2016 US Open Preview: 10 things to look for at the US Open

     The 2016 US Open gets underway today and so it is time for me to do my list of 10 things to look for going into the final grand slam of the year!

Before I do that, as a quick refresher, here are the results in singles for the Olympics: Andy Murray & Monica Puig (gold); Juan Martin Del Potro & Angelique Kerber (silver); Kei Nishikori & Petra Kvitova (bronze). Andy Murray became the first player to win two Olympic golds in singles and Monica Puig became the first Puerto Rican to ever win an Olympic gold medal.

With that now out of the way, here is my list of 10 things to look for at the 2016 US Open!

#1. Novak Djokovic needs to bounce back: Novak Djokovic went out early at Wimbledon and also got bounced in the first round at the Olympics, losing to Juan Martin Del Potro. Novak Djokovic has been dealing with some injuries and he is also fatigued from the French Open. Novak Djokovic could really benefit from a strong outing at the US Open. He doesn't necessarily need to win it, but he needs to at least reach the semifinals.

#2. Serena Williams still needs to establish herself as World #1: Serena Williams has established herself as the greatest women's tennis player ever, but funny enough, she hasn't yet clinched the world #1 ranking for the year. As a matter of fact, Angelique Kerber is only 190 points behind Serena Williams going into the US Open. If Serena Williams wants to finish the year at #1, she'll need to win the US Open and also hope that Angelique Kerber doesn't make too deep of a run.

#3. Will Andy Murray continue to roll? Andy Murray is on quite a roll right now. He won the 2016 Wimbledon title and also the 2016 Olympic gold medal in singles. With Novak Djokovic having rough outings at Wimbledon and the Olympics, Andy Murray might be the favorite to win the US Open. It'll be interesting to see if Andy Murray continues his dominance and closes out the year with two grand slam titles.

#4. Is Monica Puig a threat to win a grand slam? Monica Puig is the #34 ranked player in the world, which makes some people question whether or not her Olympic gold medal should be taken seriously in terms of her potential to win a grand slam. I personally think Monica Puig has what it takes to win a grand slam based on what we saw in Rio. Also, I don't like it when people start to second guess or diminish people's achievements. Winning an Olympic gold medal is a huge deal in any sport and it's an even bigger deal when you are the first from your country to do it. Regardless of what happens at the US Open, Monica Puig's gold medal should be celebrated and treated with respect.

#5. Is Juan Martin Del Potro ready to make some noise in a grand slam? Juan Martin Del Potro is the other player whose results were a surprise in Rio. He won the silver medal with a win over Novak Djokovic in the first round. It'll be interesting to see whether or not he is able to carry his success from Rio into the US Open.

#6. Angelique Kerber has a lot on the line: As I mentioned previously, Angelique Kerber is breathing down Serena Williams' neck in the rankings. She won the Australian Open and lost in the Wimbledon final. She also won the silver medal in Rio. If Angelique Kerber can win the US Open and finish the year as the #1 ranked player in the world, that would be huge for her as she builds momentum for 2017. She already has great momentum for 2017, but finishing the year as #1 would be huge.

#7. How much gas does Rafael Nadal have? Rafael Nadal finished 4th in Rio, just shy of earning a medal. Rafael Nadal is still playing because he believes he can win another grand slam. I personally think we are unlikely to see him win another grand slam, but I hope he proves me wrong. I would love to see Rafa in contention in the final grand slam of 2016.

#8. Don't sleep on Venus Williams: Venus Williams is #6 in the world and still playing excellent tennis. If there is any dark horse in this grand slam it is Venus Williams. She knows what it takes to win at the US Open and she loves playing in front of the American crowd.

#9. How will Milos Raonic respond to his Wimbledon run? Milos Raonic finished in second place at Wimbledon and he is hoping to build off that momentum and win the US Open. Raonic has the pieces to win the US Open due to his big serve, powerful ground strokes, and mobility. If there is any dark horse on the men's side to win, it's definitely Milos Raonic. He's bound to win a grand slam at some point, so why not the 2016 US Open?

