Sanyaku Ranks Following the 2013 Australian Open

All Yokozuna and Ozeki runs were stopped before completion, thus the Australian Open failed to produce high-profile promotions.

• In the mens' game, tournament champion Novak Djokovic remains the top Yokozuna (Grand Champion), ahead of semifinalist Roger Federer and the injured Rafael Nadal. Nadal has now to reach the seminfals at his favorite tournament - the French Open - to remain an active Yokozuna. In a reversal of the result last September at the US Open, Ozeki (=Champion) Andy Murray lost the final to Djokovic, which blocked Murray's progression to Yokozuna - at least for now.  

• David Ferrer reached another grand slam semifinal and thus remains Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I). A possible promotion Ozeki was prevented by a superb Djokovic in the semifinals. Ferrer is joined at Sekiwake by ex-Ozeki and quarterfinalist Tomas Berdych.  Ex-Seiwake Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defended Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) rank, but ex-Ozeki Juan Martin del Potro - also ranked Komusubi before the tournament - missed the quarterfinals and therefore drops out of the sanyaku ranks.

• In the ladies' game, Viktoria Azarenka won her second Australian Open and remains the top Ozeki, ahead of semifinalist Maria Sharapova. A tournament victory at the French Open and either of them would be promoted Yokozuna: Azarenka under standard the back-to-back-titles rule, Sharapova for winning 5 grand slam titles over the course of her career. For now, however, Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams continues to reign as the only active Yokozuna, even though in Australia she exited unexpectedly early in the quarterfinals.

• Pre-tournament Ozeki Samantha Stosur and Petra Kvitova both missed the quarterfinals. Stosur goes kadoban as a result, and has to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open to defend her rank. Kvitova was already kadoban, and therefore gets demoted to Sekiwake, where she will be joined by finalist and ex-Ozeki Na Li, and by quarterfinalist Agnieszka Radwanska. Sara Errani exited early and drops to Komusubi, a rank she'll share with with first-time sanyaku ranked player and surprise semifinalist Sloane Stephens - the 57th female Komusubi of the open era.

In short, the sanyaku-ranks after the 2013 Australian Open look as follows:

Men

Career rank 1/	East	Current Rank	West	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y	Novak Djokovic	Y1	Roger Federer	Dai-Y
Dai-Y	Rafael Nadal	Y2	-	-
O	Andy Murray	O	-	-
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	David Ferrer	S	Tomas Berdych	O
S	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	K	-	-

 

Women

Career rank 1/	East	Current Rank	West	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Dai-Y	Serena Williams	Y	-	-
O	Viktoria Azarenka	O1	Maria Sharapova	O
O	Samantha Stosur*	O2	-	O
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
O	Petra Kvitova	S1	Agnieszka Radwanska	S
O	Na Li	S2	-	-
S	Sara Errani	K	Sloane Stephens	K

1/ Highest sanyaku rank achieved in a player's career
* kadoban
Venus Williams is an 'inactive' Yokozuna

Murray and Sharapova Remain on Yokozuna Runs

Australian Open 2013 Pre-Semifinal Update

As the Australian Open enter their hot phase, the two players with a shot at a Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) have thus far convinced with impressive displays of power and precision.

Ozeki (=Champion) Andy Murray earned the shot with his triumph at the 2012 U.S. Open. A back-to-back slam title in Melbourne would have the Scot advance to Yokozuna - he would be the 17th male player in the open era to do so. In the first five matches, Murray did not drop a set, although the luck of the draw spared Murray any current or former sanyaku (=champion) ranked player. This is going to change. To ascend to the highest rank, Murray  will have to beat Dai-Yokozuna (=great Grand Champion) and living legend Roger Federer in the semis, and (probably) Yokozuna and world #1 Novak Djokovic in the final. It would be a worthy path to the pinnacle of the game indeed.

Also in with a shot is veteran female Ozeki Maria Sharapova. Sharapova is arguably already the most succesful female Ozeki of the open era, winning four grand slam titles since her first Ozeki promotion in 2004 (as a 17 year old) - although never back-to-back. A fifth title would elevate the charismatic Russian to Yokozuna regardless. Sharapova's chances look encouraging especially now that Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams exited surprisingly in the quarterfinals - an opponent against who Sharapova had lost her last nine matches. Thus far Sharapova has blasted through her opponents, including (inactive) Yokozuna Venus Williams. The road to Yokozuna takes her next to former Ozeki Na Li, and then possibly to fellow Ozeki, defending champion and world #1 Viktoria Azarenka.

