10 things to look for at the 2024 Olympics

                                             (Credit: Amber Searls/USA TODAY Sports) 

The 2024 Paris Olympics are under way, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for at the Olympic tennis tournament, which will be held on the clay courts of Roland Garros. For a look at the draws, click here. Just make sure to go to the tab that says "Match Types" to switch back and forth between men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Alrighty, let's get into it! 

#1. Can Iga Świątek continue her dominance on the dirt? Iga Świątek comes in ranked #1 in the world with four French Open titles under her belt, most recently winning at Roland Garros earlier this summer. She is going to be the heavy favorite to win it all on the women's side given that clay is her best surface. It'll be interesting to see if she cruises to an Olympic gold medal or if anyone will offer some resistance and knock her out. 

#2. Can Rafael Nadal make any noise? This is almost certainly going to be the final Olympic games Rafael Nadal ever plays in and what better place for him to close out his Olympic career than in Paris? If he wins his first round match, up next will be Novak Djokovic. He has his work cut out for him, but at a minimum it would be fun to see the two of them face off one more time at this venue. Nadal is also playing doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, so how the two of them do in that draw will be something to watch for as well. 

#3. Can Coco Gauff bounce back quickly from a frustrating Wimbledon? Wimbledon did not go well for Coco Gauff as she went down in the 4th round. Fortunately for her, she loves the clay as she reached the French Open final in 2022. She knows how to play well at Roland Garros and coming in ranked #2 in the world, she has a great opportunity to go for the gold. It'll be fun to see if she can make that happen. 

#4. Can Novak Djokovic add a gold medal to his collection? Novak Djokovic is widely considered the greatest men's tennis player of all-time and yet he has never won an Olympic gold medal. He won the bronze at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing but that's it. I'm sure he would like to add a gold medal to his collection and this might be his last opportunity to do it. He's at a point of his career where he's just playing for legacy and no longer worrying about the money or anything. I bet we'll see a very focused Djokovic during this tournament. 

#5. Can Jasmine Paolini break through to win a gold medal? Jasmine Paolini has had a phenomenal summer, reaching the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon. She is coming into the Olympics with a lot of momentum as the #5 player in the world and 4th seed in the tournament. If she could win a gold medal, that would be huge for her confidence and also make her feel like she didn't come away from this strong summer totally empty handed. 

#6. Can Alexander Zverev defend his title? Alexander Zverev comes in ranked #4 in the world and is the 3rd seed thanks to Jannik Sinner not playing. Zverev won the gold medal in 2020 and will be looking to defend his title. While he's never won a grand slam singles title, having that Olympic gold medal is nothing to sneeze at. If he could add a second Olympic gold medal to his collection, that would do a good deal to boost his legacy. 

#7. Can Barbora Krejcikova build on her Wimbledon title? Barbora Krejcikova comes in having just won Wimbledon and she won the French Open back in 2021, so she knows how to win at Roland Garros. If you want to talk about someone who could threaten Iga Świątek for the gold, Krejcikova might be the biggest threat out there. I'll be really interested to see how Krejcikova does. 

#8. Can Carlos Alcaraz make it a golden summer? Carlos Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon this summer, so he's coming in with a lot of confidence. If he can win a gold medal, that would make this a summer for the ages. On top of that, as I mentioned earlier, he's also playing doubles with Rafael Nadal. If the two of them find a way to win the gold in the men's doubles, that would be really cool. 

#9. Can Caroline Wozniacki make some noise? Caroline Wozniacki is back playing tennis and most recently reached the 3rd round at Wimbledon. In women's tennis, anything can happen and with some matches now under her belt, I wouldn't rule out a run by Caroline Wozniacki. She reached the quarterfinals of the Olympics back in 2012 in London. If she could go even deeper this time and win a medal, she would be thrilled. 

#10. Can Gaël Monfils make the most of having home court advantage? Gaël Monfils is currently ranked 30th in the world and has the advantage of playing in his home country. The French crowd will go nuts if he makes a run. He's done pretty well at the Olympics, having reached the quarterfinals twice in 2008 (Beijing) and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro). If you want to talk about a possible dark horse, don't sleep on Monfils. 