#10. Is Madison Keys ready to make her move? Madison Keys is currently #8 in the world and appears to be on the verge of breaking through at a grand slam. Will the 2016 US Open be the place she wins her first grand slam? I don't see why not. Her game is well suited for the hard courts due to her power and aggression. Plus, she loves to play in front of the American crowd. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see her win the 2016 US Open.

Prediction:  On the men's side, I'm predicting Andy Murray to win the singles title. Murray has too much momentum on his side for me to not pick him to win. On the women's side, I'm gonna roll with Madison Keys. Look for her to break through at the 2016 US Open and win her first of many grand slam titles.

10 things to look for at the 2016 Olympics

     
     Today, the Olympic games begin for tennis with the men and women's fields containing 64 players each, which is half the amount of players that compete in a grand slam. The top 56 players in the ATP and WTA rankings automatically qualify for the event with a cap of 4 players per country per draw. E.g. The United States can send 4 men and 4 women to play tennis.

      In addition, unlike the 2012 games and previous Olympic tournaments, no rankings points will be granted so this really is an event all about bragging rights and national pride. Still, even without any ranking points being granted, this is still viewed as the unofficial fifth grand slam, which means that a lot is on the line from a legacy standpoint. I will preview and recap this event like I do the four grand slams with 10 things to look for and 10 things to take away once the event has concluded.

#1. Will Rafael Nadal have a renaissance? Rafael Nadal was given the opportunity to carry Spain's flag at the Olympics, an honor that I'm sure he will cherish for the rest of his life. He's a guy who has made more than enough money and already cemented himself as one the greatest tennis players of all-time. For him, these Olympic games are all about enhancing his legacy as much as possible and also giving himself a chance to get back in the winner's circle at a major event for the first time since the 2014 French Open. Rafael Nadal is hungry for an Olympic medal and anything that can give him a morale boost. Getting a medal in either singles or doubles would be huge for Rafa and perhaps propel him to bigger and better things in the future.

#2. How much motivation will Serena Williams have? Serena Williams has won 22 grand slam titles, tying her with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open Era. She's won four gold medals (three in doubles and one in singles) and virtually accomplished all of her tennis goals. It'll be interesting to see how motivated she is during the course of the event and how much she wants a gold medal. In my opinion, I think she'll focus more on the doubles side since she really cherishes her time with her sister Venus. Look for Serena and her sister to take gold in the doubles, but in the singles, I'm just not sure how much motivation she has to win it. I'm still gonna pick her to win the event just because she's Serena.

#3. Andy Murray once again has a weight of a nation on him: You would think that winning Wimbledon for a second time and bringing home the gold in London would take the pressure off of Andy Murray. But amazingly, this man still has the weight of the United Kingdom on his shoulders. In wake of Brexit and all the pandemonium that has happened across the pond, the United Kingdom needs as much unifying as possible. Andy Murray carried the Union Jack in the opening ceremonies and once again is being looked to as the one who can rally the Brits together at the Olympic games. Look for Andy Murray to compete hard and make a serious run for gold as the #2 seed in the event due to this weight.

#4. Angelique Kerber can get some revenge and also prep herself for the US Open: Angelique Kerber fell to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final after defeating her previously at the Australian Open final. Kerber comes into the event as the #2 seed, which means if all goes according to form, she'll face Serena Williams in the final. For Angelique Kerber, she has to view these Olympics as a chance to get some payback at Serena Williams and also give herself a mental boost heading into the US Open, which is also played on the hard courts.

