10 things to take away from the 2018 US Open

                                         (Credit: sportingnews.com) 

With the 2018 US Open now behind us, it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to take away from the fourth and final grand slam of the year. While there's always a lot to say about every grand slam, those that followed this year's US Open know it was more eventful than usual.

#1. Naomi Osaka is a champion: 

The most overshadowed story of this year's US Open is the amazing performance of Naomi Osaka, who defeated Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 to win her first grand slam title. Due to the controversial events that transpired in the final, everyone spent far more time talking about Serena Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos after the match. I'll share my thoughts on that later in this piece, but I wanted to lead with Naomi Osaka since nobody else will do it. She dominated Serena and everyone needs to acknowledge that. She played the better match, better tournament, and is 100 percent deserving of this title. The way Osaka has conducted herself is truly admirable. She's a champion both on and off the court.

#2. Novak Djokovic is back: At the beginning of the 2018 tennis season, there were legitimate concerns about whether or not Novak Djokovic would ever return to form due to injuries that have slowed him down. Now that he has won both Wimbledon and the US Open this year, I think it's safe to say that he is back. The big question now is whether or not he can complete another "Djokovic Slam". I like his chances at the Australian Open, but the French Open will be tough assuming Rafael Nadal is a full go.

With this win, Djokovic now has tied the great Pete Sampras for third on the all-time grand slam titles list with 14, trailing only Rafael Nadal (17) and Roger Federer (20). It's not too soon to put Djokovic in the discussion for greatest of all-time. He's put himself back in the mix after the summer that he's had.

#3. Serena Williams got this wrong: Before I explain why Serena Williams messed up in the women's final, let me first say that I admire everything she has done for the game of tennis. She's done a lot of good for women, the African-American community, and the sport of tennis as a whole. The same goes for her sister Venus, who doesn't get enough love for all that she's accomplished.

With that now out of the way, let me explain why Serena is in the wrong for what happened in the final. For those that did not watch or ever get a full picture of the events that transpired, let me explain what actually happened:

With a 1-0 lead in the second set, Serena's coach Patrick Mouratoglou was signaling her to rush the net and/or bring Naomi Osaka to the net since she was losing the battle on the baseline (ESPN flashed a stat around the end of the first set/beginning of the second set that stated Osaka had taken just 2% of her shots inside the baseline). Mouratoglou's analysis of the match was spot on, but that doesn't make it okay for him to relay it to Serena. Chair umpire Carlos Ramos correctly ruled that Mouratoglou was coaching from the box and gave Serena a code violation as a result. Since it was Serena's first code violation of the match, she was given a warning.

Serena instantly questioned the call, insisting that she hadn't received any coaching. "If he gives me a thumbs up, he's telling me to come on," Serena explained to Ramos. "We don't have any code and I know that you don't know that, and I understand why you may have thought that was coaching, but I'm telling you it's not. I don't cheat to win. I'd rather lose. I'm just letting you know."

During the changeover, Serena continued to have an exchange with Ramos. "It's not something I do," she added. "But I can understand why you may have thought that. But just know I've never cheated...Okay, thank you. Because I'm like, I don't cheat. Yeah, so thank you so much."

After this initial exchange, things appeared to be fine. Ramos had issued her a warning, he seemed to understand what she was saying to him and all appeared to be fine between the two. Serena was keeping her cool and there was certainly no indication that things would take a turn for the worse.

Later on in that set, Serena failed to hold serve with a 3-1 lead, allowing Osaka to get right back in the second set. After blowing that game, Serena smashed her racket in frustration, resulting in a second code violation from Ramos. Because her first code violation was a warning, Serena's second code violation by rule resulted in a one point penalty. Osaka started the next game with a 15-0 lead.

It was at this point that things started to really come off the rails. At the beginning of that game, Serena seemed befuddled by the one point penalty, thinking that her warning for coaching wasn't a code violation even though Ramos stated that it was. Serena once again approached Ramos, expressing frustration and confusion.

"This is unbelievable," Serena said to Ramos. "Every time I play here I have problems, why? Yeah, that's a warning (about the racket)...I didn't get coaching! I didn't get coaching! I didn't get coaching. You need to make an announcement that I didn't get coaching. I don't cheat. I didn't get coaching. How can you say that? You need to, you owe me an apology. You owe me an apology. I have NEVER cheated in my life! I have a daughter and I stand what's right for her and I've never cheated! And you owe me an apology! You will never do another one of my matches!"

The problem with Serena's argument is the fact that she did in fact get coaching. Mouratoglou admitted so after the match. Whether or not that coaching rule should be in place is another matter, but she did in fact get coaching and as a result, Ramos was within the rules to issue that warning. Further, with that warning already given, he had no choice but to give her a point penalty after issuing her a second code violation for smashing her racket. Serena wasn't going to win this argument. Ramos was operating completely within the rules and she should have just taken the one point penalty and moved on.

After that exchange, Osaka would go on to hold serve and then hit a blistering forehand down the line to go up 4-3. Osaka was going to serve with a 4-3 lead, possessing all of the momentum at that point. Serena was very upset that Osaka hit such a good shot, causing her to continue her heated discussion with Ramos.

