Sunday, September 12, 2021

The 2021 US Open: Promotions, Demotions, and Other Stats

2021 US Open Champions:
  • Daniil Medvedev (Komusubi, ex-Sekiwake)
  • Emma Raducanu (Maegashira)

New Career Sanyaku Rank:

Sanyaku Rank Changes
Player (career rank if different) To From
Promotions
Daniil Medvedev Sekiwake Komusubi
Felix Auger-Aliassime Sekiwake Maegashira
Karolina Pliskova (ex-Ozeki) Sekiwake Komusubi
Aryna Sabalenka Sekiwake Komusubi
Barbora Krejcikova Sekiwake Komusubi
Emma Raducanu Sekiwake Maegashira
Leylah Fernandez Sekiwake Maegashira
Demotions
Stefanos TsitsipasSekiwake Ozeki
Dominik Thiem (ex-Ozeki)Maegashira Komusubi
Dennis ShapovalovMaegashira Komusubi
Hubert HurcaczMaegashira Komusubi
Sofia Kenin (ex-Ozeki)Maegashira Komusubi
Iga Swiatek (ex-Sekiwake)Maegashira Komusubi
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (ex-Sekiwake)Maegashira Komusubi
Angelique Kerber (ex-Ozeki)Maegashira Komusubi
Karolina MuchovaMaegashira Komusubi

Kinboshi:
("gold star" - prize awarded to a non-sanyaku ranked competitor for beating an active Yokozuna):
  • Leylah Fernandez - for beating Yokozuna Naomi Osaka in Round 3

Other noteworthy developments:
  • Dai-Yokozuna (Great Grand Champion) Novak Djokovic just missed out on his 21st grand slam title, and therefore remains on par with Roger Federer's and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic remains #2 in the stats-based open area top 20 ranking, behind Federer but ahead of Nadal (the rank order is determined by the number of finals and semifinals participations).
  • Both Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams - who missed the tournament injured - and Yokozuna (Grand Champion) Naomi Osaka - who exited in round 3 - are at risk of losing active Yokozuna status if they fail to reach the quarterfinals at the 2022 Australian Open
  • Sekiwake (Junior Champion I) Daniil Medvedev won his first grand slam tournament. Although Medvedev is now arguably more accomplished than either Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas, different from them he did not clear the "great hurdle" to Ozeki ("Champion") yet, as for this consistency at a high level over several tournament is required - and Medvedev's results at the preceding 2021 Wimbledon tournament and French Open were somewhat weaker. He is in an excellent postition to secure Ozeki rank soon, however, he needs a quarterfinal participation at the 2022 Australian Open or a semifinal at the 2022 French Open.
  • Alexander Zverev defended Ozeki rank with a semifinal participation, while Stefanos Tsitsipas exited early and gets demoted to Sekiwake. He has one chance at the Australian Open to regain Ozeki status immediately, however, if he reaches the semifinals. Ashleigh Barty also lost early and goes kadoban: she needs to reach the quarterfinals at the 2022 Australian Open to defend rank.
  • In a strange quirk, the number of Komusubi (Junior Champion II) went from 11 to 0 after the US Open, while the number of Sekiwake went from 2 to 10: four on the men's side and five on the ladies'. Five out of the ten Sekiwake are first-time Sekiwake promotees. These include Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez, who played the first all-teenager ladies' grand slam final since Serena Williams vs. Martina Hingis in 1999.

Sanyaku Ranks Following the 2021 US Open

Men
Career rank 1/ East Current Rank West Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Dai-Y Novak Djokovic Y Rafael NadalDai-Y
O Alexander Zverev O --
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S Matteo Berrettini S1 Stefanos Tsitsipas (o)O
S Daniil Medvedev S2 Felix Auger-Aliassime S
- - K - -


Women
Career rank 1/ East Current Rank West Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y Naomi Osaka Y Serena WilliamsDai-Y
O Ashleigh Barty (k) O --
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
O Karolina Pliskova S1 Aryna SabalenkaS
S Maria Sakkari S2 Emma Raducanu S
S Leylah Fernandez S3 Barbora KrejcikovaS
- - K - -

1/ Highest sanyaku rank achieved in a player's career
Inactive Yokozuna: Roger Federer (Dai), Andy Murray, Venus Williams
(k): kadoban
(o): Sekiwake-Ozeki