10 things to look for at the 2022 US Open

 

The 2022 US Open begins on Monday, August 29th, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Click here for the men's singles draw. Click here for the women's singles draw. 

#1. Will Daniil Medvedev be refreshed? With Novak Djokovic out due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, Daniil Medvedev is the top seed on the men's side. Due to Wimbledon not allowing Russian athletes to compete this year, Medvedev did not play in Wimbledon, giving him a little time off and chance to rest. It'll be interesting to see if he'll feel a bit more refreshed and if that will propel him to a second straight US Open title. 

#2. How long can Serena and Venus Williams ride the wave? Serena Williams will be playing in her final US Open and while Venus Williams hasn't announced her plans, this will be their last grand slam together. Both players are not seeded, but we've seen them make deep runs before without being seeded. It'll be interesting to see how far they can go and how much they can ride the wave of fan support. There will be an extra buzz whenever they're playing. That's for sure. 

#3. Can Nick Kyrgios make a deep run? Nick Kyrgios is coming off a run to the Wimbledon final, which is the first grand slam final he's ever reached. The furthest Kyrgios has gone at the US Open is the 3rd round, but maybe this year will be different. I think odds are good he gets to the 4th round and sets a career best at the Open, but beyond that, I think it's honestly tough to say. 

#4. Can Iga Świątek mąkę a deep run? Iga Świątek comes in as the number one seed on the women's side and the top player in the world. While the grass of Wimbledon hasn't been her friend, she has found some success on the hard courts, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year. When talking about contenders to win the US Open, one has to give Świątek pretty good odds. She reached the 4th round last year, so that's reason to think she'll at least make it that far if not go deeper. 

#5. Can Rafael Nadal defend his 2019 title? Rafael Nadal won the 2019 US Open and did not compete in 2020 or 2021. So in a way, he's kind of defending his crown even though it's from a couple years back. Nadal won the Australian Open earlier this year and his last three US Opens including his 2019 title have been two titles and a run to the semifinals (2018). Nadal should be feeling confident. Especially with Djokovic not in the tournament. 

#6. Can Naomi Osaka keep her US Open pattern going? Naomi Osaka won the US Open in 2018 and 2020. She won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. If that pattern holds, she'll win the US Open again this year in 2022. Osaka has her work cut out for her if she is to do that. She's not seeded and she's been in and out of grand slams due to her mental health. If she were to win the US Open this year, this would be her most impressive grand slam title for sure. 

#7. Will Novak Djokovic's absence loom large? Novak Djokovic's decision to not get vaccinated means he won't compete in this year's US Open, costing him a chance to tie Rafael Nadal's all-time mark of 22 grand slam titles. I think regardless of what happens, his absence is going to loom large. If Nadal wins, that will have huge implications on the all-time grand slam titles race and if Nadal doesn't win, then it'll look like Djokovic had a golden opportunity to tie him and blew it. Djokovic is at peace with his decision and that's the main thing. It's his life. But man, it is crazy that COVID-19 has had this kind of impact on which player will win the most grand slams! 

#8. Will the American women make noise? The US Open has often seen Americans do well and as of late, a lot more on the women's side. Outside of the Williams sisters, there's a lot of American women in the field who could make noise: Danielle Collins, CoCo Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and others. Of that group, Pegula (8) and Gauff (12) are seeded the highest, so they have the highest odds of making a deep run but anyone on that list is capable of going deep. It'll be fun to see who of that group will do the best. 

#9. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas have a strong US Open? Stefanos Tsitsipas comes in as the number four seed and yet he's never gone past the 3rd round at the US Open. He's reached the semifinals of the Australian Open three times, but the US Open has been harder for him. Perhaps this is the year he'll make a deep run. 

#10. Can Emma Raducanu defend her US Open title? I started with the defending men's champion and I'm closing with the defending women's champion. Emma Raducanu shocked the tennis world last year when she won the US Open and this year she's looking to defend her title. She's the 11th seed and has a pretty good draw, but has to now deal with the pressures that come with being a defending champion. It's likely she'll either flame out early and succumb to the pressure in the first couple of rounds or she'll make a deep run to the at least the quarterfinals. How she does this year will be really interesting to see. 

