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Jack Sock Has New Coach But Loses Again
7 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
Jack Sock opened his 2023 ATP season with a new coach but did not achieve the result he hoped for. Sock was defeated by American wildcard teenage Alex Michelsen 76 64 in the first round of Cleveland Challenger.
Michelsen is 18 years old and ranked 526. Sock is 30 years old and currently ranked 138.
The former world no. 8 in 2017 and winner of four ATP singles titles started working with new coach (and recently retired doubles specialist) Nick Monroe in the off-season. Sock had previously worked with Alex Bogomolov for three years and then briefly with Robby Ginepri.
Sock, who turned pro in 2011, posted a 7-11 match record in ATP matches last year. He nearly cracked the top 100 for the first time in years at US Open but lost first round there on Louis Armstrong Stadium to then world no. 16 Diego Schwartzman from two sets up, 63 76 06 01 ret. At that time Sock was ranked 107 and a win vs Schwartzman would have elevated him back to the top 100. Sock played three Challengers in France after US Open and Laver Cup but his best result was only one QF.
The US Davis Cup team also decided to drop Sock for the 2023 campaign.
Babolat · Jack SOck · USA Tennis
Cory · February 2, 2023 at 10:51 am
Sock is the guy you constantly root for but he always leaves you holding the bag. And not because of a lack of or depletion of skill – but because of a poor effort or attitude/motivation. I mean how do you lose to a 500-ranked teenager? IDK… Does he even want this anymore? His ranking is 138 but that will drop quickly, as you noted his 2022 record.
Scoop Malinowski · February 2, 2023 at 2:42 pm
Cory, maybe he tanked it because he got a WC into Dallas next week? I think that’s what he did last year, he lost badly to Mmoh in Cleveland and then had a WC into Dallas. Let’s see what happens in Dallas. He has been working hard with new coach Nick Monroe, I saw video of working hard with previous coach Bogomolov but it didn’t result in any big wins. It’s like Bouchard, she works hard not nothing to show for it. Maybe Sock is finished and they next gen new wave passed him by.
Cory · February 2, 2023 at 9:02 pm
Speaking of the Cleveland Challenger… Ryan Harrison got ripped today by Kozlov. Did u see, Scoop? Watching the match, Kozlov looked great and earned every bit of it, but Harrison was very slow moving around the court. Not injured per se, but slow as in either out of shape or unmotivated. His strokes and control seemed on par, a few nice winners, but if Kozlov moved him around a lot, he won the point it seemed. Maybe I’m poeticizing the win much, but Harrison looked a shell of himself today. Ranked just above 600. Once top 40-ish.
Scoop Malinowski · February 3, 2023 at 7:30 am
Cory i saw some of it, Harrison looks super fit, he has to be working very very hard to get back but he never was a great natural mover and he did look slow vs Kozlov. Harrison looked super fit but Kozlov is better and always was and leads the head to head now 3-1.
Rick · February 3, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Sock has trouble with motivation when playing the Challengers. When he plays a big name he lifts his game. Realistically, he is one decent Major finish away from landing in the top fifty. He did well in Wimbledon last year but there were no points last year with Wimbledon.
Love that forehand!
Scoop Malinowski · February 3, 2023 at 1:21 pm
Rick, good point. He’s a Grand Slam champion and Olympic gold medalist, he’s won at the highest levels of the sport. To be in Challenger minor leagues for three years now definitely has to be downer. He really should be in the top 10 or 20. Tough mental battle. I have seen many of his matches in the last three years and he has played great top 20 tennis and won a few but he fumbled quite a few away like Tsitsipas at Indian Wells. He came up a little short in the clutch moments. He’s close. He has worked hard, I saw the videos of training like a beast. He just changed from Babolat to Yonex. New coach. He’s in Dallas. It’s just a matter of time before he finds his mojo again and knocks off some big names.
Scoop Malinowski · February 3, 2023 at 4:58 pm
Watched some of Wu vs Kozlov, Wu’s extra firepower was the difference, that boy can really wallop the ball and rocket forehands. Not afraid to serve and volley either. Wu won 64 61. Sandgren is also winning matches again, perhaps another few hurrahs left for the former two time AO QFist, who blew 7 mps vs Federer which would have made him a semifinalist. Those 7 blown mps cost Sandgren half a million $.