Honor Roll

NEW YORK—The final Grand Slam of 2014 did a role reversal over its two weeks. On the women’s side, the tournament began with upsets and drama; on the men’s, with an inexorable march of the seeds. By the finish, though, the tours had switched places. The men ended up with two major-final newbies in the title match, while the women’s final was a return to form for two celebrity No. 1s. Put it all together and it was a fine two weeks, full of personality, incident, and fresh faces, which unfortunately ended with two routine matches and five straight uncompetitive 6-3 sets.

In this case, a grades post is especially useful. Instead of focusing on its last two days, we can be reminded of everything and everyone that happened over the fortnight. As always, though, I can't cover everyone here. If you see someone missing, make your own grade in the comments below.

“If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs...”

This isn't the line from Kipling’s “If-” that we usually quote in tennis, but they fit nicely with Serena’s U.S. Open. By the tournament’s mid-point, half of the Top 10 women’s seeds were gone, and they kept going after that: The highest-ranked player Williams faced was No. 10 Wozniacki. But judging from her no-nonsense mood, it would have been tough for anyone to beat her here. As she revealed when it was over and the mission was accomplished, Serena had 18 on her mind, and she didn’t want to wait until 2015 to get it.

This time it was the 33-year-old’s continued desire, and continued attention to detail that impressed the most. Even when Serena was cruising—she didn’t drop more than three games in any of the 14 sets she played—she was looking for what could be improved in her next match. That’s how you get your picture taken with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova; that’s how you win majors over a 15-year period; that’s how you stay ahead of your younger competition into your 30s. And that’s how a perfectionist always reaches their goal: By having another one ready. A+

His win is a surprise, but it becomes a stunner when you look at his career record before the Open: No Grand Slam finals, no Masters semis, and no wins at 500-level tournaments. Plus, four of the 11 titles he did win came at his home event, in Zagreb. Before last week the 25-year-old really was an underachiever, and he really did need someone like Goran Ivanisevic to show him how to assert himself and make the most of his frame and his game.

Cilic had been improving slowly this year, and had shown a glimpse or two of Top 5 tennis. But he went into overdrive after recording his first win over Gilles Simon in the fourth round. In his last three matches, Cilic straight-setted three players he had losing records against—Berdych, Federer, and Nishikori—and threw down 49 aces doing it. In the process, he remade his sometimes dull style into something more forceful and exciting. Then he told his tourmates on TV that they could do it, too. Who says nice guys can’t get what they want? A+

It was a sweet two weeks for the former No. 1. She played her best tennis in a couple of years, reached her first Grand Slam final in five years, and vaulted back into the Top 10. Rather than an “accidental No. 1,” as some termed her, Wozniacki has shown she’s still a top-level threat when her energies aren’t divided—when she is, as she said this summer, “so focused on what I have to do out there and what my purpose is.”

Wozniacki won the crowd in New York—her support equaled Serena’s in the final—as well as fans around the world when she showed her concern for a suffering Shuai Peng in the semifinals. It was a gesture notable for its sincerity, and an example for athletes in all sports. A

He laid an egg on the last day, but this was the best two weeks of Nishikori’s career. His ball-striking has never been questioned—as Roger Federer reminded us, he and Rafael Nadal had each sung his praises the moment they saw him take a swing at a ball as a teenager. Kei’s heart and body—mainly the latter—had been the issues, but those were his strengths in New York: He won two four-hour five-setters and followed those with a three-hour win over Novak Djokovic.

At 5’10”, it’s hard to say the 24-year-old is a lock to win a Slam in the future, but the ATP will be a better place if he can make his exciting brand of tennis a fixture late in big events. He’s already won the fans in New York, and you know what they say about making it there... A

One hundred titles, and they look they're just getting started. A

It was a banner event for the Russian, who reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in singles, and won the doubles with Elena Vesnina. The 26-year-old, a perennial quarterfinalist at majors who has always had more talent than belief, said she finally felt ready to go farther this time, and her wins over Genie Bouchard and Victoria Azarenka didn’t look like upsets. Hopefully she didn’t think they were, either. Makarova would be a fine, friendly, subtle addition to the Top 10. Even better, she says if she wins the title, she'll do "The Macarena" for us. A-