Predictions: I'm going to say Rafael Nadal wins the men's singles title, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. I think Nadal is hungry to extend his all-time lead and sees an opportunity with Djokovic out. On the women's side, I'm going to say Maria Sakkari wins the singles title, defeating Iga Świątek in the final. She's the number three seed and has been knocking on the door, reaching the semifinals last year. This could be the year she breaks through to win her first grand slam. 

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10 things to take away from 2022 Wimbledon

 

                                             (Credit: AELTC/Thomas Lovelock) 

Before I write my preview of the upcoming US Open, I wanted to quickly write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Without further delay, let's get into it! 

#1. Novak Djokovic is one Wimbledon title away from tying Roger Federer's record: Novak Djokovic now has seven Wimbledon titles, one shy of Roger Federer's record of eight. Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 in the final. In addition to it being his seventh Wimbledon, it was Djokovic's 21st grand slam title making him one shy of Rafael Nadal's all-time mark of 22. 

While he is known most for being a hard court player, where he has won most of his grand slams, Djokovic has become close to equally dominating on the grass. It's truly remarkable what he's doing right now. 

#2. Elena Rybakina is a grand slam champion: Elena Rybakina won her first grand slam title, defeating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the final. This is one that came out of nowhere as the furthest Rybakina had gone in a grand slam before was to the quarterfinals at the 2021 French Open. I don't know if we'll see her win a grand slam again, but regardless, she'll forever be a Wimbledon champion. Hats off to her. 

#3. Nick Kyrgios was in peak form: Nick Kyrgios did the most Nick Kyrgios thing ever: He reached his first career grand slam final amid facing charges for assaulting his ex-girlfriend in Australia. Even when he has the best tournament of his career, he still is embroiled in controversy! The court case shouldn't overshadow the amazing two weeks he had in London. Reaching a grand slam final is a big deal and maybe this will be a sign of things to come for the Aussie. 

#4. Ons Jabeur made history: While she came up a bit short in the end, Ons Jabeur still made history by becoming the first Arab woman to reach a grand slam final. Per her Wikipedia page, she is also the highest ranked Arab and African player in ATP & WTA history. At 28 years of age, it's no guarantee she'll ever win a grand slam. But even if she doesn't, what she's accomplished is remarkable. She'll forever hold a special and unique place in tennis history. 

#5. Grass just isn't for Rafael Nadal: Rafael Nadal's days of winning grand slams is not over, but I think it's pretty safe to say he's done winning Wimbledon titles. He's won two in his career (2008 & 2010) and he can say he's won each grand slam at least two times, so he doesn't need to prove himself at Wimbledon anymore. He's done it. But, for whatever reason, he just keeps coming up short. This year, he lost in the semis via walkover against Nick Kyrgios. No matter what the reason is, since that 2010 title I should say, he keeps falling short. 

Now, if there's one reason to have some hope that he might win Wimbledon again, it's the fact that he has been knocking on the door, reaching the semifinals in the last three Wimbledons he has played in. So perhaps he'll prove me wrong, but until/unless he does, my skepticism will be warranted. 

#6. Serena Williams is at the end of the road: The US Open will be Serena Williams' final grand slam after she lost in the first round at Wimbledon. She's had a phenomenal career and is without a doubt the greatest female player of all-time. But at some point, father time catches up with even the very best and it has caught up with her now. 

#7. Cameron Norrie made Great Britain proud: Cameron Norrie fell to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in four sets, but while he came up short, he still made Great Britain proud. He's a British citizen, born to British parents in South Africa. So I guess you could say he made both countries proud. At 27 years of age, it'll be interesting to see if Norrie enters a new stage of his career and starts to make deeper runs at grand slams with some frequency or if this was just a flash in the pan. 

#8. CoCo Gauff needs to take this up a notch at Wimbledon: CoCo Gauff first burst onto the scene four years ago when she reached the 4th round of Wimbledon at just 14 years of age. Four years later, she has not gone any further at Wimbledon, losing in the 3rd round this year. Ironically, clay has become her best surface as she reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year and the final this year. But for whatever reason, she hasn't been able to go deeper at Wimbledon than she did when she was 14. Grass is a surface she needs to figure out. 