"And I explained that to you," Serena said to Ramos during the changeover. "For you to attack my character? That's something is wrong. It's wrong. You're attacking my character...Yes you are. You owe me an apology. You will never ever ever be on another court of mine as long as you live. You are the liar."

At this point, Serena paused for a drink of water. It looked like for a moment that she might finally let this go and carry on with the match. Instead, she continued to address Ramos.

"When are you going to give me my apology?" Serena continued. "You owe me an apology. Say it. Say you're sorry...Well then you're, then don't talk to me. Don't talk to me."

Serena paused once again for a drink of water. It once again looked like maybe her rant was over and she would go back to the match. Instead, she continued her same dialogue: "How dare you insinuate that I was cheating."

Once again, Serena paused to eat some gels. It once again looked like she might finally let this go. But once again, she continued.

"You stole a point from me," Serena then said to Ramos. "You're a thief, too!"

After this final exchange, Ramos then announced that Serena had received a third code violation, which by rule results in a game penalty: "Code violation. Verbal abuse. Game penalty Mrs. Williams."

With the game penalty enforced, that meant Serena Williams would serve down 3-5. It was as if Osaka had automatically won her service game. Serena approached Ramos again, confused by what was going on.

"Are you kidding me?" Williams said in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Because I said you're a thief. Because you stole a point from me. But I'm not a cheater. Well why would you, I told you to apologize to me. This is out-excuse me I need a referee. I don't agree with that."

Serena Williams then pleaded her case to the tournament officials to no avail.

"This is not right," Serena said while holding back tears. "This is not right...I've never cheated. He said I was getting coached and I wasn't getting coached. That's not right. That is not right...You know my character and that's not right. That's not fair. This has happened to me too many times. This is not fair. This is not fair. But to give me a point, to lose a game for saying that is not fair. I mean it's really not."

"She called him a thief," the referee explained to another tournament official after talking to Ramos.

"You know how many other men, you know how many other men do things that are, I didn't do much worse than that," Serena continued. "This is not fair. There's a lot of men out here that have said a lot of things that because they are men, it doesn't happen to them...This is unbelievable. This is unbelievable... No, I don't know there is because if I say a simple thing like 'thief' because he stole a point from me, that does not make,  there are men out here who do a lot worse but because I'm a woman.

"Because I'm a woman you're going to take this away from me? That is not right. And you know it and I know you can't admit it, but I know you know it's not right. I know you can't change it, but I'm just saying that's not right. I get the rules. I get, I just, I get the rules. But I'm just saying it's not right. It happened to me at this tournament every single year that I play. It's just not fair. That's all I have to say. That's not fair."

Serving down 3-5, Serena would go on to hold serve, before complaining again to tournament officials. After more complaining from Serena, Osaka would hold right back, winning by a final score of 6-2, 6-4. Due to all the drama and controversy that ensued, Osaka clearly did not know how to react to her victory. The crowd rained down a chorus of boos and Osaka reacted as if the crowd was booing her.

In the championship ceremony, Serena tried to make things better, telling the crowd to not boo and let Osaka enjoy her moment, but the damage had already been done. Serena became completely unglued on the game's biggest stage, costing herself a grand slam title and Osaka of her championship moment.

The bottom line here is that Serena was completely in the wrong here. After smashing her racket and getting that point penalty, she should have just moved on and not let things spiral out of control like they did. Had she done that, she would have still had a chance to win this match. Instead, she chose to continue to berate Carlos Ramos, giving him little choice but to issue a third conduct violation.

One thing I want to quickly address with this whole mess are the claims that Carlos Ramos is sexist and that there is this double standard between men's tennis and women's tennis. In regards to Ramos being sexist, this claim falls flat both because Ramos has been equally harsh towards men and Serena has had similar fall outs with female umpires. Ramos is known to be one of the strictest chair umpires in the game and she should have known not to mess with him after getting docked that point penalty. Serena also had a similar meltdown at the 2009 US Open semifinals against Kim Clijsters, which also resulted in her losing the match. Her anger was directed at a female lines judge and a female chair umpire. She's been equally unruly towards women and has received the same treatment from them.

As for this double standard in which men can do far worse things, all I can say is I've never seen Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic behave like she did in a grand slam final. For Serena to throw the competitors on the ATP World Tour under the bus like that was really uncalled for. It was reverse sexism and she owes the men an apology for insinuating that they all have such bad behavior. I'm not saying the men are perfect or that they don't get upset. They do. But to say that they get a hall pass while women don't paints things far too simply.

Serena Williams let her emotions get the best of her and that is what really cost her the match. As an athlete you are always taught to never let your emotions get the best of you. Unfortunately, Serena did not heed this council. To read anything more into this than that is letting her off the hook. She's a 23-time grand slam champion who knows better. She should act like she's been on this big of a stage before instead of acting like it was her first time.

#4. Juan Martin Del Potro has found some life: Another story overshadowed by the Serena Williams-Carlos Ramos controversy is the incredible run that Juan Martin Del Potro had to reach the final. Even though he lost in straight sets to Novak Djokovic (3-6, 6-7, 3-6), Del Potro should feel really proud of all he accomplished over these two weeks.