In other developments, Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) David Ferrer is one win away from a career-high Ozeki  promotion. And even if Ferrer does not jump the "big hurdle" (this is what Ozeki means literally in Japanese) here - after all, Djokovic is waiting in the semifinals, against who Ferrer has a poor career record - chances are decent for the 2013 French Open, when a spot in the seminfinals would suffice. Quarterfinalist and ex-Ozeki Tomas Berdych returns to Sekiwake, while ex-Sekiwake Jo-Wilfried Tsonga holds Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) rank. Former Ozeki Juan Martin del Potro failed to qualify for the quarterfinals and drops out of the sanyaku ranks.

In the ladies' game, Sloane Stephens will earn a first-time sanyaku promotion for her quarter-final heroics against Serena Williams - at least to Komusubi, and possible to Sekiwake if Stephens beats Azarenka in the semis. Na Li also returns to sanyaku; she would even get her Ozeki rank back if she wins the tournament. Quarterfinalist Agnieszka Radwanska regains Sekiwake rank, where she will be joined by Petra Kvitova, who missed two grand slam quarterfinals in a row and hence gets demoted from Ozeki. Ozeki Samantha Stosur also lost early and thus goes kadoban, i.e. is at risk of losing Ozeki rank at the French open. Sara Errani recedes one rank to Komusbi, while ex-Sekiwake Angelique Kerber drops out of the sanyaku ranks altogether. 

Time to Say Farewell to two Great Champions

Yokozuna (=Gand Champion) Kim Clijsters and long-standing Ozeki (=Champion) Andy Roddick played their last tournament at the 2012 U.S. Open. 

Kim Clijsters really had two careers. In her first, she burst on the scene as a teenager in 1999 and from 2001 was a strong and solid Ozeki, crowned by a U.S. Open title in 2006. Clijsters was slightly overshadowed by the greater successes of her Belgian compatriot Yokozuna Justine Henin. Clijsters retired for the first time in 2007, at the age of only 23 years. The second career started almost 3 years and a baby later. Clijsters returned with a bang, winning the 2009 U.S. Open in her first comeback grand slam tournament. In 2011 she obtained Yokozuna rank - unusualy late in a player's career - by winning back-to-back the U.S. and the Australian Open. While Clijsters' tennis lacked both the big weapons of the Williams sisters and the variability of Henin, she compensated for this with an athletic, sharp, agressive allround game free of any significant weaknesses.   

 

Andy Roddick's career took off rapidly in the early 2000s, culminating in a grand slam title - and an Ozeki promotion - at the 2003 U.S. Open. Subsequently Roddick established himself as one of the most consistent Ozeki of the entire open era, entering 14 tournaments at Champion-rank. Only the legend Ozeki Guillermo Vilas (20 tournaments) and Arthur Ashe (15) surpass him in this department. Roddick's way to further grand slam titles - and a possible Yokozuna promotion - was blocked (largely) by a certain Roger Federer; although in a memorable 2009 Wimbledon final, Roddick had the Swiss master close to defeat - supported by his trademark, powerful, near-impenetratable serve that goes down as one of the greatest shots in the history of tennis.

Sanyaku Ranks after the US Open 2012

  Wth all Grand Slam tournaments of the season played, here are the sanyaku ranks that players will take into 2013:

• In the mens' game, US Open finalist Novak Djokovic and Dai-Yokozuna  Roger Federer swap the two top Yokozuna (Grand Champion) ranks, followed by injured Dai-Yokzouna Rafael Nadal. Tournament victor Andy Murray remains the only Ozeki (=Champion). If he wins the Australian Open also, he'll join Djokovic, Federer and Nadal at the highest rank.
   
• David Ferrer established himself as the sole Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) with another solid performance. A semifinal win over Djokovic and Ferrer woud have cleared the "great hurdle" to Ozeki (this is what "Ozeki" literally means). The former Ozeki Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych had both strong tournaments and rejoin the sanyaku ranks as Komusubi (=Junior Champion II). They share the rank with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who got demoted from Sekiwake folowing a surprise 2nd round exit.
   
• In the ladies' game, Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams triumphed once again - the 15th Grand Slam singles title of her career - and is now the sole active Yokozuna, following the retirement of Kim Clijsters. Maria Sharapova and  defending champion Samantha Stosur both confirmed Ozeki status with semi-/quarterfinal particiaptions (both falling to Azarenka), while Petra Kvitova  went kadoban - she has to reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open to avoid demotion.
   
• Sara Errani regained Sekiwake status, while Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber get demoted one rank to Komusubi, following 4th-round exits.

