On Monday, January 18, the 2016 Australian Open will kick off the new tennis season. Over the coming two weeks, there will be lots of exciting moments, unexpected results, and drama that can only be found at a grand slam tennis event. With the tennis season effectively being year-round, it's nice to have a grand slam so early in the season. Anyways, what I will do in this post is list 10 key things to look for during the upcoming Australian Open. With so much tennis to be played, I think it helps to narrow things down and know what to really focus on.
#1. Lleyton Hewitt's farewell tour stops here: Lleyton Hewitt's final event on tour will be the Australian Open. In 1998, Lleyton Hewitt played in his first Australian Open. 18 years later, he is playing in his final Australian Open and will call it a career after the tournament. While he is no longer a contender to win a grand slam, he is still one of the most beloved players on tour.
I have no doubt that when "Rusty" plays his final point of this tournament, there will tears both from himself and the crowd to go along with a very long standing ovation. That will be an emotional moment for all of us who have followed tennis and watched Hewitt play through the years. He always played with a tremendous fighting spirit that propelled him to a US Open singles title in 2001 and a Wimbledon singles title in 2002. Lleyton Hewitt, you will be missed.
#2. Look for Serena Williams to come out motivated: Serena Williams is not happy about falling short of her calendar grand slam aspirations. Serena Williams will be locked in and very focused during these next two weeks. She's gunning for a calendar slam again and knows she has to win the Australian Open in order for her to do so.
#3. Will Rafael Nadal make any noise? Rafael Nadal is seeded 5th and is projected to face the 4th seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarterfinals. Rafael Nadal hasn't won a hard court grand slam since the 2013 US Open and his lone Australian Open grand slam title came in 2009. It's hard to see Rafael Nadal winning the 2016 Australian Open considering his lack of success on the hard courts, but given his fighting spirit and perseverance, you never want to completely rule him out.
#4. Victoria Azarenka is dangerous: Victoria Azarenka appears to be finding her groove again considering her #14 seed in the tournament. Her only two grand slam titles came at the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open. While it's been a little while since she's won a grand slam, Australia has by far been Vika's best event and if there is any place for her to recapture her magic, it would be at the Australian Open.
#5. Will Andy Murray breakthrough down under? Andy Murray is coming into this Australian Open with lots of positive vibrations right now. He's the number two seed and has Amelie Mauresmo back in his camp. Andy Murray has come close to winning the Australian Open, reaching the final four times. Will the 5th final be the charm if he gets there?
#6. Don't sleep on Venus Williams: Venus Williams is the #8 seed and is playing really good tennis right now. Grand slams often reward the more savvy and veteran players. Especially the veterans that are ranked as high as Venus. If Venus Williams plays her game, gets to the net, and plays with poise, she could win her first Australian Open title and her eighth grand slam title overall.
#7. Roger Federer for whatever reason still feels he has something to prove and that's scary: Roger Federer is still playing tennis because he loves the game, is still a top-three player in the world, and he feels like there's more he can still do in terms of winning grand slams and proving doubters wrong. Roger Federer is on a mission to win one more grand slam and that should have every player on tour very worried. Don't get me wrong, Novak Djokovic is the best player in the world right now, but outside of him, Roger Federer is the guy who nobody wants to face right now.
#8. Eugenie Bouchard could really use a boost: No player in the ATP or WTA had a more disappointing 2015 than Eugenie Bouchard. She's no longer a seeded player and she withdrew from the US Open due a concussion, which in a way perfectly encapsulated her season as a whole. Eugenie Bouchard has gone from being one of tennis' brightest young stars to suddenly being a player who can't figure out how to get her mojo going at all. If Eugenie Bouchard found herself playing into the second week and at least reached the 4th round, that would be huge for her in terms of building confidence for the rest of the season.
#9. Look for Serena Williams to win the women's singles title: Serena Williams is the best women's player in the world by far. It really is a Serena vs. the field situation because it's unclear who best has a chance of upsetting her. The big name players can't get it done against her and it always winds up being a massive underdog that upsets her. Provided Serena Williams plays her style of tennis and does so consistently, she will win the 2016 Australian Open women's singles title. There's just nobody else out there to pick ahead of her without admitting that you are basically banking on Serena Williams to have an off day, which could happen, but isn't something you want to put money on.
#10. Novak Djokovic will deliver the goods and win the men's singles title: Novak Djokovic is the best men's player in the world right now, his favorite tournament is the Australian Open, and the number two seed Andy Murray has never won the event before. Novak Djokovic loves the hard courts of Australia and plays his best tennis in those fast conditions. The Australian Open is tailor made to suit Novak Djokovic's strengths, which are his speed, service return, and stamina. Novak Djokovic thrives down under and I expect 2016 to be no exception. He will be the men's singles champion.
