I saw Donald Young’s match last week in Casablanca against Frenchman Benoit Paire and it was a devastating defeat. Young won the first set and was up 3-0 and 5-2 in the second set tiebreaker. He had a play on a Paire drop shot which he backhanded crosscourt into the netcord. Instead of 6-2 and four match points it was 5-3. Young fell apart from there and lost the second set. He had that pouty look on his face as he looked over to his box where presumably it was his omnipresent mom/coach, though the Tennis Channel feed never showed her.
Paire, a fellow 22-year-old ranked around 100, is a lanky, hard hitting, good player. I saw him take Feliciano Lopez to the limit at the U.S. Open last year or the year before. Paire dominated DY in the third set and close it out at 6-2. Young looked devastated as he walked to the net to shake hands, he actually looked like he was about to cry right then and there. He very well may have a few minutes later off court.
Sure enough, unfortunately, Young opened his Monte Carlo bid with another crushing early exit, this time losing 60 61 to Paul Henri Mathieu today.
This has to be the rock bottom for Young. This has to be the time when major changes with his team are made. He’s 22 now, even though he still has the presence of a 16-year-old on court. Momma Young did a wonderful job developing her son to reach the ATP top 50 but it’s time she let go of the reigns. Let her son go on his own and become a man and fulfill his awesome natural talents with a new team. Let him take charge and make his own coaching and career decisions.
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Mitch · April 16, 2012 at 4:01 pm
This season has been an embarrassment for DY. Didn’t his good results last year come from the USTA coaches, before he switched back to his mom? Not sure if she deserves the credit of getting him into the top 50.
Dan markowitz · April 16, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Give Young credit for playing on the red dirt on Europe, but yes those scores solidify DY has hit rock bottom. It can’t be just his mother’s fault. It’s got to be other things as well. Can’t imagine though, if DY got VS to coach him or some wily ex pro who knows how to deal with the grind of the tour, DY would surge in rankings. Can’t imagine at 22 he’s such a Momma’s Boy that he only wants her as his coach. Could be he’s cheap and doesn’t want to part with $2,000 a week in coaching fees.
It isn’t amazing the difference in the look of the Houston clay courts and the Monte Carlo ones? Not a good omen for Isner ‘s French chances when he loses to a guy like Monaco.
Scoop Malinowski · April 16, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Dan I didn’t see any of Monaco beating Isner but Isner could have been done in by fatigue, he was looking exhausted in the first set vs. Lopez, though I am beginning to suspect Isner is becoming a master of deception and feigning he’s tired. Isner has a sneaky clever quality about him. Many of the best players seem to know how to use trickeration when they need to, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras, Chang, Azarenka, among others. Also on our leve, I played a good player in FL who when I was up 3-0 in the third set on a hot sunny day, he bent over the waist high fence as if he might pass out. Of course, then he proceeded to win the next four games! Thank goodness I stopped feeling sorry for him and then won the last three games to win 6-4 in third in about 3 hours. That was a big challenge match too! Isner I think plays the “I’m really tired card” and it helps him win matches.
Scoop Malinowski · April 16, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Mitch, I’d like to see an interview with Mrs. Young to be able to gauge her knowledge, I have never seen or read anything related to an interview by her. Don’t even know her first name. I think her lack of interaction with the media indicates she may not really know much about pro tennis and it’s intricate aspects.
Steve · April 17, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Scoop, Donald Young’s parents are briefly interviewed in the Courier docu UNSTRUNG. I think you can watch it on Hulu but you’ve probably have seen this already?
Obviously the right coach makes a huge difference but in defense of Mama’s boys, isn’t Andy Murray rather successful? And (Mama’s girls) wasn’t Hingis rather successful?
My take on Donald Young is he can play at a very high level for short periods but not a whole match most of the times I’ve seen him. I remember he played Davydenko years ago and played some a amazing games but Davydenko never looked worried. Koyla the obscure knew D. Young couldn’t maintain that level for the long haul.
So…it’s probably his mental approach to the game.
Scoop Malinowski · April 18, 2012 at 2:20 am
I saw that film Steve, liked it a lot. Don’t remember the Young parents saying anything memorable. They are fine coaches to have created Donald into what he is today but it’s hard to imagine them taking him to the next level. Stagnation has set in. Hingis mom must’ve known something to get Martina to #1 at such a young age (16 I believe). Judy Murray also must be one fine coach to have two sons as major ATP players (Jamie won a Wimbledon mixed doubles and some ATP doubles titles). She is now the Brit Fed Cup captain.
