was using the new Wilson Blade V9, looks good!

[@andrea_rita007]

Si lo ves el partido completo era un partido de practica que duro una 1 hora, pero bueno ya es absurdo hablar de superioridad cuando la biología están clara que el aspecto fisico lo tiene ganado el hombre, definitivamente ya me aburre las femenistas que andan metiendo sus discursos de igualdad salarial en el tenis, Ni siquiera ellas ven Ni apoyan a las tenistas las usan como trapos de piso.

[@d4slaimless]

Actually, she had better technique. But he had better stamina and more power.

[@albid1075]

It was clear he was on cruise control by the second set and she was gassed.

[@nightmarica9801]

haven't even watched the finish yet, but just had to say this young lady is incredible. cant wait to see her in some slams.

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

It's incredible that she is even capable of putting up a fight against an adult male pro at age 16.

[@nightmarica9801]

@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten absolutely. and looked good doing it. like it was no big deal lol.

[@gsuscraft6974]

You realisd she has already been taking part in some slams?

[@aBeatleFan4ever]

Mirra Andreeva has played in the last 3 Grand Slam tournaments. She lost in the 3rd round at the French (2-1). She lost in the 4th round at Wimbledon (3-1). And she lost in the 2nd round at the US Open (1-1). Her GS singles record is 6-3 so far (won 67% of her matches). She played in the juniors at the 2023 Australian Open and lost in the final (7-6, 4-6, 5-7).

[@nightmarica9801]

@@aBeatleFan4ever i mostly watch the players that i know and like, so i don't watch every match in every round of a tournament. i apologize for my ignorance and don't mean to insult her. I'm a fan now though and will be watching.

[@Chris459]

Great match!! Thank you to you both. Andreeva is now #23 in the world. She just beat #2 Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of the French Open. And she is only 17 years old!

[@ryanhuisman5381]

In 1998, world #203 male player Karsten Braasch played Serena and then Venus Williams when they were both top ranked players. Braasch says he took it easy trying to have fun but still dominated them, beating Serena 6-1 then Venus 6-2. McEnroe's assessment about Serena being around #700 on the men's tour was quite accurate.

[@domagojhrgovic7419]

Credit to Andreeva for accepting this match.

[@ThePianistONE]

Well it was a win win for her anyways. Everyone knew shes gonna lose but if she won it would make history and news for months.

[@stevemahoney1733]

seems sexist. why not give him credit? are your a misandrist?

[@abedintheshed8696]

@@stevemahoney1733chill out it’s not that deep

[@nelsonluisfreire8969]

​​@stevemahoney1733 Sexist? Are you out of rationality? This is biology not ideology. Absurd

[@netgodzilla1]

She needs more practice

[@capricornmagic63]

If the fellow were in the 200s, the girl would have been lucky to win a game.

[@sean919191]

I wasn’t expecting it to be that competitive honestly 😂

[@J0sho495]

So if it is world no.1 womens vs mens 100 who do you expect to win then?

[@rasheediverson3169]

The man take it lightly in the first set knowing masculine stamina will kick in later on.