Monica Puig is a top 5 player
There are two words used to describe Monica Puig’s journey to the Olympic gold, outstanding and confusing. The 22-year-old displayed tennis of the highest quality to dismiss players Muguruza, Petra Kvitova and Kerber. In her final against Kerber, Puig hit 52 winners to become the first athlete from her country to win an Olympic gold.
Puig’s display in Rio was of such a high calibre, it is baffling as to why she is ranked only 35th in the world (two places below her ranking high). She has displayed glimmers of her talent before by reaching two WTA finals, clinching her maiden title at the 2014 Strasburg International.
It wasn’t until the Olympic Games when the world saw how much talent she has. Now with the confidence of producing world class tennis at a major event, it seems that it is only a matter of time until Puig becomes a top 10 player. She definitely has the credentials to trouble the world’s best. The issue for her now isn’t ability, but consistency.
