Thursday, January 11, 2024

10 things to look for at the 2024 Australian Open


 The 2024 Australian Open fires up on Sunday, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Let's dive in! If you want to check out the draws, click here

#1. Can Novak Djokovic defend his title? Novak Djokovic is the defending Australian Open champion on the men's side and the number one ranked player in the world. He has won the Australian Open 10 times and will be gunning for a 25th grand slam title, which would add to his already record total. Given that he is the best player in the world and also has had more success at the Australian Open than any other grand slam, he's the heavy favorite here. It's just a matter of him backing it up. 

#2. Can Aryna Sabalenka defend her title? Aryna Sabalenka is the defending Australian Open champion on the women's side and is the number two ranked player in the world. Last year's Australian Open title is her lone grand slam title. She is coming into this tournament having reached the 2023 US Open final, so in the past two hard court slams, she has reached the final. That bodes well for her chances. I would be very surprised if we don't at least see her reach the semifinals. 

#3. Can Carlos Alcaraz make a run? Carlos Alcaraz is the number two player in the world so on paper he should be favored to at least reach the final against Djokovic. That said, the furthest he has gone at the Australian Open is the 3rd round in 2022. He missed the event last year and so in many ways, this is his first Australian Open being ranked as high as he is. He won his first grand slam at the 2022 US Open and aside from missing the 2023 Australian Open has reached the semis of every grand slam since including winning it all at Wimbledon last year. Still, he hasn't done anything of real significance at the Australian Open yet.

#4. Can Coco Gauff make a run? Coco Gauff comes in ranked #4 in the world, fresh off her US Open title in 2023. She's a major contender to win the Australian Open in 2024. However, the furthest she has gone in the Australian Open is the 4th round in 2023 and 2020. It's been a bit of a challenge for her to make a run in this event. Will this year be different? 

#5. Can Daniil Medvedev get back to his old form? Daniil Medvedev is ranked #3 in the world, but he's coming off a 2023 that was a mixed bag: A 3rd round exit at the Australian Open, a 1st round exit at the French Open, a run to the semifinals at Wimbledon, and a run to the final at the US Open. He's getting back to what he's been when you look at the last two grand slams. This year's Australian Open is huge for him in terms of continuing that momentum.

#6. Can Iga Świątek get one step closer to a career slam? It's about time I bring up the number one ranked player on the women's side: Iga Świątek. She has won three French Opens and also one US Open in 2022. As for the Australian Open, the furthest she has gone is the semifinals in 2022. Coming in as the number ranked player in the world, a lot of people will be putting down money on her to win it all. The question is can she win this event. She's shown she can win grand slams, especially French Opens. Now it's a matter of her showing she's a threat at every slam. 

#7. Can Jannik Sinner back up his ranking? Jannik Sinner is ranked #4 in the world despite only having one grand slam semifinal appearance in his career at Wimbledon last year. Last year, he lost in the 4th round at the Australian Open and US Open while falling in the 2nd round at the French Open. It's time he starts to back up his ranking. If you are a top four player in the world, especially in this hard court dominant era, you can't be flaming out before the quarterfinals. 

#8. Can Victoria Azarenka go the distance? Victoria Azarenka comes in as the #18 seed in the tournament. Of all the grand slams, the Australian Open has by far been her best event. She won back-to-back Aussie Open titles in 2012 & 2013 and reached the semifinals in 2023 when everyone thought she was past her prime. It would be fun to see her make another deep run this year. 

#9. Will Alex de Minaur make Australia proud? Alex de Minaur is the top ranked Aussie on the men's side ranked #10 in the world. The furthest he's gone at a grand slam is the quarterfinals at the US Open in 2020. As for the Australian Open, he's reached the 4th round twice in 2022 & 2023, so he's had some success at his home country's slam. However, as the highest ranking Aussie man, he's gotta go deeper than that. If he can at least reach the quarterfinals, that'll be a successful run for him. 