#9. Casper Ruud needs to figure out Wimbledon: Despite being a top ten player, Casper Ruud has never gotten past the second round at Wimbledon. If CoCo Gauff has things to figure out, this guy has to do some real soul searching on the grass. A run to the final at Roland Garros this year was fantastic, but clay and grass are very different surfaces. He flamed out in the second round this year, but that was his best career result. Baby steps, I guess. 

#10. Iga Świątek needs to figure out Wimbledon as well: One more player who needs to figure out Wimbledon is world number one Iga Świątek. She's got the two Roland Garros titles, so she's doing just fine for herself, but right now she's looking more like a clay specialist than a legit all-around player. Showing you can compete on both the dirt and the grass is one of the first tests to show you can excel on multiple surfaces. 

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10 things to look for at 2022 Wimbledon

The 2022 Championships at Wimbledon are getting underway today, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. To check out all of the draws, click here. To check out my recent French Open recap, click here. 

#1. Can Novak Djokovic get back in the winner's circle? Novak Djokovic has had a rough go lately. He didn't get vaccinated against COVID and as a result missed the Australian Open. He later got bounced in the quarterfinals against Rafael Nadal in the French Open. If there's a Grand Slam for him to bounce back at, it's Wimbledon. He's won the event six times and really should be the odds on favorite to win it all. How Djokovic does will be really interesting to see given the rough ride he's been on. 

#2. Can Iga Świątek make a deep run? Iga Świątek has won two French Open titles after winning it all in Paris this year. She's the best in the world on clay in the women's game. Now it's a matter of winning Grand Slams outside of the French Open. She's ranked number one in the world and has an opportunity to show she truly is the best in the world and not just the best on clay. The furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is the 4th round last year, so she's certainly got a lot to prove. 

#3. Can Rafael Nadal win another Wimbledon? If Rafael Nadal finds a way to win Wimbledon this year, the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) discussion will get even more interesting than it already is. It would be Nadal's third Wimbledon title and his first since 2010. It would also be his 23rd Grand Slam title, extending his all-time record. And in case you think it's a long put for Nadal, when he won the Australian Open this year, it was his first Australian Open title since 2009. Maybe this is going to be the year of Nadal ending really long droughts. 

#4. Can Anett Kontaveit back up her ranking? Anett Kontaveit comes in as the number two ranked player in the world and yet she has never been to the semifinal of a major. At Wimbledon, she's never gotten past the 3rd round. This is a big Wimbledon for her. A chance to show she is as good as her ranking says she is. How she does under the pressure will be fun to watch. 

#5. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas make some noise? Stefanos Tsitsipas is seeded 4th at Wimbledon and yet has never gotten past the 4th round. He's reached the semifinals three times at the Australian Open and the 2021 French Open final, so he's gone deep at majors. He just hasn't yet done so at Wimbledon. If he can find a way to step up his game on the grass, look out. 

#6. Can Ons Jabeur back up her ranking? Ons Jabeur is seeded third at this year's championships even though she's never reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam. She did reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2020. Like Kontaveit, Jabeur is another player who has a lofty ranking, but hasn't done enough in the majors to justify her ranking. It'll also be interesting to see how she performs and how well she backs up her ranking. 

#7. Can Andy Murray find lightning in a bottle? Andy Murray reached the 3rd round of Wimbledon last year and will once again have the British crowd behind him. If the draw opens up for him a bit, he could make things interesting. Watching Murray even go as far as the 4th round would be a ton of fun. 

#8. Can Serena Williams win one more Grand Slam? Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, the most of anyone in the Open era, and just one shy of Margaret Court's record of 24. She's been stuck on that number 23 for a while though as she hasn't won a Grand Slam since 2016 Wimbledon. It does feel like Serena is not going to tie Court's mark, but given how many times she's been doubted before and proved us wrong, I wouldn't count her out. 

#9. Can Casper Ruud do something at Wimbledon? Casper Ruud is coming off a phenomenal run to the French Open final and yet at Wimbledon he has never gotten past the 1st round. History says he'll flame out early, but after what he did at Roland Garros, one can't help be like his chances of at least winning one match. 

