By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, August 24, 2016
"She's in better shape. It's not only her game; her movement is a lot better," says Chrissie Evert of Monica Puig.
Photo credit: ITF Olympic Tennis
Monica Puig adopted a puppy named Rio before her stirring run to the Rio Olympic gold medal.
If Puig can master the pachyderm of pressure that comes with her gold-medal status and play with consistent aggression, Hall of Famer Chrissie Evert believes the 34th-ranked Puerto Rican can be a Top 10 player.
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"We don't know what that big elephant, that big word pressure, we don't know what it's going to do," Evert said. "Now that she's won the Olympics there are expectations. The expectations have haunted other players. Hopefully she won't fall into that category."
In an ESPN conference call with the media to promote the network's US Open coverage, Evert and fellow ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernandez, who partnered San Juan-born Gigi Fernandez to two Olympic doubles gold medals, both backed Puig as a future Top 10 player.
"I was so impressed," said Fernandez, who served as U.S. Olympic coach in Rio. "I watched a few of her matches. I haven't seen her play that consistently (before). If she played that kind of tennis, she'd be in the Top 10.
"She served really well. Her backhand that was her major strength. She really attacked well with the backhand and she ran really well. It was tough to get balls by her. The question is consistency. She has all the tools, in my opinion, (to be Top 10)."
In 14 Grand Slam appearances, Puig has yet to surpass the third round of a major. She will arrive in New York with just one career US Open win to her credit. A year ago, Puig failed to survive the first hurdle at three of the four Grand Slams.
In a year, she's transformed herself into a fitter, feistier champion who made her mark on history winning Puerto Rico's first gold medal. Puig ended the 2015 season ranked No. 92, opened this season reaching the Sydney final and played through qualifying to reach the Eastbourne semifinals.
"She has had a new purpose this whole year in her practice," Evert said. "She's had a different intensity a different work ethic. She worked her butt off and I think (coach) Juan Todero deserves a lot of credit because of that. They make a great team.
"We knew she could always hit the ball hard but never that consistent. I mean she was outrallying players with a lot of power. And I hope she can keep it up."
Though she didn't gain any ranking points from her Rio run, Puig arrives in New York on a tear winning nine of her last 10 matches. She figures to receive a major boost of confidence gained from her golden run as well as the vocal support from New York City's large Puerto Rican population, which celebrated her Olympic triumph with enthusiastic pride.
More importantly, Puig should be empowered by the fact she stood toe-to-toe with three Grand Slam champions— Roland Garros champion Garbine Muguruza, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and second-ranked Angelique Kerber in the gold-medal match—out-hit, out-hustled and out-fought all three in an emotionally-powerful performance.
Evert believes Puig is now a better mover who can climb to the Top 10.
"She's also leaner," Evert said. "She's lost weight. She's in better shape. It's not only her game; her movement is a lot better. "
"I agree she could be in the Top 10. Could she be number one? I'm not going to go that far. Could she be in the Top 10? If she continues this wave of momentum, yeah she could be."