#10. How far will Caroline Wozniacki go? Caroline Wozniacki is back on tour, reaching the 4th round of the US Open in 2023. She had to get a wild card for this year's Australian Open, but now that she's gotten that wild card, she's looking to do some damage. In women's tennis anything can happen. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see her reach the 4th round or better. It'll be fun to see how she does. 

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Monday, August 28, 2023

10 things to look for at the 2023 US Open

 


The 2023 US Open is already underway, which means it is past my time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Let's dive in! 

#1. Can Iga Świątek defend her title? Iga Świątek is the defending champion on the women's side. She's ranked number one in the world and should be favored to win it all again this year. There's a different kind of pressure that comes from being the defending champion and with hard court not being her top surface, it'll be interesting to see how she handles it. Before winning it all last year, the furthest she had gone at the US Open is the 4th round, so this year will tell us a lot about where she is on the hard courts. 

#2. Can Carlos Alcaraz defend his title? Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion on the men's side and is coming off winning his first Wimbledon title, so he's on quite a roll. Alcaraz no doubt will be the favorite on the men's side. He's playing fantastic tennis right now and after defeating Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final has established himself as the top player in the world. It's gonna be fun to see how he performs. 

#3. Can Coco Gauff make a run? Coco Gauff comes in as the number six player in the world. As an American, she will get tremendous fan support with many hoping she can go the distance. The 2022 US Open was her best showing as she reached the quarterfinals, so she should be coming in with some confidence. When talking about players who could make a run on the women's side, Gauff has to be one of the first names that comes to mind. The key for her will be to not let the pressure of being an American get to her. That can sometimes be a challenge for players who are competing in their home country's grand slam. 

#4. Can Novak Djokovic recapture the magic? Novak Djokovic is one of the major contenders on the men's side, but he hasn't won the US Open since 2018. Even more odd is he's only won the event three times. For whatever reason, the US Open has never been his best event and so in that vein, it's hard to pick him to win it all this year. That said, one can never count him out. He's too good. 

#5. Can Elena Rybakina make it to the second week? Elena Rybakina comes in as the number four player in the world and yet the furthest she's gone at the US Open is the 3rd round in 2021. She won Wimbledon in 2022 and reached the Australian Open final in 2023. On paper, she's a strong contender and yet she's never been able to put it together in New York. Maybe this year will be different. 

#6. Can Daniil Medvedev win it all again? Daniil Medvedev won the US Open in 2021 and is ranked number three in the world. Yet due to the war in Ukraine and Russian athletes getting banned and all, it feels like we haven't seen him in a while. But now he's back and able to compete. He should be hungry and eager to not just make a deep run, but win the whole thing. He's definitely a name to watch. 

#7. Can Aryna Sabalenka win her second grand slam? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the number two player in the world, winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Sabalenka is a major contender and should look to at least make the semifinals, where she has fallen in the last two US Opens. It feels like this could be the year she finally breaks through in New York, but as we've seen, success at the Aussie Open doesn't always translate to the US Open. 

#8. Is this the year for Frances Tiafoe? Frances Tiafoe comes in as the number ten ranked player in the world on the men's side and has already shown he can make a deep run at the US Open after his run to the semifinals last year. It felt like a Cinderella run last year, but in truth, Tiafoe should be viewed as one who could be lifting up the trophy at the end. If he is, what a story that would be. 

#9. How will Caroline Wozniacki do in her return? After walking away from the game after the 2020 Australian Open, Caroline Wozniacki is back and eager to prove she still belongs at this level. The 2018 Australian Open champion has shown she can win a grand slam on the hard courts and shouldn't be counted out to at least make the 4th round this year. How she does is definitely a major storyline on the women's side. Especially if she is able to win at least a couple of matches. 

#10. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas have a breakthrough US Open? Stefanos Tsitsipas is ranked number seven in the world and yet he has never gotten past the 3rd round at the US Open. He's reached the final the Australian Open in 2023 and at the French Open in 2021, so he's got the pieces to put it together. He just needs to figure out how to do so with more consistency. It would be fun to see him make a run this year. 