Andrew Miller · April 18, 2012 at 4:26 am
Yeah, what can I say. The Rios of this U.S. generation of players (the most talented) without Rios results, Rios consistency, or Roddick’s work ethic.
Scoop Malinowski · April 18, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Might even sink Young lower, maybe more comparable to junior phenoms who won junior slams but never came close to matching that success on ATP Tour – Todd Reid, Florin Mergea, Roman Valent, Daniel Elsner, Carlos Cuadrado, Oliver Mutis, Dusan Lojda, Clement Morel, Kristian Pless…
Tom Michael · April 19, 2012 at 2:04 am
Firstly, I do not think Donald Young even flew. I personally think he needs to quit professional tennis, after today’s disaster.
Scoop Malinowski · April 19, 2012 at 11:54 am
Tom, he may have mentally signed out. After seeing his last two defeats in Casablanca and Monte Carlo, it’s hard to see him turning it around and ever getting another ATP level win. He looked like a beaten man.
Riva · April 24, 2012 at 9:16 pm
All accurate comments about DY, but one thing that is not mentioned is his lack of Forehand Power. Although this is coming from a D3 player, it seems to me that every American, except Mardy Fish and John Isner on short balls, can not hit a forehand winner. They all flick it weakly with a bent elbow. Its as if they all copied Roddicks womanly forehand. Sam Stosur hits bigger than A-Rod.
Every other country teaches their guys to extend at contact. Any ideas if this an athlete problem or coaching problem? I assume the latter. A good friend of mine from South Africa told me he believes the problem is coaching. In other countries, Much of the Junior Development is run not by Ex-TOuring Pros who teach “Their Way”, but by guys who think about the game intellectually and problem solve outside of the box. The ITF produced an interesting article a few years back listing which pros had the most extension on their forehand. At the top of the List, Fed, of course, and….Nadal. Nadal’s forehand looks wristy, but when you look at pictures his extension is maxed out. Look at Roddick, Young etc they are always crowded.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Scoop Malinowski · April 28, 2012 at 11:46 pm
Riva, that’s a great debut post! Very interesting observation. Fed’s forehand is very extended after contact – we’ve all seen the photos. Thanks for visiting our site and please come back and comment.
happi · August 28, 2012 at 2:43 am
Just saw Donald Young today, in the 2012 U.S. Open.
Also saw him at the BNP Paribas in 2010. His strokes/equipment/body movement is all wrong and lazy.
His groundstrokes are ‘arms-only’ no push-momentum from the legs up thru the hips into the torso. His strings appear to bee too tight, because he misses
his shots long and wide too often.
He is too slow or lazy to take shots that fall inside the service line. He seems to always net
the return shots. All his groundstrokes are one
velocity; he never mixes up his speeds– even when he has control of the point. He needs a couple of months of coaching from Miroslav Mecir. No joke.
I feel for the guy, because I am left-handed too, but he needs a more diverse bunch of coaching.
recommendations:
–loosen the strings
–use more leg strength on the shots, and and mix
up the shot speeds, and add more ‘loop to the shots
to give yourself time to setup.
–don’t try to play ‘American’ tennis thats all power-nofinesse or you will burn yourself out.
Good luck Donald.
Scoop Malinowski · August 28, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Hi Happi; I agree. Young is not strong in the legs. He appears in just good, decent shape but to excel on the ATP he has to be in PHENOMENAL condition. Word is that Young does not work or train hard enough. Like you say, he is lazy compared to the top players. Federer suggested after the match Young has to work harder. Patrick McEnroe, John McEnroe and Darren Cahill all said the same thing on the ESPN2 telecast. Young simply has to work much harder on his physicality and especially leg strength – he has to run run run, sprint sprint sprint, do a tremendous amount of training to make his legs much stronger. If he does commit to the work, it’s fascinating to think of how his overall game will benefit and how high he can go. Look at how much Fish has improved by getting in far better condition. Young must take inspiration from Fish and Federer, etc, and get to work. Skills and hands are just not enough. Welcome to the site Happi.