Prediction: On the women's side, I'm going to pick Iga Świątek to win the gold. She's the best clay player in the world, making this event all teed up for her to go the distance. As for the men's side, I have to roll with Carlos Alcaraz. He won the French Open and Wimbledon this summer, so he's coming in hot. I think he knows the history that is on the line here and how he has a chance to really have a summer for the ages if he adds on a gold medal. It'll be fun to see if he pulls it off. 

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10 things to take away from 2024 Wimbledon

 

                                             (Credit: AELTC/Thomas Lovelock) 

2024 Wimbledon is over as Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova won the gentlemen's and ladies' singles titles respectively. Below are my ten things to take away from the two weeks that were in London. Enjoy!

Note: On CardinalSportsReport.com, I wrote about incoming Stanford freshman Alexander Razeghi winning the junior boys doubles title at Wimbledon. Read that here. 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz is going to win many grand slams: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 to win the gentlemen's singles title. It was the fourth grand slam title of Alcaraz's career and his second Wimbledon. He won the French Open earlier in the year, completing the "English Channel Double." That's really impressive. 

What makes it all the more impressive for Alcaraz isn't just the fact that he won it all, but it's the way he won it. From start to finish, he was the top player in the tournament and when going up against Novak Djokovic, who is widely considered to be the greatest tennis player of all-time, Alcaraz took him out in straight sets. Granted, Djokovic wasn't at full strength, but the fact that he was able to reach the final indicates he was still playing good tennis to get there. Given he's just 21 years old, Alcaraz has the potential to win a ton of grand slams and put himself into the conversation for greatest of all-time. 

#2. Barbora Krejcikova is now a two-time grand slam champion: Barbora Krejcikova defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to win the ladies' singles title. Krejcikova is now ranked #10 in the world and now has two grand slam titles under her belt, having won the French Open back in 2021. Winning two grand slam titles is a lot more than winning one. Once you have multiple grand slam titles under your belt, that puts you in a whole new tier of greatness and Krejcikova has done just that. At 28 years of age, Krejcikova still has time to add to her collection. It'll be interesting to see if she is able to win any more grand slams and if she does, whether she'll have to wait as long as she did to win her third as it took her to win her second. 

#3. Novak Djokovic is still a threat: While he wasn't able to win it all this year, just by reaching the final after having a knee operation following the French Open, Novak Djokovic showed that he is still a contender at grand slams. I don't know how many more he'll win, but I would be very surprised if he doesn't end up winning at least a couple more grand slams before it's all said and done. He's towards the end of his career, but he still has some gas left in the tank, I think. 

#4. Jasmine Paolini's time is coming: After reaching the final of the French Open, Jasmine Paolini was able to reach the final at Wimbledon, coming up just short against Barbora Krejcikova. Paolini is now ranked #5 in the world and will enter the US Open with a lot of momentum. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the summer and season goes for Paolini. It feels like it's only a matter of time before she finally breaks through and wins her first grand slam. 

#5. Daniil Medvedev is still knocking on the door: Daniil Medvedev reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the second straight season, falling to Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6. Ranked #5 in the world, Medvedev continues to show that he is a threat at grand slams. He's reached the final of the Australian Open three times and then of course has the 2021 US Open singles title as well. I don't think he's done winning grand slams, but with Carlos Alcaraz now coming up in full force, he has his work cut out for him. 

#6. Elena Rybakina falls a bit short of second Wimbledon title: Elena Rybakina fell to Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals 6-3, 3-6, 4-6. Rybakina came in seeded 4th and is currently ranked #4 in the world. Rybakina was gunning for her second Wimbledon title and second grand slam title as she won Wimbledon in 2022. She's only 25 years of age, so she still has plenty of time to add more to her total. She just wasn't quite able to do it this time around. 