Prediction: On the men's side, I gotta roll with Carlos Alcaraz. He's just on such a tear right now. It's really hard to pick anyone other than him to win it. As for the women's side, I hate to be boring and pick the other defending champion, but my money is on Iga Świątek. She's the best player in the world on the women's side and deserves to be favored. 

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Friday, July 21, 2023

10 things to take away from 2023 Wimbledon

                                             (Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports) 


2023 Wimbledon has come and gone, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Let's dive in! 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz established himself as #1 in the world: Everyone thought Novak Djokovic would cruise to an 8th Wimbledon title and a 24th grand slam title, but Carlos Alcaraz had other plans, defeating Djokovic 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in the gentlemen's singles final. I would say after the way he outplayed Djokovic and beat him in a 5th set, Alcaraz solidified himself as the top player in the world. It should also be noted that Alcaraz came in at #1 while Djokovic came in at #2, so in hindsight we should have respected Alcaraz' ranking a bit more going in. 

#2. Marketa Vondrousova is a grand slam champion: Marketa Vondrousova defeated (6) Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the ladies' singles final. It's Vondrousova's first grand slam title though it wasn't her first trip to a grand slam final. Back in 2019, she reached the final at Roland Garros, losing to Ashleigh Barty 1-6, 3-6. What makes Vondrousova's title particularly amazing is that she became the third unseeded player to ever win a Wimbledon title and the first on the women's side. She's now ranked #10 in the world as a result of her title and will enter the US Open with more pressure. It'll be interesting to see how that goes for her and then just long-term, whether or not she'll be able to win more slams. She's only 24 years old, so she's still got many years in front of her. 

#3. Novak Djokovic is human: Part of this is the simple fact that he's now 36 years old, but just in general, Djokovic showed himself to be human. He got out-played by a guy who simply played better than he did. As Djokovic said, he's won some matches that he probably shouldn't have won, so now it's even-Steven. Still, while he wasn't able to win it this year, Djokovic is still a major contender at slams. He'll get #24 soon and likely walk out with even more before it's all said and done. 

#4. Ons Jabeur needs to do some soul searching: Ons Jabeur came into the ladies' final as the heavy favorite. Everyone expected her to defeat Vondrousova. Jabeur was playing in her third grand slam final after reaching the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2022. Instead of coming through and winning her first slam, she was not able to deliver the goods and lost to an unseeded player who was in her second grand slam final and first one since 2019. Not to take anything away from Vondrousova, but Jabeur should have won this match. It'll be interesting to see how she'll respond in future slams, especially in her next final assuming she gets back to one. 

#5. Daniil Medvedev needs to up his game on the grass: While he did reach the semifinals, Daniil Medvedev got rolled in straight sets by Carlos Alcaraz, losing 3-6, 3-6, 3-6. As one who has won a grand slam before (2021 US Open), one would expect Medvedev to perform better in the semis. He has work to do on the grass for sure. On the positive side, this was the furthest Medvedev has gone at Wimbledon, so there's certainly hope for him to do even better next year. Still, getting waxed in straight sets is not the way he wanted this to end. 

#6. Aryna Sabalenka needs to up her game on the grass: Aryna Sabalenka came in as the #2 ranked player in the world and was my pick to win the ladies' singles title. She came up a bit short in the semis, losing to Ons Jabeur 7-6, 4-6, 3-6. This was Sabalenka's second trip to the semis at Wimbledon and she just wasn't quite able to reach her first Wimbledon final, yet alone win it all. She won the Australian Open earlier this year and is only 25 years of age. She's just starting to hit her prime and will have plenty of chances. So hopefully for her this will be a really good learning experience. 