Peng be remembered for the way she ended this tournament, wheeled out of Ashe Stadium after a scary bout with heat illness—a moment she herself could barely recall. But like Makarova, Peng was an eye-opener at the Open, both with her aggressive double-handed strokes and the shy, whispery way she handled her sudden turn in the spotlight at 28. A-

We’ve glimpsed a lot of young hopefuls recently, from Muguruza to Stephens to Bouchard to Keys to Tomljanovic to CiCi Bellis. By the quaterfinals at the Open, Bencic appeared to be the best of them all. At 17, she was out-hitting established tour players, and getting better every time she stepped on the court. But like most of the young players at this year’s Open, Bencic ended on a cautionary note—hers was a one-sided loss to Peng. She has everything an adult player could want, as well as the emotions of a teenager. They should pass. A-

Cinderella was especially unlikely this year: A 21-year-old, 145th-ranked, 5’4”, 117-pound Serbian qualifier. Krunic played the most interesting tennis of the tournament in her win over Petra Kvitova and her close loss to Victoria Azarenka—you could see her thinking with every shot. She changed speeds, showed off a live arm and a rifle backhand, and ran down everything. Then she did the equivalent of all of those things in her intelligent press-conference answers. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see or hear from her on the big stage. B+

He wasn't crushed in his post-loss press conference, but he was crestfallen, and you could understand why. After reaching dramatic and sonic heights in Ashe Stadium during his late-night comeback quarterfinal win over Gael Monfils, he had had been brought crashing hard to earth two days later by Cilic, an opponent he had never lost to before.

With that defeat, Federer will end an otherwise successful 2014 with no Grand Slam titles. Yet this tournament also reminded us why he keeps going: For moments like his win over Monfils, before one of the loudest crowds in Ashe Stadium's very loud history. “It was emotional,” said Federer, who even after 15 years on tour had never experienced a night, or a Grand Slam comeback, quite like it. These days, he doesn’t have to win a major to give it a signature moment. B+

His generation of men has produced a lot of late-bloomers, but a Monfils surge at age 28 would be the most welcome of all. This Open was one of the best tournaments of his 10-year career. The famously flaky Frenchman showed he could play calm, cool, and mostly collected tennis for four rounds. Four and two-thirds rounds, to be exact; he finally reverted to form at the end of his near-win over Federer. But even in defeat, Monfils was part of the tournament’s best match and most memorable moment, as well as two of its most moving press conferences.

Before playing Federer, he talked about how much visiting the Bronx and discovering the support he had from the black community there had meant to him.

After playing Federer, he was asked what he would tell his kids about that night. “I’ll tell them, ‘Dad had a very good opportunity, and he did well,’” Monfils said. He will be right.

Now we have one more reason to root for La Monf to succeed: So we can hear him talk more. B+

As he did at Wimbledon, Kyrgios showed off flashes of a Slam-winning game in New York. The 19-year-old Aussie gutted out a humid win over veteran Mikhail Youzhny, and made routine work of former Top 30 regular Andreas Seppi. Kyrgios also looked at home as the star attraction during a Saturday night session in Ashe Stadium. But as with the other kids who made a splash at the Open, Kyrgios also learned a lesson. In the third round, he was slowly dismantled and deflated by that old buzzkill Tommy Robredo. Kyrgios is going to be good, but is he going to be Mark Philippoussis good, or something more? B+

The 15-year-old gave us a jolt of summer lightning to start the tournament. She played too fast, laughed when the crowd chanted her name, and yelled “Jeezus!” after she missed a forehand. It was all, as she said, “mind blowing.” When people saw her walk—strut, really—past them on the grounds, they turned and asked, “Who was that?” even if they had no idea who she was. Bellis has a star’s energy. Now she needs a pro’s serve. B+

“Just wasn’t myself,” Djokovic said after his third lackluster loss in as many tournaments this summer. This one was the most surprising of all. Each of the last four years, Djokovic has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the U.S. Open semifinal; this time he couldn't shake Nishikori loose. At the moments when Djokovic is usually very good, this time he was very bad—none worse than his six-error third-set tiebreaker, which essentially sealed his fate.

