[ColoradoTree]

This mentions that Arbuthnott may return: https://gostanford.com/news/2020/4/27/wo...-farm.aspx

"Arbuthnott, an economics major, was accepted into Stanford's management science and engineering master's program last week. She planned to turn pro after graduation in June, but now is strongly considering returning for a fifth season."

The piece is a really nice look at one of the smartest student-athletes around, both in general and in the odd place that is Stanford under coronavirus. It's a great article, and I highly encourage everyone to check it out. (It was nice to learn, for example, that international students who wanted to stay were allowed to, and that students without good living situations to return to were also allowed to stay.) 

Whether pro tennis is really in her future is debatable, but it makes all the sense in the world for her to get the first year of her master's program paid for by playing another year. It's also highly unlikely we have a pro tour in a functioning form this summer and likely fall, and even if there were, they're going to focus on the high-dollar TV events that would highlight the biggest players. So, it's the players trying to break into the pro tour--and really, everyone outside the top 75 or so--who will feel the pinch. Staying now makes a lot of sense for her. 

Really, this could be the end of the tennis careers of a great many players who have been hanging around the top 100 but not breaking through into the top 50, like Nicole Gibbs and Kristie Ahn. At a certain point, in a sport that requires you to show up and play to get paid, you can't keep doing this and support yourself. (I assume that Albane Valenzuela and Andrea Lee wish they'd made a different decision this year.) And it might mean that some nascent pro careers never really get off the ground.

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Oh, and the ITA released its list of All-Americans this year, and as expected, Michaela Gordon is a singles All-American! She is now a three-time All-American in singles and a four-time All-American overall (she was a doubles All-American her freshman year when she paired with Emily Arbuthnott). 

Congrats to Michaela!

[ColoradoTree]

This mentions that Arbuthnott may return: https://gostanford.com/news/2020/4/27/wo...-farm.aspx

"Arbuthnott, an economics major, was accepted into Stanford's management science and engineering master's program last week. She planned to turn pro after graduation in June, but now is strongly considering returning for a fifth season."

The piece is a really nice look at one of the smartest student-athletes around, both in general and in the odd place that is Stanford under coronavirus. It's a great article, and I highly encourage everyone to check it out. (It was nice to learn, for example, that international students who wanted to stay were allowed to, and that students without good living situations to return to were also allowed to stay.) 

Whether pro tennis is really in her future is debatable, but it makes all the sense in the world for her to get the first year of her master's program paid for by playing another year. It's also highly unlikely we have a pro tour in a functioning form this summer and likely fall, and even if there were, they're going to focus on the high-dollar TV events that would highlight the biggest players. So, it's the players trying to break into the pro tour--and really, everyone outside the top 75 or so--who will feel the pinch. Staying now makes a lot of sense for her. 

Really, this could be the end of the tennis careers of a great many players who have been hanging around the top 100 but not breaking through into the top 50, like Nicole Gibbs and Kristie Ahn. At a certain point, in a sport that requires you to show up and play to get paid, you can't keep doing this and support yourself. (I assume that Albane Valenzuela and Andrea Lee wish they'd made a different decision this year.) And it might mean that some nascent pro careers never really get off the ground.

---

Oh, and the ITA released its list of All-Americans this year, and as expected, Michaela Gordon is a singles All-American! She is now a three-time All-American in singles and a four-time All-American overall (she was a doubles All-American her freshman year when she paired with Emily Arbuthnott). 

Congrats to Michaela!