#7. Jannik Sinner had a bit of a breakthrough tournament: Jannik Sinner fell to Novak Djokovic in the semis 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. This was the furthest Sinner has gone at any grand slam, so for him this was a real breakthrough tournament. Coming in as the 8th seed, Sinner had a relatively smooth run to the semis, not facing a seeded player until he faced Djokovic. So it's fair to wonder whether or not he just happened to benefit from a soft draw. Still, you have to beat the guy in front of you and you can't really control who you face, so that's certainly not a reason to diminish Sinner's run.

#8. Iga Świątek needs to figure out the grass: Progress was definitely made by world #1 Iga Świątek given that this was her first trip to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. That said, it's clear that grass is the surface she needs the most work on. She's won Roland Garros three times, making the clay her top surface and then she's won the US Open (2022) while also reaching the Australian Open semis in 2022. If she can figure out the grass and start winning Wimbledon, she'll be on path to domination in the women's game. 

#9. Christopher Eubanks burst onto the scene: Christopher Eubanks came out of nowhere to reach the quarterfinals, upsetting (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 4th round 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Eubanks played at Georgia Tech and hails from Atlanta, Georgia so he was truly representing the Peach State in this tournament. The furthest Eubanks had gone at any other grand slam until this year's Wimbledon was the 2nd round, so this was truly an amazing run by him. It'll be interesting to see if he'll be able to build on this and make deep run at the US Open. 

#10. Elina Svitolina is knocking on the door: Elina Svitolina fell to Marketa Vondrousova 3-6, 3-6 in the semifinals. This was Svitolina's second trip to the Wimbledon semis (2019) and her third trip to a grand slam semifinal overall (2019 US Open). She's knocking on the door and keeps putting herself in position to be a threat, but she just hasn't been able to find that extra gear to reach a final or go the distance. It'll be interesting to see if she can find that next gear and win a slam in the future. She's 28 years old, so she's still got enough years ahead to make it happen. 

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Monday, July 3, 2023

10 things to look for at 2023 Wimbledon

 


The 2023 Championships at Wimbledon will begin on Monday, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Let's dive in! 

#1. Can Iga Świątek make the jump on grass? Iga Świątek is the number one player in the world right now, fresh off her third French Open title and fourth grand slam title overall (2022 US Open). She's starting to establish herself as an all-time great at just 22 years of age. The next step for her is to make some noise at Wimbledon. The furthest she's gone is the 4th round in 2021. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to make a deep run this year. 

#2. Can Carlos Alcaraz make some noise? Similar to Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz is ranked number one in the world with his best Wimbledon performance being a trip to the 4th round in 2022. Alcaraz is coming off a disappointing French Open in which he fell in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic in four sets. This Wimbledon will tell us a lot about Alcaraz and where he's at mentally. I could see him bouncing back strong and making a deep run and I could also see him flaming out early. It'll be interesting to see what happens and whether or not he'll be able to have the kind of Wimbledon that we all know he's capable of having. 

#3. Can Victoria Azarenka have a renaissance? Victoria Azarenka is coming in as the number 19 seed, so she's in a position where she could make her presence felt. She reached the semifinals way back in 2011 and 2012, but has since then gone even deeper at a grand slam, reaching the 2020 US Open final. When talking about dark horses on the ladies' side, Azarenka is definitely a name to keep an eye on. 

#4. Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic? While he comes in as the number two seed behind Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic is the clear front runner on the gentlemen's side. Djokovic will be gunning for his 24th grand slam title and his 8th Wimbledon title. He's won Wimbledon the last two times and has to like his chances to win it once again. It'll be fun to see how the Joker does and whether or not anyone will be able to give him a serious push. 

#5. Can Beatriz Haddad Maia prove her ranking? Beatriz Haddad Maia is ranked #12 in the world, but that's largely due to her semifinal run to the French Open. The Brazilian hasn't gotten past the 2nd round at any of the other grand slams. Her last trip to the 2nd round at Wimbledon was in 2019. This Wimbledon is going to be big for her. If she can make a run to the 4th round or better, I would call that a success. Anything less than that will be a major disappointment. It'll be interesting to see how she does. 