There was a point when we all thought Del Potro's career might be over due to all the wrist surgeries that he had. Instead of giving up, Del Potro continued to grind and never get up. Hopefully he'll once again taste the sweet victory of a grand slam championship. I know the tennis world is rooting for him.

#5. Madison Keys is not there yet: Madison Keys made an impressive run to the semifinals before losing to Osaka in straight sets. I still believe in Keys, but she clearly has more work to do in order to get over the hump to win her first grand slam. I'm optimistic that it'll happen, but it's hard to know when. I'm tempted to pick her to win it all next year, but I'll have to reserve judgment to see how she does in the next three grand slams. Her time will come, but it could take longer than we all expected.

#6. Rafael Nadal needs to take some time off (from hard courts at least): Rafael Nadal had a phenomenal quarterfinal match victory over Dominic Thiem, but ran out of gas in the semifinals against Juan Martin Del Potro, ultimately needing to retire from the match. Nadal will contend at future grand slams, but he needs to make sure he gets his body back to full strength. It might not be a bad idea for him to skip the Australian Open and really gear up for the French Open. The hard courts really wear down Nadal, who plays a very physical, grind it out style. It might be a good idea for him to take a break from them for a little while.

#7. Can Anastasija Sevastova make more deep runs at grand slams? Nobody is talking about the run that Anastasija Sevastova made to the semifinals, so I'll quickly address it. Sevastova defeated #7 Elina Svitolina and #3 Sloane Stephens to reach the semifinals, two top ten players. At 28 years of age, this was Sevastova's deepest run at a grand slam by far. Her previous best result at a grand slam was reaching the 4th round at the Australian Open in 2011. Whether or not this run was an aberration or not remains to be seen, but even if it was, Sevastova has something to be really proud of. Personally, I don't see why it would be. We've seen a lot of players find their groove in their late 20s and early 30s. Who's to say Sevastova can't continue this trend?

#8. Kei Nishikori thrives at the US Open: Kei Nishikori lost in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic, making it the second best run he's ever had at a grand slam. His best run at a grand slam also came at the US Open back in 2014 when he lost in the final to Marin Cilic. Outside of it being a hard court slam, I don't know what it is about the US Open that Nishikori likes so much. Whatever it is, Nishikori has proven himself to be a legit contender at this event. If you're picking a dark horse to win the US Open next year, Nishikori might be your guy.

#9. Sloane Stephens did not have the run she would have wanted: After winning the whole thing last year, Sloane Stephens did not want to get ousted in the quarterfinals. She had big hopes to defend her title and fell short. The future is very bright for Stephens, but when she looks back at the draw she had at this tournament, she'll definitely remember it as a missed opportunity. Look for her to have a strong campaign in 2019. She's definitely not done winning slams.

#10. Is Roger Federer a serious threat at the US Open? Roger Federer has recently won titles at the Australian Open (2017 & 2018) and Wimbledon (2017), but he has not won a US Open title since 2008. Given the drought he's had at the US Open, it's hard to consider him a serious contender at this event. He's won the US Open five times, but those titles feel like ancient history. My theory is he gets worn down by this point of the season, but that doesn't seem to fully account for this drought. Maybe he's due for one in 2019, but right now, I don't see Federer winning another US Open. I still think he has more grand slams left in him, but as far as the US Open is concerned, something about this event is causing him to come up short.

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10 things to look for at the 2018 US Open

The 2018 US Open begins on Monday, which means it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to look for at the final grand slam of the year. If you want to check out the draw for both men's and women's singles as well as schedules and any other information pertaining to the US Open, click here.

#1. Can Novak Djokovic replicate his success at Wimbledon? After looking like he might be past the prime of his career, Novak Djokovic bounced back in England, winning his fourth Wimbledon title. Djokovic comes into the US Open as the #6 seed and hopes to build on his success at Wimbledon with a title at the US Open. While he is known for being a killer hard court player, Djokovic has only two US Open titles under his belt (2011 and 2015) in contrast with his six titles at the Australian Open. His relative lack of success in New York is reason to be cautious about picking him to go all the way, but given what we saw from him earlier in the summer, it would be foolish to rule him out.

#2. Will Angelique Kerber build on her success at Wimbledon? Angelique Kerber comes into the US Open as the #4 seed after winning the ladies' singles title at Wimbledon. She has won the US Open before in 2016, so she knows what it takes to win in New York. On top of that she has won two grand slams in the same season before, taking the Australian Open title in 2016. If you're making a list of serious contenders on the women's side, Kerber absolutely makes the list. The only reason to be a little skeptical of her chances is the simple fact that she's never won back-to-back grand slam titles before. It's hard for anyone to do. Especially if they are trying to do it for the first time.

#3. Can Rafael Nadal defend his crown? Rafael Nadal comes into the US Open as the #1 ranked player in the world and on top of that, he's the defending champion. There's a lot of pressure on him to deliver the goods. While it would be easy to pick Nadal to go all the way, the only reason to doubt him is the fact that he's never won the same grand slam back-to-back years aside from the French Open, which he has utterly dominated. Those facts aside, I actually like Nadal's chances to repeat at the US Open. He's the top seed, is comfortable on the hard courts, and is playing some sensational tennis right now. If I had to put my money on any player in the men's draw to win this event, it would be him.