#10. Can Coco Gauff build on her strong French Open? Coco Gauff is coming off a trip to the French Open final and will look to build on that with a strong performance at Wimbledon. She first burst onto the scene at 2019 Wimbledon with a run to the 4th round, so the fans are very familiar with her. She has since not been able to get beyond the 4th round at Wimbledon, but it's possible this run to the French Open final will propel her to an even deeper run. 

#11. How will the lack of ranking points affect the tournament? Due to Russian and Belarusian players being banned from Wimbledon due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, ranking points won't be assigned for this tournament. It'll be interesting to see how that affects the feel of the tournament and just in general, what the absence of some major names will mean. It's a very strange position for the tournament to be in and one of the major storylines going into the tournament for sure. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I'm going to predict that Novak Djokovic will find a way to win it all. He's been the best on grass and he knows he really needs to win this one. On the ladies' side, it's a total crapshoot, so just to have some fun, I'm going to predict Serena Williams to come out on top. This very well may be her final Wimbledon and if things open up for her, she could make a deep run. 

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10 things to take away from the 2022 French Open

                                              (Credit: SportsKeeda.com) 

Before I dive into my Wimbledon preview, I do want to write my takeaways from the two weeks that were at Roland Garros. Like every grand slam, it was an exciting two weeks with lots to discuss! 

#1. Rafael Nadal continues to make his case for GOAT: Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final to win his 14th French Open title and his 22nd Grand Slam, both of which are all-time records. No one in the men's game has won anything close to that number of French Open titles and he also has the most Grand Slam titles of anyone in the men's game. A lot of people like to resist calling him the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) because so many of his Grand Slam titles have come on the clay, but at some point, you just gotta admit it doesn't matter how he gets to the number that he has. It's simply phenomenal. 

#2. Iga Świątek is the best female on clay: While Rafael Nadal is the undisputed King of Clay, the best clay player in the women's game is definitely Iga Świątek. Świątek now has won two French Open titles (2020 & 2022), defeating Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 in this year's women's final. She's really figured things out on the clay and now it's just a matter of her figuring things out on the other surfaces. If she can do that, there's no telling how many Grand Slam titles she'll have. 

#3. Casper Rudd has arrived: Even though he didn't win it all, Casper Ruud had his best performance in a Grand Slam by reaching the final. It was the best performance he's had at Grand Slam by a mile as his previous best performance was reaching the 4th round at the 2021 Australian Open. The big thing will of course be for him to build on this and consistently make deep run in the majors, but boy is this a great start for him. At just 23 years of age, he should have plenty of deep runs ahead. 

#4. Clay is actually Coco Gauff's best surface: While she first turned heads by reaching the 4th round at the 2019 Wimbledon, it turns out clay is the surface that Coco Gauff plays her best tennis on. Which is unusual for an American.  Before reaching this year's final, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open back in 2021, her second-best performance at a Grand Slam. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to dethrone Świątek in coming French Opens and also if she'll be able to make similar strides on the other surfaces. 

#5. Novak Djokovic has a Rafael Nadal problem: Rafael Nadal won the 2022 Australian Open and also defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of this year's French Open. With 20 Grand Slam titles, everybody assumes that Djokovic is going to eventually win more Grand Slams than anyone in the men's game and become the GOAT, but right now, he's two titles back of Nadal who (A) won his favorite event in Australia this year and (B) knocked him out of the French Open again this year. Nadal is not going down without a fight and Djokovic better step up his game if he wants to solidify the GOAT debate in his favor. 

#6. Sloane Stephens had a bit of a bounce back: Sloane Stephens has been pretty quiet lately in Grand Slams, but had a bit of a bounce back in this year's French Open by reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Gauff. That was the best performance she's had at a major since the 2019 French Open, where she also reached the quarterfinals. Stephens is one of the bigger names in tennis, especially American tennis, and yet she hasn't won any majors since the 2017 US Open. It would be fun to have her contending in majors in the future. 