#7. Jannik Sinner had a disappointing tournament: For most players, reaching the quarterfinals would be considered a solid tournament. But when you come in ranked #1 in the world as Jannik Sinner did, anything short of winning it all is a disappointment. Sinner fell to Medvedev in the quarterfinals 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 3-6. Sinner reached the semifinals in 2023, so he's capable of going deeper. It'll be interesting to see if he is able to finish the season strong after getting off to a great start with that Australian Open title. 

#8. Coco Gauff had a really disappointing tournament: If you read my preview, you would know that I picked Coco Gauff to win it all on the women's side. She didn't even come close as she went down in the 4th round in straight sets to 19th seed Emma Navarro 4-6, 3-6. Gauff came in seeded 2nd in the tournament and all eyes were on her to make a deep run and possibly win her first Wimbledon. It obviously wasn't meant to be. The 4th round is the furthest she's gone on the grass, so clearly she does need to figure some things out. 

#9. Ben Shelton had a solid tournament: One of the things I was looking for going into Wimbledon was how the young American Ben Shelton would do. He ended up having his best Wimbledon ever as he reached the 4th round before falling to the top seed Jannik Sinner 2-6, 4-6, 6-7. At just 21 years of age, Shelton has a very bright future. He should feel good about how this Wimbledon went provided he's able to build on it and improve. 

#10. Iga Świątek needs to figure out the grass: Iga Świątek came in ranked #1 in the world and has won five grand slam titles, four of which are at the French Open. Of all the grand slams, Wimbledon is the one she has the most trouble at and this year was no exception as she went down in the 3rd round to Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 1-6, 2-6.  Świątek is well on her way to being an all-time great, but right now she's more of an all-time great on the clay. The other surfaces, especially grass, she still needs to figure out. 

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10 things to look for at 2024 Wimbledon

 

On Monday, July 1st, Wimbledon will begin. That means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for at The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. Shout out to Croquet! If you have not yet checked out the draws, click here. 

#1. Can Iga Świątek make a run on the grass? Iga Świątek is the top player in the world on the ladies' side, most recently winning the French Open just a couple weeks back. Four of her five grand slam titles have come at the French Open with the US Open in 2022 being the other grand slam she has won. The furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is the quarterfinals last year. She's established herself as a dominant force on clay, but she now needs to start winning on other surfaces. It would be for her to win Wimbledon this year and show she can go the distance on grass. If she does that, that's really gonna stoke a lot of fear into the rest of the WTA. 

#2. Can Jannik Sinner go the distance? Jannik Sinner is ranked #1 in the world on the gentlemen's side, winning the Australian Open this year. He's coming off a run to the semifinals at the French Open and reached the semifinals of Wimbledon last year. If he wants to solidify himself as the top player in the world for this year, he needs to win a second grand slam. Wimbledon would be a great place for him to pick up that second grand slam title of the season and of his career. 

#3. Can Coco Gauff threaten to win it all? Coco Gauff comes in as the number two ranked player in the world. She won the US Open last year and has become a legitimate star of the sport. Funny enough, she first made headlines with her performance at Wimbledon when she was 14 years old, reaching the 4th round. Since then, she has not been able to go any further on the grass. At some point, you have to think she'll reach the quarterfinals and beyond at Wimbledon, but so far she hasn't done it. It'll be interesting to see if this is the year she finally does so. 

#4. How will Novak Djokovic's knee hold up? Novak Djokovic comes in as the number two ranked player in the world, but he also comes in having had surgery on his right knee after the French Open to address a medial meniscus tear. Djokovic says the knee is feeling fine, but will it still feel that way after a few matches in? That's the question. 

#5. How far will Jasmine Paolini go? Jasmine Paolini comes in ranked #7 in the world after reaching the 4th round of the Australian Open and final at the French Open earlier this season. She clearly appears to have figured something out with her game and will look to build on her success at Wimbledon. It's hard to figure out how she'll do at Wimbledon since she's never gone past the 1st round in her career. I suspect she'll go further than that this year, but 1st round upsets do happen. I'll be very interested to see how these two weeks go for her on the grass. 