#4. Can Sloane Stephens defend her crown? Sloane Stephens comes in as the defending champion on the women's side and she's also ranked #3 in the world. She's playing the best tennis of her career and looks to cap off her summer with a second title at the US Open. Unlike last year, there's more pressure on Stephens as she is now viewed as a player who has arrived as opposed to being on the way up. It'll be interesting to see how Stephens handles the pressure at this event, especially in the early rounds.

#5. How dangerous is Roger Federer? Roger Federer comes in as the #2 seed right behind his lifelong rival Rafael Nadal. On top of that, he's found some success as of late, winning the Australian Open in 2017 and 2018 along with Wimbledon in 2017. Federer is still capable of winning grand slams. However, he hasn't won the US Open since 2008, which indicates he tends to wear down once we get to the final grand slam of the year. Given all of this data, I could see this going either way for Mr. Federer. I do expect him to be playing into the second week and making a real run. Will it be enough for him to bring home the title? That's the million-dollar question.

#6. How dangerous is Serena Williams? Serena Williams comes in as the #17 seed despite being ranked outside of the top 100 due to her absence. Let me first say I think it's actually smart to give her a seeding regardless of what her ranking is. By seeding her, you prevent some seeded player from having to face her in the earlier rounds, which is really unfair if you actually think about it. In regards to her chances of going all the way, I think she's got good odds of doing so despite early exits at the Silicon Valley Open and Cincinnati Masters earlier this summer. The key will be for her to get past the first couple of rounds, where she'll be most vulnerable. If she can avoid an early round hiccup, I actually like her odds of going deep in this tournament. The experience is there and I think she's eager to prove that she can still compete at an elite level.

#7. Should we expect anything from Andy Murray? Andy Murray comes into the US Open as unseeded (#378 in the world) and rusty due to his prolonged absence as he recovered from hip surgery. While I do think Serena Williams has a chance to make a deep run, I really don't see Murray doing much damage. He has championship experience, but his last grand slam title was at Wimbledon in 2016 and his lone US Open title came in 2012. If he's still hanging around in the second week, that will be a huge achievement for him.

#8. Will the US Open be Simona Halep's second grand slam title? Simona Halep comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world and she finally has a grand slam title under her belt, winning the French Open earlier this year. I personally think Halep will win multiple slams before her career is over and I don't see why the US Open can't be her next. She's shown she can play on the hard court, reaching the Australian Open finals earlier this year and I think for the first time in her career, she really believes she can win any grand slam she enters. She's my pick to win it all.

#9. Can Madison Keys finish the job? Madison Keys had a heartbreaking ending to the US Open last year, choking against Sloane Stephens in the final. That said, she comes into the US Open this year as a dark horse to win it all and certainly has some experience under her belt, something she didn't have as much of last year. I do think Madison Keys will win a grand slam and I expect the US Open to be where she breaks through since the conditions really mesh with her hard-hitting style of play. It'll be interesting to see how far she goes and if she can shake the demons that came from her collapse in last year's final.

#10. Will someone other than the usual suspects make a serious move? If you're a betting man, odds say the men's champion will be one of the "Big Four" (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, or Murray). Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic certainly look like the guys to beat, while Murray as mentioned previously looks like a long shot. The rest of the ATP World Tour has struggled to give these guys a serious run at grand slams, falling short far more often than not. If I had to pick one guy to maybe crash the party, it would be Juan Martin Del Potro. He comes in as the #3 overall seed and has won the US Open before, back in 2009. Even though that was a long time ago, he still knows what it takes to win this event. If he isn't the one lifting the trophy at the end, odds are good it'll be Nadal, Federer, or Djokovic. I really don't see anyone else making a serious push.

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10 things to look for at 2018 Wimbledon

Wimbledon is upon us, which means it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to look for at the lone grass grand slam. There were a few upsets on the first day such as Tatjana Maria upsetting #5 Elina Svitolina, Stan Wawrinka over #6 Grigor Dimitrov, and Donna Vekic over #4 Sloane Stephens, so I won't be addressing any of those players who went down.

#1. Will skipping the clay season pay off for Roger Federer? Roger Federer skipped the clay court season to get himself ready for Wimbledon and so far that's looking like a smart decision as he comes in ranked #2 in the world and seeded #1. If Federer goes on to win this tournament for the second consecutive year, skipping the clay season will really look like a smart decision. As a quick side note, Federer is no longer wearing Nike gear. In his first round victory over Dusan Lajovic, Fed was rocking Uniqlo gear instead. It'll be interesting to see if that move pays off for him as well.

#2. Can Simona Halep win back-to-back slams? Simona Halep is coming off of her first grand slam title at Roland Garros and is now attempting to follow that up with a title at Wimbledon. Winning on the clay and then on the grass is no easy feat given the contrast in surfaces as well as the quick turnaround. I could see Halep flame out early or make another deep run. It'll be interesting to see which one it is.

