Earning her first Grand Slam title at age 27, Stosur falls into the "rest is gravy" category, and, having the weight of a sport-crazy and champion-deprived country off her mind, could produce some of the best tennis in the twilight of her career. Though her first significant test as a Grand Slam champion will come in her home country, where she admittedly feels the pressure, look for more major successes from the owner of the best kick serve in women's tennis. And even if Stosur posts a few head-scratching first round losses again soon, you know that she and the whole country of Australia will respond with a relaxed "no worries." Sam's a Slam champion.

Novak Djokovic: One (dare-you-say?) lucky forehand away from a third loss of the season, Djokovic pulled out what is quickly becoming a trademark: impeccable, impenetrable tennis when it matters most. Groundstrokes that appear no different technically than in years past have become impossibly more consistent, hitting corner after corner with depth no matter how stretched, how improbably imbalanced Djokovic is to hit them. And more importantly, he has cornered the market on the mental game. With a permanent residence in Rafael Nadal's head and a vacation home in Roger Federer's, Djokovic is threatening to make "rivalry" an improper term for these matchups. The only thing that Djokovic could not seem to conquer was the New York crowd, smiling and dancing together one moment, confused and angered by their rooting interests another. Still, a frustrated Djokovic often produced the most power-packed shots, as if to say, "Is this good enough for you?" And the crowd typically responded in turn, knowing this was truly some of the finest tennis ever produced on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Though it may be difficult to bring up the motivation again for the rest of the ATP season, Djokovic is still playing for the history books in what could be a record-setting year. John McEnroe's 1984 record of 82-3 is in danger, and the chase may give the ATP World Tour Finals more meaning than they've ever had before. Even beyond this year, it's hard to see anything but clear skies for miles to come for Djokovic.

Serena Williams: For six matches, Williams looked as unbeatable as she ever had before. Then, in the final, her first serve failed her. In her fervor to get back on track, she created another episode that will be remembered for years (if not by her, anyway). The call was good. Serena's berating of the Chair Umpire was bad. Her umpire identity switch-up and subsequent threats were worse. And given a chance at contrition in the post-match media interview, she pled the fifth, though she did credit Stosur every time she was prompted (and even some times when she wasn't).

So why the sunny forecast for Serena? Because she's done it so many times before, it is easy to forget what an impressive result this is for any player's fifth tournament back after nearly a year away from the game. And while the forecast may not look so bright for any officials that draw her matches or reporters seeking a straightforward answer at her press conferences, it is difficult to imagine that this loss, comprehensive as it was, will prevent a healthy Williams from adding to her Grand Slam total in near future. Don't think she's sweating that $2000 fine, either.

Angelique Kerber: Prior to the tournament, even the devoted tennis fan could have struggled to pick this Semifinalist out of a lineup. But seemingly out of nowhere, Kerber put together a run that would have been much more expected from one of a few other, more "promising" young Germans. At 23 years old, she took a refreshingly honest approach to her run as well, explaining that she would have been happy just to get into the Second or Third Round in New York. Shooting from No. 92 before the tournament to No. 34 in the rankings on Monday, Kerber will take that "happy to be here" attitude and her lefty game to Premier tournaments with a chance to build on her unexpected success.

 

Light Drizzle
Mardy Fish: The US Open Series Champion came into the event with great momentum but a less-than-ideal draw. A five-set loss to a streaking Tsonga in the Fourth Round should not put a huge damper on a career year, but many were picking Fish to make a deep push at this year's Open, and Fish could not produce under the pressure of being the top-ranked American (a position with which he's admitted to not being fully comfortable). However, with next to no points to defend this fall and already firmly ensconced in the Top 10, Fish's chances are far from over. Perhaps a trip to sunny Australia, out of the eye of the American media, will produce that Slam run that Fish is so intent on making before the clouds roll in on his career.