#7. Alexander Zverev keeps knocking on the door: Alexander Zverev was unable to complete his semifinal match against Nadal as he tore three lateral ligaments in his right ankle and underwent surgery afterwards. He is out indefinitely and will miss Wimbledon. It's not all doom and gloom for Zverev, though. As a result of reaching the semifinals, he achieved a number two world ranking, the highest of his career. It feels like it's only a matter of time before Zverev will win a major. 

#8. Daria Kasatkina made a deep run: Daria Kasatkina reached the semifinals before getting knocked out by Świątek. It was the furthest run she's had at a major since her back-to-back quarterfinal appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2018. It'll be interesting to see if she can build on this in the rest of 2022 and beyond. 

#9. Marin Cilic turns back the clock: Marin Cilic reached the semifinals before getting knocked out by Ruud. This was the best performance Cilic has had at a Grand Slam since the 2015 US Open in which he reached the semifinals one year after his 2014 US Open title. Whether or not this was an aberration for Cilic or a possible sign of things to come remains to be seen. But for while it lasted, it was fun to see him back in the mix at a major. 

#10. Naomi Osaka needs to figure out how to win away from the hard court: Naomi Osaka lost in the first round and will not be playing Wimbledon due to an Achilles injury. While she has won the US Open and Australian Open twice for four total Grand Slam titles, she hasn't gotten past the 3rd round at the French Open or Wimbledon. This year's French Open was just another reminder that Osaka needs to figure out how to win on surfaces other than hard court. That's really the next step for her in her career. 

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10 things to take away from the 2022 Australian Open

 

                                                 (Credit: express.co.uk) 

With the 2022 Australian Open now done, it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were in Melbourne. Enjoy! 

#1. Rafael Nadal reignited the GOAT conversation: I'm of the opinion that the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) conversation will rage on for years after Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are done playing. Each guy has a compelling case right now and will have a compelling case when their career is over. By winning the 2022 Australian Open, Nadal reignited the conversation by becoming the first man to reach 21 grand slam titles. Both Federer and Djokovic are at 20 grand slam titles each. 

By having more grand slam titles than anyone at the moment, that alone puts forth a strong case for Nadal. On top of that, Nadal has now won each grand slam at least twice. That's a feat Djokovic has accomplished by winning two French Open titles, but not Federer, who has just the one French Open title. While it is true that 13 of Nadal's grand slam titles have come at the French Open, I don't think that hurts his case for greatest of all time. I think it enhances it. He has done better on Djokovic and Federer's favorite surfaces than they have on his. He's defended his turf better and shouldn't be penalized for that.

So, that's where I think things stack up on that front. Nadal has the most grand slams, he's now won each grand slam at least twice, and he's not done yet. He wins the French this year and boom, he's up by two. 

#2. Ashleigh Barty is officially an all-time great: I guess you could say winning one grand slam makes you an all-time great. But once you've won three, as Ashleigh Barty now has done by winning the 2022 Australian Open, I think it's safe to say that makes you an all-time great. Barty just needs a US Open title to complete the career grand slam. Barty also became the first Aussie woman to win the Australian Open since Chris O'Neil in 1978 and in case you are wondering, the last Aussie man to win the Australian Open is Mark Edmondson in 1976. If anyone was wondering whether or not Barty is an all-time great, this year's Australian Open should have put those doubts to rest. 

#3. Daniil Medvedev's time is coming: While he came up a bit short, losing in the final to Nadal, Daniil Medvedev reminded us that the future of tennis is in good hands. He controls his own destiny to become world number one this week and no doubt has many grand slam titles in his future. His 2021 US Open title certainly won't be his only grand slam title. He's still learning and growing and not at the level that Nadal and Djokovic are, but if he keeps it up, he just might get there in the not too distant future. 

#4. Danielle Collins is a contender: Danielle Collins was unable to knock off Ashleigh Barty in the women's singles final, but by getting to the final, she showed that she's a legit contender. She entered the top ten as a result and should have a strong 2022 season. It'll be fun to see how the rest of the year goes for her. Especially the US Open, where she'll have home court advantage. 

