By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday January 17, 2024
Alycia Parks sports activities a golden arm that may generate jaw-dropping energy from the service stripe. She used that world-class serve to assert her maiden title in Lyon in 2023, defeating Caroline Garcia within the closing, and reached a career-high rating of No.40 on this planet at one level final yr.
Now ranked 82, Parks used that energy sport to earn her greatest win by rating at a Slam on Day 4, taking out Leylah Fernandez, 7-5, 6-4.
Forward of her third-round conflict with Coco Gauff on the Australian Open, Parks is considered a uncooked expertise with important upside. Listed below are 5 issues to know in regards to the American earlier than her second within the highlight.
1. She struck the quickest serve in US Open girls’s singles historical past
That occurred in 2021, when Parks slammed a 129 MPH serve on her US Open predominant draw debut, tying herself with Venus Williams for the quickest US Open serve on document. As of this week, Parks has tripled her haul of Grand Slam predominant draw victories, enhancing her profession document on the majors to 3-4.
2. She’s received a brand new coach
Parks was coached by her father Michael throughout her childhood, and did not play a lot on the junior circuit. She defined the reasoning behind that in her press convention on Day 4 in Melbourne.
“My dad took me out of the juniors solely as a result of I used to be rising so quick, and he did not need me to get injured,” she stated. “He needed me to develop. I at all times needed to go professional, and that was the purpose ever since I picked up the racquet. So I believe it panned out properly, and I would not take any totally different route.”
Parks began working with Aussie coach Mark Hlawaty only a few days earlier than the Australian Open. Since then she has received two matches to succeed in the third spherical at a significant for the primary time. Not dangerous in any respect.
“Mark has been working with me this week,” she stated. “It is type of new. Properly, he is serving to me out for Australian Open and hopefully sooner or later. I believe we’re a very good partnership, and we look ahead to working collectively sooner or later.
“He flew in I believe Friday. Thursday evening or Friday. Then we had at some point to prep. Then, I do not know, we’re within the third spherical, so I believe we’re doing fairly good collectively, yeah.”
3. She’s already defeated Gauff – in MIXED
Eventually yr’s US Open, Parks and Denis Kudla defeated Gauff and Jack Sock in combined doubles in straight units. Parks has been a very good doubles participant basically, owns two titles on tour and is presently ranked 31 within the self-discipline.
4. She watches Serena for inspiration
Parks says that she loves watching Serena’s matches to at the present time, and even watched one earlier this week. What does she get from watching the GOAT? Tranquility.
“I might say undoubtedly her calmness when she’s in sure conditions,” Parks instructed reporters on Wednesday in Melbourne. “When issues are going too quick, she’ll really decelerate and rethink her serve. That is undoubtedly considered one of her weapons.
“Simply the best way she carried herself on the court docket, she’s very targeted. She would not, like, rush. I are likely to rush somewhat bit after which normally that is after I begin to type of snowball. So I’ve to gradual it down and take it level by level.”
5. Gauff says it’s only a matter of time earlier than Parks breaks out on tour
Talking of the matchup, Gauff had a number of reward for the 23-year-old.
“I’ve identified her for a very long time, since I used to be, like, possibly like 9 years previous,” Gauff stated. “Used to apply along with her and her sister. We each lived in Delray Seaside, in that space. I do know her very properly. I at all times refer her — clearly not for the following match.
“She has an enormous sport, massive serve, massive photographs, very athletic. I believe she’s some of the – if not “the” most – athletic gamers on tour. Like me, her, Sloane, and Iga are most likely up there and Sakkari. And there may be extra I am most likely lacking. These could be, like, my prime 5. She’s like up there. “It will be a tricky match. I do not anticipate it to be straightforward. I’ve by no means performed her really since that age aside from the combined doubles we had at US Open, however I’ve by no means performed her in apply or something. We’re each moving into, , not blind as a result of we clearly watched one another, however by no means hit or something.
“It will be a tricky match. She’s a terrific participant, and I at all times knew she was going to do properly on tour. It was only a matter of when it was all going to align. I believe now it is beginning to align.”
#shes #athletic #gamers #tour