Looking on the positive side, he’s already suffered a dip early in 2014, and recovered to reclaim the No. 1 ranking by July. I’m guessing this lull is temporary as well. B

The crucial question is: Did this qualify as a Mega effort from the Austrian, who turned 21 just as his tournament was ending? Almost. Like Bencic against Peng, he didn’t show up, or show much, in his blink-and-you-missed-it loss to Berdych in the fourth round. But the fact that he was in the fourth round in his main-draw Open debut says more about his future. B

Seventeen years after her debut at the Open, and many trials and miles later, Lucic-Baroni had her moment. She beat No. 2 seed Simona Halep and let the words and emotions from those lost years flow. “I’m sorry, I’m goofy,” she apologized to her on-court interviewer when she began to cry. Later, during her long and equally emotional press conference, she apologized for still loving the feeling of winning so much. No need to apologize: Lucic-Baroni showed us again how much sports can matter, even to someone who has been through so much more. B

The fighter was back, fighting her opponents and herself every step of the way. She never played her best, but after the year's she's hard, this was progress. And while she was never the crowd favorite, she gave us plenty to see and hear while she was around: Vika smashed a racquet, hugged fans on the grounds, told us life is beautiful, and sang a birthday song. The last moment was, unfortunately, hard to forget. B-

Let's put it this way: Considering where she began the hard-court season, this wasn’t a disaster. Bouchard embraced the night life in New York, winning two gritty three-setters in Ashe—hype won’t get you through you those types of matches. Yet she never played her best, and even before she melted down on a humid day, she was outhit by Makarova, who looked like the superior player. Bouchard will keep winning, but it may never be easy. B-

The stops and starts never end for Dimitrov. If he does become a Hall-of-Famer, he will surely have taken the longest route to the top of any player in history. This time, just when he appeared ready for his first Grand Slam showdown with his spiritual father, Federer, he was ambushed in three sets by Gael Monfils. Dimitrov was disappointed, but had to admit this was a breakthrough Slam season for him. He’s had another stop in New York; we’ll see if watching Cilic and Nishikori pass him in the major-title race will start him up again. B-

It was an odd tournament for Murray. The fitness freak cramped in his first match, and got tired in his last one, against Djokovic. In between, he played something close to his best tennis of the season against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A year after surgery, and 14 months after his Wimbledon win, Murray still seems to be trying to find himself. The fourth member of the Big 4 is currently ranked No. 11. He had a solid Slam season, reaching at least the quarters of all four majors. We'll see if he can climb higher again at 27. C+

Is it possible that improving on clay can hurt your game on other surfaces? In Maria's case, you have to wonder: She lost before the quarterfinals at each major other than the French Open, which she won. Grit can only overcome chronic inconsistency for so long; her on-and-mostly-off loss to Wozniacki proved that point again. Bonus Point: Sharapova typically gives very good press conferences after defeats, but this one was notable for its thoughtfulness and humor. C+

As Raonic has risen in the rankings this year, the question has come up again about whether a player who relies so heavily on his serve can ever become No. 1—the Canadian, after all, is already at No. 6, and Cilic just rode his own serve to the Open title. Raonic's loss to Nishikori, though, in which he was up two sets to one, made me think he’s more likely not to make it. Even as he has ascended to the Top 10, he’s lost 15 of his 18 matches against the other members of that elite club over the last two years. C+

She says she has calmed herself mentally at smaller events, but not at the majors, where she goes back to her negative “patterns” of thought. This time those patterns sent her out in the second round. Ivanovic has, slowly but surely, conquered a lot of problems in the last five years. At 26, she has one more to go. C-

I’ll let Isner’s words from his press-conference, after his third straight loss to Philipp Kohlschreiber at Flushing Meadows, stand as his assessment:

“I have to be better than that.” C-

Her rise to No. 2 over the last year has been a remarkably smooth one. But this year’s Open may have been the moment when she went from hunter to hunted. Her early to loss to Lucic-Baroni was just one match in an otherwise stellar season, but it was concerning for two reasons: (1) She was overpowered by a bigger opponent; and (2) She got down on herself quickly. After losing a first-set lead to Lucic-Baroni, Halep said she wasn’t in a “good mood.” C-