#5. An Olympic gold still eludes Novak Djokovic: Novak Djokovic is on his way to being the greatest tennis player of all-time, but if he wants to cement himself as the greatest player, winning an Olympic gold is something he might need to do. I wrote a blog post about Novak Djokovic needing the French, so I don't want to contradict myself by saying he needed more than just one French Open title. Given that the Olympics only comes around once every four years, winning a gold at the Olympics isn't viewed as a necessity to be the greatest player ever, but considering that Roger Federer's gold medal came in doubles and not singles, getting an Olympic gold medal in singles would be a nice thing for Djokovic to have on his resume for the greatest of all-time debates that will certainly ensue once his career is over.

#6. An Olympic gold medal would be a nice way for Venus Williams to go out: Like her sister Serena, Venus Williams has four Olympic gold medals with three of them coming in doubles. Venus Williams hasn't been in the winner's circle at a grand slam since 2008 and so we are starting to forget how good she was in her prime. Seeing Venus Williams take home an Olympic gold medal in singles would certainly be fun to watch, as it would be a "turn back the clock" sort of moment.

#7. American Steve Johnson could have a breakout event: Steve Johnson is the highest ranked American male in the event, seeded 12th. Outside of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal, this event is wide open. A lot of top players decided to withdraw due to either injury or fears of catching the Zika virus, which quite honestly is nothing to be afraid of unless you are pregnant or really old. One of the biggest benefactors of this wave of dropouts could be Steve Johnson, who is really hoping to do everything he can to give US men's tennis new life. As a dark horse of sorts to snag a medal, I got my money on Steve Johnson. He has a lot to play for as the highest ranked American male in this event.

#8. Eugenie Bouchard and Sloane Stephens could both use a boost: Two players who could both really benefit from a strong outing at the Olympics are Eugenie Bouchard of Canada and Sloane Stephens of the United States. Eugenie Bouchard has been as ranked as high as #5 in the world and is now ranked #40. Sloane Stephens has also experienced a bit of a drop off, though not as drastic, falling from #11 in the world to #22. Both of these young ladies really need to find their mojo again and the Olympic games is just the place for them to do it. Sadly, only one of them can do this since they are facing each other in the first round.

#9. Don't sleep on David Ferrer: David Ferrer is the #7 seed in the men's draw and has never gone further than the third round at the Olympic games. However, with all of the withdrawals and also a lack of desire by many to take this event seriously, David Ferrer could take advantage since he's a guy who I know would love to get an Olympic medal. Considering that he has never won a grand slam, it would certainly be a feel good story to see David Ferrer win an Olympic medal. He's a classy player and one of the hardest working players we've ever seen. I'd love to see it happen.

#10. Madison Keys is another player who should be looking to make her mark: Madison Keys is the #7 seed in the women's draw and eager to make her mark as the future of American women's tennis. If she wants to make a deep run at the US Open in a few weeks, she should look to have a strong outing at the Olympics and bring home a medal. If she does, she'll come into New York with a ton of momentum and confidence.

Note: Click here for live scoring updates throughout the Olympics for both singles and doubles.  

10 things to take away from the 2016 Wimbledon Championships

     Before I look ahead to the Olympics and US Open on here, I need to write my list of 10 things to take away from the championships at Wimbledon. It was a very exciting tournament with Serena Williams winning her 22nd grand slam title, tying her with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open era. On the men's side, we saw Andy Murray win his second Wimbledon title and third grand slam title overall making him the first Brit since Fred Perry to win multiple Wimbledon titles. History was made in both the gentlemen's and ladies' draws. Without further introduction, here is my list of 10 things to take way from the championships at Wimbledon. 

#1. Serena Williams is the G.O.A.T. Let me be clear that Serena Williams has been the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) in women's tennis for at least a couple of years now, but by tying Steffi Graf for the most grand slam titles in the open era, Serena Williams made it official. She breaks the tie over Steffi because Steffi benefited from the tragic downfall of Monica Seles, whereas Serena Williams has routinely owned the top players of her era. Serena still has to win two more grand slams to pass Margaret Court, which I think she will do in time. But, for now, Serena Williams has reached the record for most grand slam titles of the Open era which should erase any doubt of as to whether or not she's the greatest women's player ever. 