#3. Can Rafael Nadal still contend at Wimbledon? While he continues to have a stronghold over Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal has not won a Wimbledon title since 2010. Grass is clearly not his best surface, but his two career Wimbledon titles do suggest he knows what it takes to win on it. The big question right now is whether or not he still has what it takes to win another Wimbledon. I personally believe he does, but he's going to have his work cut out for him with Federer playing so well.

#4. Is Venus Williams still a contender? Despite not having won Wimbledon since 2008, Venus Williams has five Wimbledon titles and comes in as the #9 seed. If there's any dark horse to pick to win on the women's side, it's Venus. It's just a matter of her recapturing the magic one more time.

#5. Don't sleep on Novak Djokovic: Novak Djokovic comes in as the #12 seed after reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. He's won Wimbledon three times and still has plenty of time to win more slams. While Venus Williams is the dark horse on the women's side, Djokovic is undoubtedly the dark horse on the men's side.

#6. Can Serena Williams make a run? Serena Williams lost in the 4th round at Roland Garros despite coming off of her pregnancy and being unseeded. At Wimbledon she's seeded #25 and is playing on a surface she is much more comfortable on. I don't expect Serena Williams to win the whole thing, but it wouldn't shock me in the least to see her playing into the second week.

#7. Don't sleep on Marin Cilic: Marin Cilic comes in as the #3 seed and is looking to reach the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive season. Cilic really should get talked about a lot more than he does. He's a big guy whose game is well suited for the grass. I expect him to reach the semifinals and be a legit threat to win the gentlemen's singles title. He's got all the tools to do so.

#8. Can Garbiñe Muguruza defend her Wimbledon crown? Garbiñe Muguruza comes in as the #3 seed and is hoping to defend her crown. So far Muguruza has two grand slam titles under her belt (2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon), so she's no joke. The big question with her is can she repeat at any of the grand slams that she's already won. 2018 Wimbledon will be a chance to prove that she can.

#9. Can Kyle Edmund carry the torch for Great Britain? With Andy Murray deciding to pull out of Wimbledon, #21 seeded Kyle Edmund has the responsibility to carry Great Britain on his back. While I don't think he's got much of a chance to win it all, Edmund does have the potential to make things interesting and possibly reach the 4th round. If he does, the British fans will be delighted as he's pretty much all they got right now on the gentlemen's side.

#10. Can Petra Kvitova win it all again? Petra Kvitova is a two-time Wimbledon champion who comes in as the #8 seed in the tournament. The big question with her is whether or not she's still got it. She hasn't won Wimbledon since 2014, which is a long time ago in tennis years. Kvitova certainly should be treated as a dark horse to win it all, but I can't give her any higher status than that. She's going to have to prove to us one more time that she can make a deep run before we once again consider her to be a serious contender.

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10 things to take away from the 2018 French Open

                                         (Getty Images) 

Before I dive into my Wimbledon preview, I want to quickly look back on the two weeks that were at Roland Garros earlier in the month. Rafael Nadal won his 11th French Open title and 17th grand slam title overall while Simona Halep won her first grand slam title.

#1. Rafael Nadal is arguably the GOAT: While it is probably wise to shelve GOAT (Greatest Of All-Time) discussions until careers are over, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun while two of the games' greatest players are still playing. Roger Federer gets the nod from many for the title of GOAT due to having 20 grand slam titles, but Rafael Nadal is making a compelling case for himself racking up French Open titles and staying right atop the world rankings. I know some like to hold it against Nadal for winning the vast bulk of his slams at one event, but the name of the game is to win slams, is it not? So long as Nadal continues to win in Paris, we might someday be looking back on him as the greatest ever.

#2. Simona Halep is the real deal: Simona Halep backed up her world number one ranking by winning her first grand slam title at Roland Garros. After knocking on the door for quite a while, she finally broke through and what's scary is that she probably isn't done winning grand slams. Look for to win a few more before it's all said and done.

#3. Dominic Thiem backed up his status as the #2 player in the world on clay: In my French Open preview, I picked Dominic Thiem to reach the final, citing him as the #2 player in the world on clay behind Rafael Nadal. Thiem proved me and many others to be right by reaching the final, where he lost in straight sets to the King of Clay. If there's anyone who we can peg as the next player to win a few slams in Paris, Dominic Thiem would be the guy. The big question is whether or not he'll miss his window due to Nadal's continued dominance.

#4. Sloane Stephens is no joke on the dirt: Sloane Stephens had an impressive run all the way to the final before falling to Simona Halep. While many Americans struggle on clay, Sloane Stephens appears to be quite comfortable on it. She's reached the 4th round a few times and now has a trip to the final under her belt. Do not be surprised to see her win in Paris in the next few years.

#5. Marco Cecchinato has arrived: Going into Roland Garros, few knew who Marco Cecchinato was as a 25 year old player ranked #72 in the world. After the event, he's made quite a name for himself, reaching the semifinals before losing to Dominic Thiem. It's too early to say whether or not the Italian can sustain this type of success, but given the type of season he's had overall, there's little reason to doubt his ability to get back to this point again in the future. He won his first career title in Budapest earlier this year and appears to be picking up some steam. He's definitely a guy to keep an eye on in the future.