#5. Novak Djokovic is his own worst enemy: Novak Djokovic did not compete because of his refusal to get vaccinated. He ultimately needs to do what he thinks is best for him and his body, but by not getting vaccinated, he cost himself a chance to be number one all-time in grand slam titles on the men's side. Is that a price worth paying? I dunno.  That seems pretty steep to me. If he ends up breaking the record anyways, this will all be forgotten. But if he ends up being number two behind Nadal, his refusal to not get vaccinated with always follow him for the rest of his career. 

#6. Serena Williams' days of winning grand slams could be over: Serena Williams did not compete in the 2022 Australian Open and with her last grand slam title coming at the 2017 Australian Open, one does have to wonder now if she'll ever win one again. She's 40 years old and now ranked #241 in the world. If she ends up winning one more grand slam title, it'll be her most incredible title ever. 

#7. Nick Kyrgios has redeemed himself: Long thought of as an entertaining prima donna, Nick Kyrgios can be taken more seriously now after winning the men's doubles title along with fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis. This is undoubtedly the greatest achievement of Kyrgios' career and regardless of what happens going forward, he'll always be a grand slam doubles champion. Kudos to him! 

#8. Naomi Osaka needs to find her groove again: Naomi Osaka is a two-time Australian Open champion and a four-time grand slam champion overall with her other two grand slam titles coming at the US Open. She got bounced in the 3rd round this year by Amanda Anisimova. That's disappointing. One thing she can take comfort in is her grand slam pattern is still intact. She won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and the US Open in 2018 and 2020. This means she's on track to win the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Australian Open. She just likes to alternate years! So, this is all to say that she still likely has more grand slam titles in front of her, but she obviously has some work to do to get back on schedule. 

#9. Roger Federer's days of winning grand slams could be over: Just like Serena Williams, it's been a while since Roger Federer won a grand slam. His most recent grand slam title coming in 2018 at the Australian Open. Actually, more recent than Serena.  And also like Serena, he did not compete in this year's Australian Open. While he hasn't retired yet, he's also 40 years old and ranked #29 in the world. If he wins one more grand slam, that too will be his most incredible title ever. 

#10. Madison Keys keeps knocking on the door: Madison Keys reached the semifinals, where she fell to Ashleigh Barty in straight sets. This was her fifth trip to a grand slam semifinal, making her 1-4 in those matches (2017 US Open). Ideally, you'd like to think she'll eventually get over the hump and win a grand slam title. She's 27 years old, which is actually still considered kinda young in today's modern era. So, there's time for her to do it, but until she does, doubts will rightfully remain. 

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10 things to look for at the 2022 Australian Open

 

The 2022 Australian Open begins on Monday (Sunday here in the United States), which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Obviously the biggest news surrounding this year's Aussie Open has been the visa status of Novak Djokovic, who ultimately lost his appeal and will not be playing. With that now confirmed, I can more easily analyze the men's field and give a more certain prediction. If you have not checked out the draws, click here to check those out. 

#1. Who will immediately benefit the most from Novak Djokovic's absence? With Novak Djokovic out of the tournament, Salvatore Caruso is replacing him as an LL (Lucky Loser). The tournament chose to initially include Djokovic in the draw as the number one seed and then when he was unable to play, they had to go to what's called a "Lucky Loser", someone who lost in the qualifiers but luckily still gets into the field thanks to someone pulling out. Djokovic's absence creates a wide open top portion of the draw with Matteo Berrettini the #7 seed now the odds on favorite in that section of the draw to reach the semifinals. We could easily see someone come out of nowhere to reach the semifinals and who knows, maybe even reach the final. With Djokovic now out, this creates a golden opportunity for someone. The question is who will make the most of it? 

#2. Can Ashleigh Barty handle the home pressure this time? If you are a loyal reader of this blog, you'll know that this question gets asked in every Australian Open preview. Barty frequently comes in ranked really high and the question is can she handle the pressure of being the crowd favorite in Australia. This year is no exception as she's the #1 player in the world and thus one of the favorites, if not the favorite to win it all. The furthest she's gone at the Australian Open is the semifinals back in 2020. In 2019 and 2021 she reached the quarterfinals, so she's been knocking on the door. Now it's a matter of her finishing the job. Can she do it under the spotlight of being the Aussie favorite? History says she won't, but maybe this year will be different. 

