Seventeen-year-old CiCi Bellis played in her first US Open women's singles draw in 2014 and upset No. 12 seed and Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova in the opening round for her first Grand Slam win. In 2015, Bellis fell in the third round of qualifying, and this year, she qualified into the women's main draw and advanced to the third round before falling to No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber in a night match in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Bellis is blogging for USOpen.org while she is in New York. In her final blog, she talks about what's next for her after the Open, her thoughts on New York, what it was like to play Kerber and more.
Tuesday, Sept. 6
I'm leaving for Canada on Wednesday for the WTA event in Quebec City. As much as I can't wait to compete again, I will miss New York. I came to the US Open this year with one goal in mind – to qualify – and wound up making my way into the third round of the main draw. I'm so happy.
It hasn't been an easy year for me or a smooth transition from the juniors to the pros, so the only thing I could do each day this past year was to just keep working hard and hope that things might eventually start to go my way. I envisioned doing well here every single day, both on and off the practice court. Something about NYC, and the people, fire me up more than anything.
When I was playing at the Open for the first time as a junior, I just loved how the fans cared about every U.S. player – junior or pro, known or unknown. It was unlike anything I had ever felt or seen. Four years later, I finally get why I adore this place so much. The people in New York are beyond tough. New York would be a fun place to live, but it would not be an easy place to live. A simple trip to Whole Foods would try the most patient of people. New Yorkers love the struggle. They take pride in enduring. They are as much like tennis players as any population I've ever encountered, and any success – be it a short line at the drug store or a third round at the US Open – is cause for celebration.
Every tournament, I choose a few things that stand out as game changers. Playing Angelique Kerber on Friday night on Ashe was just about the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Unreal. She was such a different level than anyone I have ever played before. She is an incredible role model for my game. I know it will take an insane amount of work, but I hope to be as good as her one day. Anibal and I got back to work on Sunday, and we have a clear plan of what needs to be done.
Finally, a shoutout to my new friend – @US_Openroof. Your tweet after the tournament made my day. I can't wait to hopefully play under your cover next year!!
CiCi
