New Fan Essay Winners: Rooting For Chaos

The ATP editorial team had another fun time reading the entries that were sent to us for the third installment of our Fan Essay Contest.

Writers aged 18 and under were challenged to write an essay of 500 words or less on the topic: ‘What is the best ATP Tour match you have seen (either in person or on TV)? Describe why the match was so compelling and why it had a big impact on you.’ The winning entries are featured below.

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Thiem Over Chaos
By Ryan Canton, 18, Canton, Connecticut

I root for chaos when I have nothing to lose. Give me David over Goliath every single time. And on 4 September 2018, I once again found myself rooting for chaos.

It was on that night that I found myself glued to my television screen, heart pounding while watching the US Open quarter-final between Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal. Of course, I knew Rafa, but what truly impressed me was the man I knew nothing about.

As the match roared on, I found my jaw constantly gaping open and was dumbfounded by just how hard these two warriors were striking the ball. I had seen enough matches in my life to know that this was special. And before I could even wrap my head around the power in their groundstrokes, Thiem won the first set 6-0.

That set hooked me in for the long haul. To call what was to come a classic would be a massive understatement. The match was a complete and utter war, in the stifling New York humidity, with so much sweat pouring from both players that their bodies were glistening. I was completely hooked.

Two amazing sets of brutal, demanding and enthralling rallies later, Nadal was back in the driver’s seat. Up two-sets-to-one, I considered my hope of watching chaos to be nothing more than a pipe dream. Knowing that I had school in the morning and with the fourth set starting well after midnight, I considered heading to bed. My decision not to was one I’m forever grateful for.

Somehow, Thiem won that fourth set, and in the process he forever won himself a fan in me. He may have lost in the end, but that didn’t seem to matter anymore. Finally, after the clock had struck 2:00am and five of the most amazing sets I will ever have the pleasure of watching concluded, it was all over. But for me personally, the journey had just begun.

This match stuck with me and does to this day. It genuinely lit a fire in me and I am thrilled to say it got me onto the tennis court again. My one-hander has quite a bit to go before it reaches the level of Thiem’s. But it’s thanks to that night, where I simply wanted to root for chaos, that I found a new love in the sport of tennis. When “The Dominator” takes the court, I’ll be pulling for the man that made me fall back in love with this great sport.

See what happened when Aussie John Millman read this fan essay from Melbourne’s Connor Joyce…

The Resilience Of Del Potro
By Eluwole Timothy, 17, Ibadan, Nigeria

Scheduled at a late afternoon hour on 4 September 2017, the last fourth-round match at that year’s US Open between Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem drew tennis fans from around the world into the Grandstand. I watched the match on TV after a training session in my hometown stadium in Ibadan. I had no idea that I was about to watch one of the best tennis matches ever.

The ‘Dominator’ dominated the first two sets and del Potro trailed 1-6, 2-6 after just 72 minutes. The Argentine struggled with a fever and looked feeble and weak. He lacked rhythm, missed routine shots and struggled with his mobility during rallies. Thiem had liberty to fire winners from all angles of the court and had little resistance from his tired opponent. It almost seemed as if del Potro was going to retire and call it quits.

With del Potro’s back against the wall, he inspired hope and found his way into the match by grabbing the third set. His sudden charge changed the atmosphere and gave the match a new vibe.

Both players gave it their all in the fourth set, but it seemed as though Thiem was on his way to victory when he won four straight games to take the lead 5-2. Once again, del Potro found strength from within and fought back tenaciously. He saved two match points by landing two aces and eventually pushed the set into a tie-break. On set point, del Potro leveled the match with a thunderous 116mph forehand.

In the fifth set, the comeback was completed as del Potro broke Thiem in the final game. The victory sent the Grandstand crowd into a frenzy as they erupted in wild celebration. Del Potro spread his hands in joy as he soaked himself in the chants of “Ole Delpo” ringing from the crowd. I could hardly believe what I had just watched. I was so thrilled that I had goosebumps.

The resilience displayed in this match has always been a source of inspiration for me as a tennis player. It reminds me that I can fight illness, low moments and injuries as long as I remain resilient and focused.

There have been moments where I felt very weak and down at tournaments, matches where I had almost lost hope of winning, and this match served as a source of hope for me to get back into games and win them. It still inspires me today and even motivates me in other areas of life to tackle challenges and not lose hope even when the odds are against me.