#6. Maria Sharapova is still dangerous: Maria Sharapova benefited from Serena Williams' withdrawal in the 4th round, advancing to the quarterfinals as a result. Even with this fortunate break in mind, Sharapova still has to be applauded for the way she played at Roland Garros. She's won the event twice and showed that she's still a threat despite her suspension and layoff. I never thought the day would come when we'd say clay is Maria Sharapova's best surface, but it's safe to say that at this point, that's the surface she is most deadly on.

#7. Novak Djokovic should feel cautiously optimistic: Novak Djokovic's weakest grand slam has been Roland Garros, so he has to take some confidence knowing he reached the quarterfinals. While it remains unclear whether or not we'll see Novak Djokovic ever return to form, his performance at Roland Garros has to give him some confidence to make some noise at future grand slams.

#8. Serena Williams isn't going anywhere: Coming off childbirth, Serena Williams was unseeded and still found a way to reach the 4th round before having to withdraw due to injury (overuse). Once she gets back into game shape, she should be a threat at future grand slams to come. In a way, seeing her go as far as she did given her circumstances just shows us how good she really is.

#9. Alexander Zverev needs to get it together in the slams: Alexander Zverev is the latest highly ranked player who struggles in slams. Once one guy breaks through, there's always someone else to carry this unfortunate torch and right now it's Zverev carrying it in the men's game. Despite being seeded #2 and ranked #3 in the world, Zverev lost in the quarterfinals and once again flamed out much earlier than expected. The good news for him is that progress is being made as he had previously never reached the quarterfinals at a grand slam before. Still, when you are ranked as high as he is, you need to be going deeper in slams. Hopefully for him, he'll be able to make an even deeper run at Wimbledon.

#10. Madison Keys is still knocking on the door: Madison Keys lost in the semifinals to her close friend Sloane Stephens and is still trying to crack the code to win her first grand slam. The good news for her is she keeps knocking at the door. It just hasn't opened yet. Once it does, expect her to win several. She's the real deal.

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10 things to look for at the 2018 French Open

With the French Open starting on Sunday, it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to look for in the lone clay grand slam. Enjoy!

#1. Can Novak Djokovic make any noise? Novak Djokovic isn't having the type of season he was hoping to have. He's been battling injuries and comes into Roland Garros as the #20 seed as a result. While he's won 12 grand slam titles, he's only won the French Open once in 2016. It's hard to see him getting past the 4th round, but if he's able to make a run to the quarterfinals or beyond, that will be a really encouraging sign of things to come for the former world number one.

#2. Can Jelena Ostapenko defend her crown? Last year, Jelena Ostapenko shocked the tennis world by winning the French Open at just 20 years of age. She comes in as the #5 seed and has a pretty good draw, so she should be able to make a run. The major difference between last year and this year is that this time she has the expectations to make a deep run and possibly defend her crown. It'll be interesting to see how she handles the additional pressure that comes with being the defending champion.

#3. Will anyone seriously challenge Rafael Nadal? Rafael Nadal comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world and is in peak form, having won his 8th Italian Open just a couple weeks ago. Nadal has won the French Open 10 times and comes in as the defending champion once again. Given that he's so heavily favored, it'll be interesting to see if anyone gives him a serious scare. Especially with Roger Federer and Andy Murray both out.

#4. How dangerous is Serena Williams? Despite not being seeded, Serena Williams is still a dark horse to win the whole thing. She's won the French Open three times and knows how to win on the dirt. My feeling on Serena is the longer she stays in the tournament, the more dangerous she becomes. If she's going to go out, she's much more likely to go out early, within the first three rounds. If she's still alive in the 4th round, it'll be really tough to pick against her given her pedigree. For those who've lost count, this would be Serena's 24th grand slam title if she were to win.

#5. Should we take Alexander Zverev seriously? On the surface, this seems like a stupid question. Alexander Zverev is the #2 seed in the tournament and ranked #3 in the world. Of course we should take him seriously, right? What prevents this from being an obvious question is Zverev's lack of grand slam success. The furthest he's gone at grand slam is the 4th round (Wimbledon 2017). Until we see him competing in the second week of a grand slam, it will be hard to have much faith in him making a serious run. He really needs to back up his ranking during this event. Especially given the absences of Federer and Murray.

#6. Can Simona Halep breakthrough? Simona Halep comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world and is eagerly seeking her first grand slam title. She's been to three grand slam finals, two of which have been at Roland Garros (2014 & 2017). Given her historical success at Roland Garros, there's no reason to doubt her chances of winning it all this year. If she's going to breakthrough to win her first grand slam, Roland Garros seems like the most likely place she'll do it. While she'll have to beat a lot of good players, she's my favorite to win it all.

#7. Is Dominic Thiem the biggest threat to Rafael Nadal? If one were to identify the biggest threat to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, it would probably be Dominic Thiem. He's the #7 seed and has made back-to-back runs to the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2016 and 2017. He's done far better at Roland Garros than any other grand slam and seems to be building momentum towards a finals run. While Nadal is the guy to beat overall, Thiem is definitely the guy to beat on his half of the draw.