#3. Can Casper Ruud make a run? Casper Ruud is ranked #8 in the world out of Norway and yet for whatever reason he hasn't been able to make deep runs in grand slams. He's never reached the quarterfinals of a grand slam and the lone 4th round appearance he made was at the 2021 Australian Open. I would like to see him at least reach the quarterfinals this time and back up his ranking a bit. He's a guy who nobody talks about despite his high ranking because he never goes far in the slams. Let's see if he can change that this year. 

#4. Can Naomi Osaka defend her title as a double-digit seed? Naomi Osaka comes into the tournament as the #13 player in the world, which means she's a double-digit seed. She won the tournament last year, but this year poses a new challenge for her as she's not ranked in the top three coming in. That's going to give her a tougher draw out of the chute and not give her the same advantages she'd have if she were #1 or #2. Women's tennis is pretty fluid so in that sense it's not a huge deal what her seed is. Still, that being said, it'll be interesting to see if Osaka is able to outperform her ranking and make a serious run at the title. 

#5. Can Rafael Nadal get over the hump? Rafael Nadal has a golden opportunity in front of him with Djokovic unable to go and Roger Federer not playing. If Nadal wins the Australian Open he'll stand alone with the most grand slam titles ever on the men's side, breaking a three way tie he has with Federer and Djokovic who are also at 20. However, Nadal's lone Australian Open title came back in 2009, so it's been a while since he won this. If he were to win this event, it would probably be the most incredible grand slam title of his entire career. 

#6. Can Aryna Sabalenka back up her ranking? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the #2 ranked player in the world and yet has never reached a grand slam final. She did reach back-to-back semis at Wimbledon and the US Open, but she still has to prove that she's as good as her ranking says she is. The furthest she's gone at the Australian Open is the 4th round, so this will be a good chance for her to show that she's made progress from last year. 

#7. Can Daniil Medvedev finish the job? Daniil Medvedev is #2 in the world and is coming off a 2021 US Open championship. He reached the final of the Australian Open last year and with Djokovic out of the picture, smart money picks him to go all the way. It'll be interesting to see if Medvedev can win a second consecutive slam and kick off 2022 in style. His game is well suited for hard court and he should be feeling confident. 

#8. How will Emma Raducanu perform? Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open and is ranked #18 in the world as a result. The 19 year old Brit has a bright future in front of her and there's no reason to doubt her abilities to win more slams in the future. That said, it's always interesting to see how first time slam winners do in their next slam appearance. A lot of them don't do so well. If Raducanu can make a run to the quarterfinals or better, that'll be really impressive. 

#9. What will Nick Kyrgios do? Nick Kyrgios always seems to find a way to make headlines Down Under given that he is in fact an Aussie. It would be fun if he made a bit of a run in this tournament and surprised people. For all his antics, he is fun to watch and brings more flair and personality to the sport. Hopefully he shocks the world a bit and reaches the 4th round or further. 

#10. Can Sofia Kenin win it again? Sofia Kenin comes in as the #13 ranked player in the world and the #11 overall seed. She won the Australian Open back in 2020 but lost in the 2nd round in 2021. She's got the pieces to go all the way, but after last year's tournament, I might be a bit reluctant to buy too much of her stock. This year will tell us a lot about her and her resiliency after having a disappointing outing in 2021. 

Prediction: I'm doing something new here by not weaving my prediction into the 10 things to look for. That way I can cover a bit more ground here. On the men's side, I'm going to pick Daniil Medvedev to go all the way. He should be favored and after winning the US Open, he has to feel confident in his abilities to win it all. However, like Raducanu, he too could succumb to the pressures that come with being a new grand slam champion. I guess I like his chances better than Raducanu because his ranking is more solid and he's got more of a body of work up to this point. 

On the women's side, I'm going to pick Garbiñe Muguruza. I did not mention her in my 10 things to look for, but that doesn't mean I don't like her chances. I think she'll win it all. She's #3 in the world, reached the Australian Open final in 2020, and of the top five seeds on the women's side, she's the one who I have the most faith in at the end of the day. Especially with Serena Williams not being in the field. 

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