#6. Can Andy Murray make a bit of a run? Andy Murray is in the bonus round of his career at this point. It's not clear how many more of these he has left. Wimbledon is where he is most loved and after reaching the 2nd round last year, he showed he's got some fight left in him. If Murray could even reach the 3rd round, the place would go nuts. And then if he happens to go even further, you know that will be the biggest story of the tournament so long as he stays alive. 

#7. Can Aryna Sabalenka have her Wimbledon moment? Victoria Azarenka isn't the only player from Belarus looking to make some noise on the ladies' side. Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the #2 player in the world after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Sabalenka made a run to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021 and this time has her eye on the title. She's got to like her chances. Especially with Świątek looking far from a lock given her Wimbledon history. 

#8. How will Daniil Medvedev handle his Wimbledon return? Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wimbledon banned Russian athletes from competing last year, but this year they are able to do so. That means Daniil Medvedev is back and looking for his first Wimbledon title. Medvedev comes in as the #3 ranked player in the world and is one of the few guys who could challenge Djokovic for the title. It certainly would be exciting if he finds himself in the semifinals, a place he's never been at Wimbledon. 

#9. Can Coco Gauff go the distance? Coco Gauff took the tennis world by storm when she reached the 4th round of Wimbledon in 2019. She was just 15 years of age. Since then, she's gotten back to the 4th round at Wimbledon once in 2021 and also has a grand slam final under her belt at the 2022 French Open. It's time for her to take the next step at Wimbledon. It would be awesome if she does. 

#10. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas make it to the second week? Stefanos Tsitsipas has only reached the 4th round at Wimbledon once in 2018. He reached the Australian Open final this year and the French Open final in 2021, so he's shown he can go deep at grand slams. He just hasn't yet shown that he can at Wimbledon. At some point, he needs to break through on the grass. Maybe this will be the year. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I got Novak Djokovic winning it all. He's the best in the world and is probably going to go down as the GOAT. He's the clear front runner and easy pick in this one. As for the ladies' side, give me Aryna Sabelenka. She's number two in the world and has reached the semifinals before. I like her chances to come through and win it all this year. 

Note: On CardinalSportsReport.com, I wrote a piece on John McEnroe's greatest Wimbledon performances. Click here to check that out. 

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Sunday, April 30, 2023

10 things to take away from the 2023 Australian Open

 

                                             (Credit: Wiliam West/AFP)


Before I shift gears to write about the French Open, I need to share my 10 things to take away from the 2023 Australian Open. Here we go! 

#1. Novak Djokovic is the GOAT Down Under: Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 in the men's final. It was Djokovic's 22nd grand slam title (tied for #1 all-time with Rafael Nadal) and his 10th Australian Open title, which is #1 all-time. While the overall GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate will rage on for years, Djokovic is indisputably the GOAT at the Australian Open. He owns this event having won the last four times he entered: 2019, 2020, 2021, & 2023. 

#2. Aryna Sabalenka is a grand slam champion: Aryna Sabalenka won her first career grand slam singles title, defeating Elena Rybakina 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 in the women's final. She had been to three grand slam semifinals before at Wimbledon (2021) and the US Open (2021 & 2022), so she has been knocking on the door. Once a player wins a grand slam, there's more pressure on them in future slams. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to build on this title and snag another grand slam this year or if the pressures that come with being a grand slam champion will get to her a bit. The US Open will be particularly big since that too is a hard court event. 

#3. Stefanos Tsitsipas is knocking on the door: Speaking of knocking on the door, Stefanos Tsitsipas has now been to two grand slam finals, the first one being the 2021 French Open. He's also been to five grand slam semifinals including this year's Australian Open, so he's a guy who keeps on putting himself in position. It does feel like his time will come and if it does, Australia is a very likely place for it to happen. 