#8. Does Maria Sharapova have a deep run in her? Maria Sharapova comes in as the #28 seed and has won the French Open twice (2012 and 2014). She's shown that she can win on the dirt. While her seed indicates that she's a long shot, she did make a run to the semifinals at the Italian Open a couple of weeks ago. That's definitely something that should give her confidence going into this event.

#9. Grigor Dimitrov needs to back up his ranking. Despite being the #4 seed and ranked #5 in the world, there's still a ton of questions surrounding Grigor Dimitrov's abilities to make a deep run at a grand slam. He's reached the semifinals a couple of times, but that's been at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He's never gotten past the 3rd round at Roland Garros and really needs to do a better job of performing in this event. If he doesn't at least reach the quarterfinals, I'll be really disappointed in him.

#10. Don't forget about Garbiñe Muguruza. Garbiñe Muguruza comes in as the #3 seed and also as a two-time grand slam champion, winning at Roland Garros in 2016 and at Wimbledon in 2017. Muguruza knows how to win grand slams and with a vulnerable women's field, you could argue a really good case that she should be favored to win it all. If there's anyone who Simona Halep should be worried about getting in her way, it's definitely Muguruza. She has both the ranking and pedigree to back it up.

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10 things to take away from the 2018 Australian Open

The Australian Open concluded a month ago, so I’m long overdue for my recap of the first grand slam of the year. Roger Federer won the men’s singles title, the 20^th of his career while Caroline Wozniacki won the women’s single title, the first of her career. Below is my list of 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were down under.

#1. Roger Federer continues to solidify himself as the GOAT: With 20 grand slam titles now under Roger Federer’s belt, there’s little question of as to who the greatest tennis player of all-time is. Federer’s longevity and ability to continue to win grand slams is utterly remarkable. Federer played really well over the course of these two weeks and looks like a guy who could play until he’s 40.

#2. Caroline Wozniacki has entered another stratosphere: Before the 2018 Australian Open, Caroline Wozniacki was arguably the greatest female tennis player to never win a grand slam. After defeating Simona Halep in an emotional three set final, Wozniacki was able to take that monkey off of her back and instead be remembered as one who won a grand slam title. Wozniacki played great during the entire two weeks and stepped up in the clutch, something that she hasn’t been able to do at past grand slams. Regardless of whether or not she wins another grand slam, Wozniacki has this one under her belt, which redefines her legacy.

#3. Hyeon Chung has arrived: You probably didn’t know who Hyeon Chung was before the Australian Open, but you should know who he is after. Chung defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-6 in the 4^th round and advanced all the way to the semifinals before retiring against Roger Federer. Chung came in ranked outside the top-50 and left ranked inside the top-30. Chung had the run of his life and looks to build on the success he had in Australia.

#4. Simona Halep’s time is coming: Simona Halep lost to Caroline Wozniacki in the final 6-7, 6-3, 4-6, so this was truly a heartbreaking loss for her. However, she played much better than she has in previous grand slam finals and convinced me that her time is coming. I don’t know when exactly, but I’m convinced that Halep will win at least one grand slam title and probably more.

#5. Novak Djokovic is in some trouble: After he went down in the 4^th round, it was revealed that Novak Djokovic’s elbow was still bothering him and that he needed to undergo a minor operation. I don’t want to say this is the beginning of the end of Nole’s career, but the optics are definitely not good. If Nole wants to be a contender at future grand slams, he has his work cut out for him. That’s for sure. 

#6. Madison Keys is not there yet: I thought Madison Keys might win the Australian Open, but she didn’t come all that close to doing so, getting drubbed by Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals. I still expect Keys to win a grand slam down the line, but it looks like she’s going to have to take a few more lumps before doing so.

#7. Marin Cilic is still a contender: Despite his lone grand slam title coming at the 2014 US Open, Marin Cilic showed he could still contend for grand slam titles, taking Roger Federer to a fifth set in the final. With Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic both hampered by injury and not at full strength, there’s an opportunity for Cilic to continue to make a run at future grand slams. It’ll be interesting to see if he does.

#8. Maria Sharapova has a ways to go: Maria Sharapova fell to Angelique Kerber in the 3^rd round, which was perhaps better than some expected, but still not where she wanted to end up. The good news for Sharapova is she’s back and capable of winning matches at grand slams. That’s definitely progress, but she still has a ways to go to get back to the level that she wants to be at. What happens at Roland Garros will be interesting since she’s had a lot of success over there in recent years.

#9. Grigor Dimitrov continues to disappoint: Despite coming in as the 3^rd seed, Grigor Dimitrov fell to Kyle Edmund in the quarterfinals. Dimitrov was expected by many to win a few grand slams in his career, but he continues to fall short of his own lofty expectations. He still has time to turn the corner but so far isn’t blossoming into the player that everyone expected him to be. Considering the draw that he had, he should have reached the semifinals with little difficulty.

#10. The American women were a bust: Madison Keys was actually the top performing American woman in this event. However, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens both lost in the first round and everyone else lost somewhere before the 4^th round. The American women were hoping to make a lot more noise down under and they failed to make much of a splash. The American men were also pretty quiet, though Tennys Sandgren reaching the quarterfinals was nice to see.