#2. Andy Murray can't be taken lightly Andy Murray, at least I feel, gets overlooked too much. It's easy for him to when you compare his body of work to that of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. But, with an Olympic gold medal and three grand slam titles under his belt, it's time we start giving him the respect that he deserves. Considering that his accomplishments have come in the most competitive era of men's tennis, one has to rank him among the games' greatest players right now. 

#3. Winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back is really tough Both of the 2016 French Open singles champions (Garbine Muguruza and Novak Djokovic) went out early. Muguruza went out in the second round to Jana Cepelova and Novak Djokovic went down to Sam Querrey in the third round. While one certainly has to give credit to their opponents for winning their matches, I think the early exits of both Garbine Muguruza and Novak Djokovic is a cautionary reminder of just how difficult it is to win grand slam titles on both the dirt and the grass within such a short period of time. The surfaces are very different and the clay really does wear players down. After battling so hard on the clay for two weeks, it's very difficult to find the strength to win another grand slam just a few weeks later. 

#4. Novak Djokovic is human As sort of an extension of the previous point, we learned that Novak Djokovic is human. Djokovic came into Wimbledon holding all four grand slams and I think we all just took it for granted that he would once again steamroll the competition and pick up another slam. In the end, he showed us that he too has his moments where he can't find that extra gear to win, which I think should actually make us appreciate his greatness even more. The fact that he's accomplished what he has as a human being and not a robot makes him all the more remarkable. 

#5. Venus Williams proves she's still a threat Venus Williams advanced to the semifinals before falling to Angelique Kerber.  If anybody wonders about whether or not Venus Williams has what it takes to still contend at grand slams, I think the two weeks at Wimbledon showed us that she does. So long as she's playing tennis, she'll always be a threat to win at Wimbledon, a place where she's won five of her seven grand slam titles. 

#6. Milos Raonic has arrived Even though he lost in the final, Milos Raonic showed us that he's going to be a force to be reckoned with in men's tennis for quite a while. He played a great match against Roger Federer in the semifinals and played with a lot of heart in the final. I expect big things from Milos at the US Open and in future seasons to come. 

#7. Angelique Kerber is here to stay After winning the Australian Open, Angelique Kerber made a run all the way to final before losing to Serena Williams 5-7, 3-6 in the final. With Maria Sharapova still suspended indefinitely and nobody else really challenging Serena Williams, expect Angelique Kerber to stay as the #2 player in the world and also continue being a threat to win grand slams. 

#8. Roger Federer is still dangerous, but can he win another one? Roger Federer lost in the semifinals to Milos Raonic and has since ended his season so that he can be 100% for 2017. Roger Federer is showing that he is still an elite tennis player, but can he win another grand slam is the big question. Personally, I think he has it in him to win one more grand slam, but the odds are still not in his favor. With each passing year, guys like Milos Raonic continue to get better while Federer continues to age. It's gonna be tough for Roger Federer to win a slam in 2017, but I have the faith that he can. Especially since it appears as though he's really gonna be gunning for it. 

#9. Sam Querrey gave US Men's tennis some hope The United States continues to do well in women's tennis thanks to Serena Williams and some exciting young players. But in men's tennis, the US has had a difficult time making some noise in recent years. Sam Querrey upsetting Novak Djokovic in the third round and reaching the quarterfinals gave US men's tennis a spark of hope and something to get excited about. Hopefully Sam will have a strong outing at the US Open and also inspire the other US men to pick up their game as well. 

#10. Elena Vesnina is a name to keep an eye on If you hadn't heard of Elena Vesnina before Wimbledon, that's totally fine, but after making an impressive run to the semifinals she suddenly showed that she's a name we need to know. To some extent, she benefited from a friendly draw, defeating Ekaterina Makarova in the 4th round and Dominika Cibulkova in the quarterfinals, but even so, the very fact that she won those matches and didn't let the pressure get to her is impressive.