#6. Can Carlos Alcaraz defend his title? Carlos Alcaraz comes in as the #3 ranked player in the world on the men's side and the defending Wimbledon champion. He won the French Open a couple weeks back and now will look to complete the feat of winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back. Given how close the two grand slams are to each other and the differing surfaces, doing so is no easy task. If Alcaraz can defend his title, regardless of what the rankings say, he'll be sending a firm message that he is the top player in world. 

#7. Can Marketa Vondrousova defend her title? Marketa Vondrousova comes in ranked #6 in the world, having won the ladies' Wimbledon singles title last year. After a disappointing 1st round exit at the Australian Open this year, she had a solid performance at Roland Garros by reaching the quarterfinals. She came out of nowhere to win Wimbledon last year and she had previously never gone further than the 2nd round. It's tough to figure how she'll perform, but on paper she's certainly a threat. 

#8. Can Casper Ruud make some noise? Casper Ruud comes in ranked #8 in the world having reached three grand slam finals in his career (2022 French Open, 2022 US Open, & 2023 French Open). That said, he's really struggled on the grass, never getting past the 2nd round of Wimbledon in his career. It would be huge for him to be able to have a bit of a breakthrough at Wimbledon and at least reach the quarterfinals. The 25 year old Norwegian is at a point of his career where such a breakthrough needs to happen soon. 

#9. Can Ons Jabeur win her first grand slam? Ons Jabeur comes in ranked #10 in the world, having reached back-to-back Wimbledon finals in 2022 and 2023. She also reached the US Open final in 2022. She's come close to winning a grand slam, but so far no cigar. At 29 years of age, she still has some time but one has to wonder whether or not she's got what it takes to go the distance at a grand slam or if she's maxed out with these trips to the final. If she were to win Wimbledon, she would put those questions to rest. 

#10. Can Ben Shelton prove himself at Wimbledon? Coming in ranked #14 in the world, Ben Shelton is a rising star in the game at just 21 years of age. However, he's never gone further than the 2nd round at Wimbledon. His top grand slam performance overall is the semifinals at the US Open last year. He's got the pieces to be a consistent grand slam threat. He just needs to prove it. It would be cool if he made some noise in London this year. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I have to roll with Carlos Alcaraz. I think he's the best player in the world regardless of what the rankings say and he proved me right in Paris when I picked him to win the French Open this year. On the ladies' side, it's much tougher to make a prediction, but I'll pick Coco Gauff to win it all. I do think she'll find a way to take it up a notch on the grass this year and win her first Wimbledon crown. She's one who will have a lot of support from the crowd, too. 

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10 things to take away from the 2024 French Open

 

                                             (Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports) 

The 2024 French Open is now behind us, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were in Paris. Let's get after it!

#1. Carlos Alcaraz is nearing a career grand slam: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to win the men's final. This is Alcaraz's third grand slam singles title at his third different grand slam. He won Wimbledon last year and the US Open in 2022. He just needs to win the Australian Open to complete the career slam and he's just 21 years of age. That's crazy. I can't say I'm surprised though as he was my pick to win it all on the men's side. He's a becoming a superstar before our eyes. This almost certainly won't be the last French Open he wins. 

#2. Iga Świątek is the princess of clay: Chris Evert is still the queen of clay with her record seven French Open titles on the women's side, but after winning her fourth French Open title this year, Iga Świątek has earned the title of princess of clay and yes, she was my pick on the women's side. At just 23 years of age, she's got a great chance to surpass Evert's record and who knows, maybe she'll give Rafael Nadal's all-time record of 14 French Open titles a run for its money, too. By the way, if you didn't the result, Świątek defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in the final. 

#3. Novak Djokovic's summer is in doubt: Novak Djokovic had to pull out after winning his 4th round match due to tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee. He underwent surgery afterwards, making his Wimbledon in doubt. It'll be interesting to see if he gives it a go in London or if he'll skip it so as to gear up for the US Open. 