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10 things to look for at the 2018 Australian Open

The Australian Open begins on Monday and it is time for me to provide my list of 10 things to look for in the first grand slam of the 2018 season. Enjoy!

#1. Can Novak Djokovic make a deep run? Over the years, the Australian Open has been Novak Djokovic's favorite grand slam, so it stands to reason that he's a serious contender once again. However, he's been hampered with an elbow injury and comes in as the #14 seed. I think Djokovic is your dark horse to win this event, but I definitely wouldn't call him the favorite either. I think this is a case where he either goes really far or he flames out early. If he finds himself in the quarterfinals, I think he should be considered a real threat to go all the way. Whether or not he can survive the early rounds and get into a groove is the big question.

#2. Can Simona Halep back up her #1 ranking? Simona Halep comes into this event in a rather unique situation. She's the #1 ranked player in the world but has never won a grand slam. How a player can be a #1 ranked player without a grand slam title is beyond me and a discussion for another time, but it is suffice to say that so long as she remains without a grand slam title, her #1 ranking will seem hollow. What hurts Halep is that the Australian Open has been her least successful grand slam. The furthest she's gone in this event is the quarterfinals (2014 and 2015). If she's able to break through and win her first grand slam at this event, that would be really impressive and could be the sign of a breakthrough 2018 season.

#3. Can Stan Wawrinka recapture the grand slam magic? Stan Wawrinka hasn't won a grand slam since the 2016 US Open and his lone Australian Open title came in 2014. That's four years ago. As an added reason for skepticism, Wawrinka was questionable to play in this event due to having knee surgery in August. That all said, he has won this event before and knows what it takes to win a grand slam. Don't sleep on Wawrinka. I know I called Djokovic my dark horse, but I really wouldn't be surprised to see Wawrinka playing in the final of this event.

#4. If Simona Halep doesn't breakthrough, could it be Caroline Wozniacki? Caroline Wozniacki is in a similar situation as Simona Halep. She's the #2 ranked player in the world and is yet to win a grand slam. She knows what Halep is going through as she's previously been ranked #1. I'm not holding my breath for either player to win it all down under, but given that this is a light field with no Serena Williams or Victoria Azarenka, it is conceivable that Halep and Wozniacki meet in the final. It would be absolutely fascinating to see what happens if that were to actually happen.

#5. Can Dominic Thiem back up his #5 ranking? Dominic Thiem is the #5 ranked player in the world but has only gotten past the 4th round at one grand slam (French Open semifinals twice). Judging by his ranking, one would expect Thiem to make the quarterfinals or possibly semifinals, but history tells us it's no slam dunk he gets that far. If Thiem flames out early, a lot of people will rightly question the validity of his lofty ranking.

#6. Should Garbiñe Muguruza be favored? While she's #3 in the world rankings, Garbiñe Muguruza has two grand slam titles under her belt, which is good reason to consider her the favorite at this year's Australian Open. The only reason I hesitate to dub her the favorite is her lack of success at hard court grand slams. Both of her grand slam titles came at the French Open (2016) and Wimbledon (2017) and the furthest she's gone at a hard court grand slam is the quarterfinals at the 2017 Australian Open. I like her chances to win because of who's ranked higher than her, but calling her the favorite feels like a bit of a stretch.

#7. Can Rafael Nadal win his second Australian Open title? When you look back at Rafael Nadal's career, it's incredible that he's won the Australian Open only once and that was back in 2009. Nadal comes into this event as the #1 ranked player in the world and favored to meet #2 Roger Federer in the final. Considering that he lost to Federer in five sets last year in the final, I think Nadal has an excellent chance to win this event. Health is obviously a big factor as Nadal has been dealing with a knee injury. He insists his knee is fine, but that'll still be something to monitor over the course of the event.

#8. How dangerous is Maria Sharapova? Maria Sharapova is barley ranked inside the top 50, but when you consider the lack of Australian Open success among the top three players, it's really not all that crazy to think she might win this. While she hasn't won the event since 2008, she's at least won it before and is really playing with house money considering that her ranking is down. Considering the low expectations and the fact that she's still capable of playing at a top-ten level, you have to consider Maria Sharapova your dark horse to win it all.

#9. Can Roger Federer repeat? Roger Federer comes into this event as the defending champion and the #2 ranked player in the world. Considering that he's still on top of his game and appears capable of playing for several more years, I have to dub Federer the favorite. He's got a pretty favorable draw and seems to be pretty confident about his chances. The only player to keep an eye on in his half of the draw is #12 Juan Martin Del Potro, who knows how to play on the hard courts and is eager to make some noise at a grand slam.

#10. Will an American win the women's title?  #5 Venus Williams, #13 Sloane Stephens, and  #17 Madison Keys are the highest ranked Americans in this event. Saying I think one of these three will win it all wouldn't be much of a prediction, but if you are an American rooting for Team USA, you have to like the Americans' chances in this one. All three excel on the hard courts and are playing at an elite level. If I had to make a prediction on who wins it all, I would have to roll with Sloane Stephens. She won the 2017 US Open and appears to be poised for more grand slam titles in the future.

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