Altogether, the sanyaku-ranks post-US Open look as follows:

Men

Career rank 1/	East	Current Rank	West	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y	Novak Djokovic	Y1	Roger Federer	Dai-Y
Dai-Y	Rafael Nadal	Y2	-	-
O	Andy Murray	O	-	-
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	David Ferrer	S	-	-
S	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	K1	Tomas Berdych	O
O	Juan Martin Del Potro	K2	-	-

 

Women

Career rank 1/	East	Current Rank	West	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Dai-Y	Serena Williams	Y	-	-
O	Viktoria Azarenka	O1	Maria Sharapova	O
O	Samantha Stosur	O2	Petra Kvitova*	O
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	Sara Errani	S	-	-
S	Angelique Kerber	K	Agnieszka Radwanska	S

1/ Highest sanyaku rank achieved in a player's career

* kadoban

Venus Williams is an 'inactive' Yokozuna

Sanyaku Ranks after Wimbledon

Even though the finals of Wimbledon 2012 remain to be played, the post-Wimbledon Sanyaku (=Championship) ranks are already decided.

• The game's grands  Roger Federer and Serena Williams are the only Yokozuna (=Grand Champions) in the finals and will regain the Yokozuna 1 East spot at the top of the banzuke (= player ranking).

• In the men's game, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be promoted to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) from Komusubi (=Junior Champion II), for the third time in his career. He joins David Ferrer at that rank. Ex-Ozeki (=Champion) Juan Martin Del Potro, who was a Komusubi after the French Open, drops out of the Sanyaku ranks.

• In the ladies' game, semi-finalist Angelique Kerber and finalist Agnieszka Radwanska earn first-time Sekiwake promotions, Kerber from Komusubi and Radwanska from the maegashira (=non-champion) ranks (and independent of whether Radwanska wins or loses the final). Sara Errani drops one rank to Komusubi, ex-Sekiwake Caroline Wozniacki drops out of the sanyaku ranks. Ozeki Maria Sharapova and Samantha Stosur, who went out early, go kadoban (i.e., they need to reach the quarterfinal at the U.S. Open to defend Ozeki rank).

Altogether, the sanyaku-ranks post-Wimbledon look as follows:

Men

Career rank 1/	East	Current Rank	West	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Dai-Y	Roger Federer	Y1	Novak Djokovic	Y
Dai-Y	Rafael Nadal	Y2	-	-
O	Andy Murray	O	-	-
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	David Ferrer	S	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	S
-	-	K	-	-

Women

Career rank 1/	East	Current Rank	West	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Dai-Y	Serena Williams	Y	Kim Clijsters	Y
O	Viktoria Azarenka	O1	Petra Kvitova	O
O	Maria Sharapova*	O2	Samantha Stosur*	O
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	Angelique Kerber	S	Agnieszka Radwanska	S
S	Sara Errani	K	-	-

1/ Highest sanyaku rank achieved in a player's career

* kadoban

Venus Williams is an 'inactive' Yokozuna

Updated July 6, 2012

Updates are on the Way

I have fallen a little behind as regards keeping this blog up-to-date, but following Wimbledon I'll post summary updates of what has happened thus far this year. The main promotions have been in the ladies' game, with Petra Kvitova, Viktoria Azarenka, and Samantha Stosur all making it to Ozeki (=Champion) following their results at the  Australian (Kvitova, Azarenka) and French (Stosur) Open. They are the female Ozeki ## 31-33  of the open era, and join French Open champion Maria Sharapova at that rank.

Sharapova is only one grand slam title away from a Yokozuna (=Great Grand Champion) promotion - a rank that is currently held only by Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters. Clijsters is in the final stages of her farewell tour, but Dai-Yokozuna (great Grand Champion) Serena continues to dominate on her day, as she shows here at Wimbledon, overcoming Kvitova and Azarenka in succession. Venus Williams is considered an inactive Yokozuna, due to an extended period without Yokozuna-worthy results.

Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska have secured first-time Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) promotions at Wimbledon. French Open finalist Sara Errani will fall back from Sekiwake to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II).

In the mens' game, David Ferrer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are back to Sekiwake, following a sequence of strong tournaments. Tsonga could even make it to Ozeki if he wins Wimbledon. However, overall the mens' game continues to be rules by the Yokozuna Roger Federer (Dai), Rafael Nadal (Dai) and Novak Djokovic, and long-standing Ozeki Andy Murray.

P.S. all sanyaku rank lists are updated.