#4. Coco Gauff continues to be a legit threat on the clay: Coco Gauff fell to Iga Świątek in the semifinals. There's no shame in that. Her last four French Opens have ended in the quarterfinals, final, quarterfinals, and now semifinals. If there's anyone that's going to challenge Świątek in the years to come for French Open titles, it's gonna be Gauff, who amazingly is just 20 years of age. 

#5. Alexander Zverev made some strides: Alexander Zverev made the second grand slam final of his career. His first being back in 2020 at the US Open. At 27 years of age, he is in the prime of his career and should have some hope that if he keeps knocking on the door, eventually he'll win a grand slam. Wimbledon is going to be key for him this year. 

#6. Jasmine Paolini has figured something out: Before this season, the furthest Jasmine Paolini had gone in a grand slam is the 2nd round. At the Australian Open this year, she advanced to the 4th round and at the French Open this year, she had a dream run to the final before losing to Iga Świątek who is one of the greatest clay court players ever. At 28 years of age, the Italian Paolini appears to have really figured out something in her game. It'll be interesting to see how she does at Wimbledon and the US Open later this year. 

#7. The end is finally here for Rafael Nadal: Rafael Nadal fell to Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the 1st round. Nadal losing that early at a tournament he dominated for so long is all you need to know about where his career is. It's coming to a close. The only question is whether or not he'll be back for one more French Open or not. Whenever he does officially say goodbye, he'll go down as one of the greatest players to ever play and the undisputed king of clay. 

#8. Mirra Andreeva has burst onto the scene: At just 17 years of age, Mirra Andreeva made a run to the semifinals before falling to Jasmine Paolini in straight sets. It was an amazing run for Andreeva as it was the furthest she's ever gone at a grand slam. She is now ranked #23 in the world and I'm sure her ranking will only continue to climb. It's always exciting when someone this young makes their presence felt in such a strong way. I look forward to seeing how she does in the future and how the rest of her summer goes. 

#9. Jannik Sinner hangs onto world number one ranking: While he wasn't able to win it all at Roland Garros, by reaching the semifinals where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets, Jannik Sinner hangs on to the world number one ranking. He won his first grand slam this year in Australia and wasn't quite able to get it done on the clay this year. At just 22 years of age, I do think he'll likely win a French Open at some point, but the problem he has is Carlos Alcaraz being a year younger than him. It's certainly going to be fun to see the two of them battle it out in the coming seasons. 

#10. It's good to have Naomi Osaka back: Naomi Osaka may have lost in the 2nd round, but she did so in as strong of fashion as possible. She lost to the eventual champion Iga Świątek by a final score of 6-7, 6-1, 5-7. She nearly knocked Świątek out of the tournament who as I mentioned, is becoming one of the most dominant clay players of all-time. 

To push Świątek to the edge like that has to give Osaka a lot of confidence. Especially since clay and grass have never been her thing. The 3rd round is the furthest she's gone at the French Open and Wimbledon. The hard courts are where she dominates as she has two US Open titles and two Australian Open titles. If she's playing well on clay against the top clay player in the world, who knows what awaits her when she gets back on the hard courts and even grass. 

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10 things to look for at the 2024 French Open

 

The 2024 French Open is beginning on Sunday, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for in Paris. If you have not yet seen the draws, click here. Alrighty, let's get started. 

#1. Can Rafael Nadal make any noise? Rafael Nadal is likely playing in his final French Open and as a result of his ranking falling, he will open up against No. 4 Alexander Zverev. Smart money is on Zverev to advance, but given that Nadal is the King of Clay, it would be foolish to rule him out. If Nadal could find a way to even reach the 4th round, Paris will be going nuts. 

#2. Can anyone stop Iga Swiatek? Iga Swiatek comes in as the number one ranked player in the world having won the French Open three times. She's won the event back-to-back years and will be gunning for her fourth French Open crown, her third straight French Open crown, and her fifth overall grand slam title.  She's definitely the favorite to win it on the women's side. Will anyone stop her? That's the question. 