Caroline Wozniacki: A loss to Serena Williams is not a loss to Roberta Vinci. But another Grand Slam without a win (or even a final) means Sweet Caroline will face the same questions she's faced all year regarding her place at the top of the game. Moreover, there was little to be taken from her effort against Serena, where she finished with a (perhaps generous) winner count of 5. Still, the rain on her parade won't last long, as she'll head to Asia to rack up ranking points in tournaments where she's unlikely to see another Williams for the rest of the year. Look for her to take full advantage.

 

Clouds for Days
Roger Federer: Recent head-to-head record with Nadal aside, it's foolish to argue that the man who held match points on the dominant No. 1 and tournament champion is out of chances at Grand Slam titles. But the road to those titles lies through one man right now, and he doesn't give them up without a fight. Federer, the consummate professional, should be a mainstay in Grand Slam quarterfinals for at least another year. The question only he can answer is, is that good enough to keep him going? Also, this recent habit of dropping two-set leads cannot be good for the stomach. If any champion ever had the self-belief to push through this funk, though, it is the 16-time Slam winner Roger Federer.

 

Severe Storm Warnings
Rafael Nadal: Like Federer before him, Nadal has set quite a standard for himself when a year marked by one Grand Slam title and two runner-up runs is seen as a failure. But he is the first to admit that Djokovic is in his head right now, and he's not happy about it. The lefty looping cross-court forehand that sets up so many of his points in other match-ups (namely, vs. Federer) is being punished by Djokovic stepping in with his two-handed backhand down the line, and Nadal often looks out of ideas. As many comparisons as have been made between Nadal and Bjorn Borg, the one commonality no one is hoping for would be for Nadal to make a sudden exit from the game after being usurped from the top spot. Still, after years of being an extravagantly gracious No. 2 to Federer, then finally breaking through to full dominance of the game, the idea of being resigned to runner-up for years to come cannot sit well with him right now. When does the clay-court season start again?

The National Federation/ITF/ATP Structure: When these organizations converge on a Grand Slam like a jumbled mess of magnets on a refrigerator door, it's hard for anyone, player or fan, to know exactly who is watching out for whom. Two days with nothing to do but stew, plus one ill-advised decision to attempt play, created a storm indoors to compete with the one outdoors, with the issue of player safety and representation at the head. The "powers that be" may hope that this storm, like the one that drenched New York during the fortnight, will pass, but they also cannot be content to have their various organizations publicly called into question by the players again, especially since the players will win the media battle every time. Will this "off-season" (another point of contention) see the creation of some sort of player union that can bring an unbiased voice to the table on behalf of the players?

WTA Rankings: Besides the debate over the legitimacy of Wozniacki's No. 1 ranking, the tennis fan who primarily watches the Slams may be pretty confounded by the entire Top 4 according to the WTA computer. Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, and Vera Zvonareva combined for just one appearance in the finals of this year's majors, while, due to injury or inconsistency, the reigning Grand Slam champions are currently ranked Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 9. Add in that the woman most feel is the best in the game sits at No. 14, and the current rankings look pretty preposterous. Don't look for any major changes in the months to come, either.

 

Hard to Forecast
Tennis Umpires: Many top umpires were absent from this year's US Open, boycotting the event in protest of the low pay rates given by the tournament relative to other Grand Slams, $250 a day, according to the New York Times. The unfortunate truth is that while the strike was reported by the media, it's difficult to imagine that the tournament made any less money from fans deciding not to show up or tune in because their favorite umpire was absent. In this power struggle, the USTA holds most of the chips, but one hopes that these top-quality professionals will find the leverage to earn what they deserve, or at least what is comparable to the other major tournaments.

Venus Williams: The shock of the first week of the tournament was the revelation that Venus Williams has been diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease. Venus, in a candid interview on "Good Morning America," exuded a sense of calm and a bit of relief to finally have a diagnosis to explain the symptoms she's been privately dealing with for years. Certainly, the entire tennis community across the world wishes Venus the best of health in the rest of her career and her life.