#4. Elena Rybakina is a serious contender: While she fell in the final, Elena Rybakina showed she is a real threat at grand slams by getting back to her second career grand slam final after winning Wimbledon in 2022. I think it's safe to say that we're going to be seeing her compete deep into slams rather frequently. She's turning 24 in June and is just starting to enter her prime. 

#5. Tommy Paul had a breakthrough tournament: Tommy Paul turns 26 in May and is now ranked #17 in the world as a result of his run to the semifinals before falling to Djokovic in straight sets. The previous best outing he had at a grand slam was a trip to the 4th round of Wimbledon in 2022. So, he really had an outstanding and breakthrough event in Australia. It'll be fun to see if he can build on this and get back to another grand slam semifinal or better. 

#6. Victoria Azarenka is back (for now): I don't know if she'll be able to sustain this or not, but Victoria Azarenka reached her first grand slam semifinal since the 2013 French Open. The two grand slams she has won were at the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, so if there's an event for her to return to form, it's this one. She is turning 34 over the summer and is definitely on the older side, but she does seem to have found a new groove. How long will this new groove last remains to be seen, but it certainly is fun to have her back in the conversation. 

#7. Rafael Nadal had a rough outing: Rafael Nadal fell in the second round and clearly did not have his best stuff. He had a 1st round exit at the 2016 Australian Open, so by no means does this spell the end of him. Still, any time you see a player of his magnitude fall so early in a grand slam, one can't help but wonder if it's a sign of age. Obviously the French Open is going to be huge for him. 

#8. CoCo Gauff needs to find her groove Down Under: CoCo Gauff had a 4th round exit and while that doesn't sound too bad, she's yet to go beyond the 4th round in the Australian Open. She's reached the final of the French Open and the quarterfinals of the US Open, but at the Australian Open she has not found that same kind of success. At just 19 years of age, Gauff has plenty of time to figure it out, but nonetheless, making deeper runs Down Under have to be a priority for her. 

#9. Casper Ruud went out way too early: Casper Ruud came in as the number two seed and is currently ranked #3 in the world. Going out in the 2nd round is not how he wanted this tournament to go. Ruud does have a couple grand slam finals under his belt at the French Open and US Open in 2022, but he needs to find more consistency. How he responds the rest of this year is going to be very telling. 

#10. Magda Linette found a new gear: After never getting past the 3rd round at any grand slam, Magda Linette made a run to the semifinals before falling to Sabalenka in straight sets. Whether or not this was a one hit wonder kind of run is the big question, but at 31 years of age, her best tennis very well may be ahead of her. Linette is now ranked #19 in the world. If she can make another deep run at a slam this year, she should finish the year ranked inside the top-20. 

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Monday, January 16, 2023

10 things to look for at the 2023 Australian Open


 The 2023 Australian Open is underway, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for at the first grand slam of the year. Let's go! 

Note: To check out the draws for all events, click here

#1. Can Rafael Nadal defend his title? Rafael Nadal comes in as the top seed in the men's draw, eager to defend his title from last year. With Novak Djokovic back in the field after missing last year due to not getting vaccinated, things are going to be tougher for Nadal. Fortunately, Djokovic is on the other half of the draw for Nadal, so if he were to see Djokovic, it won't be until the final. It'll be fun to see how far Nadal goes and whether or not he'll be able to defend his crown. 

#2. Can Iga Świątek go the distance down under? Iga Świątek is the top seed in the women's draw and is establishing herself as the top player in the women's game. She won the US Open last year and will look to win her second straight grand slam, both on the hard courts. She reached the semifinals last year in the Australian Open and should be primed to make an even deeper run this year. If you're talking contenders on the women's side, she might be the one to pick. 

#3. Can Novak Djokovic re-establish his dominance? Novak Djokovic owns the Australian Open. Nine of his 21 grand slam titles have come in this event. He's had more success at this event than any other grand slam. However, he didn't play in this event last year and it's never easy to win an event after missing it the year before. Plus, he's likely to encounter mixed reactions from the fans for how he handled things last year. How he deals with the early rounds will be really key to his success. He needs to set a good tone and pick up right where he left off. If he does, he's going to be really tough to stop. 

