Press conferences with tennis players don’t usually get as honest as the one Sam Querrey conducted after his first-round loss at the French Open. "I got tired,” Querrey admitted. Not unusual, perhaps, but then Querrey kept going. “Mentally not there.” And going. “Just did not enjoy myself out there. It’s been like that on and off for awhile. So I’m going home tomorrow.” Querrey, true to his word, dropped out of the doubles with partner John Isner and hightailed it back to California. He and Isner had played an ambitious schedule during the spring, and it caught up with him in Paris. At 22, Querrey is young enough to bounce back quickly, but it was still a surprise to see just how quickly his competitive juices started to flow again. Two weeks after fleeing France, Querrey flew back to Europe, won at Queens, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, and, a few weeks later, beat Andy Murray for the title back in L.A.
Originally published in the November/December 2010 issue of TENNIS.
2010 Aces & Faults
—Sock Hopping: Sock goes from high school to pros
—After the Hype, Miller Doesn't Bode Well: Skier tries tennis, again
—Booted: The story of Serena's injured foot
—Match of the Year: The Isner-Mahut Wimbledon epic
—Unwelcome Milestones: American mens' struggles
—Gone...And Back Again: Querrey's quick turnaround
—Swimming the Channel: Rafa does the clay-grass double
—Biggest Disappointment: Dinara Safina
—All in a Day's Work: Blake's beef with Shriver
—Coach of the Year: Hernan Gumy
—Seizing the Clay: Schiavone's unlikely title run
—Struck Out: Soderling ends Federer's semifinal streak
—Comeback, Interrupted: Henin's return cut short
—Wayne's Shame: Odesnik caught with HGH
—Dee Worst, Judge Says: The world's worst player
—Most Improved: Sam Stosur
—Player of the Year: Rafael Nadal
—Newcomer of the Year: Larry Ellison