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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