#4. Can Ons Jabeur break through? Ons Jabeur is the number two seed in the women's draw after reaching back-to-back finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. She's knocking on the door and is eager to break through to win her first grand slam. She reached the quarterfinals in 2020, so she's had some success at this event, but after not playing it last year, she's gonna have to adjust to being back in this environment. I think it's going to be really interesting to see if her past couple slams propel her forward and how she does if she finds herself in a third straight grand slam final. 

#5. Can Frances Tiafoe bring his US Open success with him? Frances Tiafoe is the 16th seed and is coming off a run to the US Open semifinals. This will be a real test for him as he won't have the home court advantage he had in New York. If he's able to reach the semifinals of this event, that'll be a really strong indicator that he is here to stay for the foreseeable future. 

#6. Does Victoria Azarenka have another run in her? Victoria Azarenka is seeded 24th and had a decent outing at the Australian Open last year, reaching the 4th round. She won the event back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013. It's been a while, but she knows how to win this event. It would be really cool for her to win a third grand slam and if there's any place she'd do it, it would be in Australia. Also, she did reach the US Open final in 2020, so she's recently shown she can contend at grand slams. 

#7. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas reach the final? Stefanos Tsitsipas is the number three seed on the men's side and is eying a third consecutive trip to the semifinals. The big question with him is can he get over the hump and into the final. He's reached the final at Roland Garros (2021), so it's not totally uncharted territory for him. Still, he hasn't yet figured out how to get to the final at this event. Getting past Nadal is not going to be easy, but I like his chances of sneaking past Nadal in the semifinals better than I do against Djokovic. So, he's got a shot. 

#8. Can Jessica Pegula reach the semifinals? Jessica Pegula is the third seed in the women's draw, but she's never gotten past the quarterfinals at any grand slam. She reached the quarters at three of the four grand slams last year, only failing to do so at Wimbledon. How she does at the Australian Open will be a really strong indicator of whether or not she's made progress from last season. 

#9. Can Casper Ruud make a deep run? Casper Ruud is the number two seed on the men's side and reached the final at both the US Open and French Open last year. As for the Australian Open, the furthest he's gone is the 4th round in 2021. He didn't play in it last year. How he does this year after a strong 2022 season is something to watch for. Definitely a strong candidate to at least reach the semifinals if not the final. 

#10. Will Coco Gauff finally breakthrough down under? Coco Gauff is seeded 7th and is coming off a strong 2022 in which she reached the French Open final and US Open quarterfinals. However, she has not had that same kind of success at the Aussie Open, with her best finish being the 4th round in 2020 followed by a 2nd round exit in 2021 and a 1st round exit in 2022. She's regressing at this event and needs to put together a strong run in 2023. Will it happen? Time will tell. 

Predictions: On the men's side, I gotta roll with Novak Djokovic. He owns this event and will be hungry to reclaim his rightful crown. On the women's side, I'm going to pick Iga Świątek. She's the top player in the world right now and is bound to win the Australian Open at some point. Why not this year? 

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Monday, January 9, 2023

10 things to take away from the 2022 US Open

 

                                              (Credit: USOpen.org) 

The 2023 Australian Open is starting up soon (next week!) and before I write my 10 things to look for, I need to write my takeaways from the most recent grand slam (2022 US Open). I've been meaning to get this up sooner and will try my best to be more prompt with these in 2023, but nevertheless I feel it is better late than never. So let's dive in! 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz has arrived: Carlos Alcaraz won the men's singles title, defeating Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the final. Alcaraz showed a lot of heart and fight to win his first grand slam and as a result he is now the No.1 player in the world. It'll be fun to see how 2023 shapes up for him and what he does in the Australian Open this month. At 19 years of age, I feel he is just scratching the surface of what he can become. 