#3. Can Novak Djokovic defend his crown? Novak Djokovic comes in as the top seed on the men's side. He's ranked number one in the world and is hoping to win his 25th grand slam title and his fourth French Open. He won the French Open last year, so is coming in as the defending champion. While he's won back-to-back Wimbledons and back-to-back Australian Opens, Djokovic has never won the French Open back-to-back times. Same with the US Open. It'll be interesting to see if he can buck that trend this year. 

#4. Can Aryna Sabalenka contend? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the number two ranked player in the world having reached the semifinals of the French Open last year. She has won the Australian Open twice and is looking for her first French Open title and third grand slam. If you're talking about who has the best chance to beat Swiatek, Sabalenka's name comes up. Having said that, Swiatek is 8-3 all-time against Sabalenka. If Sabalenka is going to beat Swiatek, she's going to have to play her absolute best assuming they do meet in the final. 

#5. Can Jannik Sinner build on his Australian Open victory? Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open this year and is now looking for his second grand slam title. A calendar slam is theoretically in play for him though I think everyone would be shocked if he pulled that off. Being Italian, you would think clay would be one of his better surfaces but he's actually struggled on the dirt. At least at Roland Garros. His lone quarterfinals appearance came in 2020 and last year he lost in the 2nd round. It'll be interesting to see if Sinner is able to make a deep run or if he'll flame out early. I could see it going either way, though if I had to guess, I think he'll be at least make it to the Round of 16 (4th round). 

#6. Can Coco Gauff go the distance? If you are talking contenders on the women's side, Coco Gauff is a major name to keep an eye on. She is ranked No. 3 in the world and won the US Open in 2023. While she is an American, she loves the clay and reached the French Open final in 2022. I do feel she's going to win a French Open at some point. The only question is when. Will this be the year? We'll just have to find out. 

#7. How will Stefanos Tsitsipas perform? Stefanos Tsitsipas comes in as the number nine ranked player in the world. He reached the French Open final in 2021, the semifinals in 2020, and the quarterfinals in 2023. He is yet to win a grand slam, but he keeps knocking on the door. He's a guy who I think has a chance to go all the way, but it's a matter of him staying consistent and getting a break or two along the way. It would be fun to see him pull it off. 

#8. Does Jelena Ostapenko have what it takes to win it again? Jelena Ostapenko is a former French Open champion, winning it back in 2017 as a teenager. She comes in as the number nine seed, so she should be getting a pretty good draw. She's been playing good tennis lately to get that seed, but for whatever reason she has never been able to contend at the French Open since winning it all. She's been bounced in the 2nd round back-to-back years and the furthest she has gone since her title is the 3rd round in 2020. It'll be interesting to see if this year can be any different for her. 

#9. Can Carlos Alcaraz carry the Spanish torch for Rafael Nadal? While Rafael Nadal is looking like a long shot to win the French Open, there's another Spaniard who has a great opportunity in Carlos Alcaraz, who is ranked number three in the world. Alcaraz has won the US Open and Wimbledon already, making him half-way to the career slam at just 21 years of age. He reached the semifinals of the French Open last year, so he's gaining confidence on the dirt. It would be fitting in a way if Nadal's final French Open resulted in him passing the torch onto Alcaraz. That would be pretty cool (though not as cool as Nadal winning it all, of course). 

#10. How does Naomi Osaka perform? After taking all of last year off, Naomi Osaka is back, though she didn't make much noise with her 1st round exit at the Australian Open. Still, she is back and that's exciting for the sport. Given all four of her grand slams have come on the hard courts, it might not be fair to expect much from her at the French Open. Especially since she's never gotten out of the 3rd round. Still, it's worth paying attention to how she does given she's such a big name in the sport. 

Prediction: I gotta roll with Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek to win it all. Alcaraz's time to win the French Open I think is now and I think the emotion of this likely being Nadal's final French Open might prove to help lift him a bit given they are both from Spain. As for Swiatek, she owns this tournament. She's won it three times and going for her fourth. I can't pick against her. 

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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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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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