#2. Iga Świątek is a force: Iga Świątek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6 to win the women's singles title. At 21 years of age, she is the No.1 player in the world with three grand slam titles already. Her first two grand slam titles came at the French Open, so to win a grand slam on the hard courts is significant. All that's left for her now is to make a deep run at Wimbledon (4th round is the deepest she's gone). If she figures out how to win on the grass, she could end up with double digit grand slam titles before it's all over. 

#3. Casper Ruud is knocking on the door: Casper Ruud reached two grand slam finals in 2022 at the French Open and US Open. At 24 years of age and ranked No.3 in the world, Rudd is truly knocking on the door and could very well win his first grand slam in 2023. He played Alcaraz tough in the final and should learn a lot from last season. 

#4. Ons Jabeur is knocking on the door as well: Ons Jabeur is also getting close to wining her first grand slam, reaching the final at both the US Open and Wimbledon. She's ranked No.2 in the world right now and should be liking her chances to breakthrough in 2023. Clay is the surface she needs the most work on as her best finishes at the French Open have been trips to the 4th round. 

#5. Rafael Nadal didn't have the outing he wanted: After winning the Australian Open and French Open as well as a trip to the semifinals at Wimbledon, losing in the 4th round is not the way Rafael Nadal wanted his US Open to go. Still, he's ranked No.2 in the world and poised to have a strong 2023. It'll be fun to see what kind of year he has. 

#6. Serena Williams' future is up-in-the-air: Just to set the record straight, Serena Williams is not retired. Her Wikipedia page accurately describes her as "inactive." She has said that she is not retired and that her chances of a return are "very high" despite being 41 years old. I would take her at her word that we'll probably see her play tennis again, but who knows what the future holds for her? Even she doesn't seem to know for certain. 

If there's reason to believe Serena might play again, I would point to the fact that she reached the 3rd round at the 2022 US Open, which obviously shows she's still got some gas left in the tank. Plus, women's tennis is much more wide open than men's tennis, which gives her more of a reason to believe she can make a deep run at a grand slam again. My guess is this all comes down to how much she wants this. If she really wants to be elite again, I wouldn't count her out. She has 22 grand slam titles, most all-time in the Open era, but Margaret Court's all-time record of 23 is a record she would still like to break. If there's anything that's motivating her to still play, it's that record. 

Via NBC News: 'I am not retired,' Serena Williams says 

#7. Nick Kyrgios made some progress: Nick Kyrgios reached his first ever quarterfinal at the US Open to follow up a trip to the Wimbledon final. Known as being a diva and drama queen, Kyrgios doesn't get enough respect for how good he is as a tennis player. I think he's starting to take his game more seriously and at 27 years of age, his best days very well may still be ahead of him. 

#8. Aryna Sabalenka needs to find that extra gear: For the second straight US Open, Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals, unable to get to the final. She also reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and is ranked No.5 in the world. You could say she's "knocking on the door" as well, but she is yet to reach a grand slam final, so I think it's better to say she needs to find that extra gear to propel herself forward into a final and see what happens. Maybe 2023 will be the year that happens for her. 

#9. Frances Tiafoe's Cinderella run came up just short: Frances Tiafoe was unable to complete his quest to be the first American man to win a US Open title since Andy Roddick (2003), losing in the semifinals to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets (7-6, 3-6, 1-6, 7-6, 3-6). At 24 years of age and now ranked No.19 in the world, the future is bright for the Maryland native. I expect big things from him in 2023 and look forward to seeing what the Australian Open brings for him. 

#10. Caroline Garcia had a major breakthrough: Caroline Garcia reached her first ever grand slam semifinal, losing to Ons Jabeur 6-1, 6-3. The 2022 US Open was a major breakthrough for her and as a result, she is now ranked No.4 in the world. It'll be interesting to see if her semifinal run was a flash in the pan or if she'll be able to build on it in 2023. She's 29 years old, which is a bit on the older side, but in today's era it can also be an age where you are entering the prime of your career. 

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