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 the 2017 US Open

With the US Open starting on Monday, it is time for me to give my list of 10 things to look for at the final grand slam of the season. It should be noted that Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic, Victoria Azarenka, Samantha Stosur, and Serena Williams will all miss the event due to either injury or personal reasons.

#1. Can Rafael Nadal ride the #1 wave to the title? Rafael Nadal is now the #1 ranked player in the world as he heads into the US Open thanks to Roger Federer withdrawing from Cincinnati. Nadal hasn't won the US Open since 2013, but with a lot of top names out and the #1 ranking in hand, it's hard to not see Nadal as the favorite right now.

#2. How will Maria Sharapova fair? Maria Sharapova is making her return to the grand slam scene after being granted a wild card to the US Open. Her opponent in the first round is #2 ranked Simona Halep, so it's not as if she was given an easy draw. While the odds are stacked against her, don't be shocked to see Sharapova pull off the first round upset. If Sharapova can find a way to play into the second week, the ratings for this tournament will get a nice boost.

#3. Is this Roger Federer's tournament to lose? Roger Federer has won at Australia and Wimbledon this year. While it is true that Rafael Nadal has the #1 ranking, Federer is right behind him at #3. Given that Federer defeated Nadal in the Australian Open final and is coming off a Wimbledon title, one can make a pretty compelling case for Federer to be the favorite as well.

#4. Can Simona Halep finally break through? Simona Halep is the #2 ranked player in the world, but is yet to win a grand slam. She came close at Roland Garros, falling in the final to Jelena Ostapenko. With Serena Williams, Samantha Stosur, and Victoria Azarenka all out of the tournament, Halep will get another golden opportunity to win her first grand slam. Will she be able to take advantage? That's the million dollar question.

#5. Don't forget about Andy Murray. I feel like Andy Murray is getting overlooked in this event and in many ways it's easy to understand why. He's dealing with a hip injury and hasn't won the event since 2012. All the same, he is the #2 player in the world and has a pretty favorable draw. If the hip isn't too much of a bother, there's no reason to doubt Murray's chances of making a very deep run.

#6. Karolina Pliskova needs to back up her #1 ranking.  Karolina Pliskova has the #1 ranking in the world, but with no grand slam titles, her ranking appears to be hollow. It would be huge for Pliskova to back up her ranking with a title at the US Open. What does have to give Pliskova some confidence is the fact that she reached the final last year. She knows she can win at this event. She just needs to go out and do it.

#7. It's time Grigor Dimitrov does something. Grigor Dimitrov comes in as the #7 seed and #8 ranked player in thew world. Despite his lofty ranking and fame, Dimitrov so far has proved to be all sizzle and no steak. He's never reached a grand slam final and has only reached the semifinals at a grand slam twice (2017 Australian Open and 2014 Wimbledon). At 26 years of age, now is the time that Dimitrov has to start being a more serious threat at grand slams.

#8. Can Angelique Kerber return to glory? Angelique Kerber is currently ranked #6 in the world and hasn't been able to find the same success she had last season in which she won both the Australian Open and US Open. With both Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep looking vulnerable as the top two seeds, there's no reason to doubt Kerber's chances of walking away with the title.

#9. Look for Roger Federer to win it all: I would love to see Rafael Nadal win this event, but given that he hasn't won the US Open since 2013, it is hard for me to pick him to win it all. Federer on the other hand is in quite a groove and already has a hard court grand slam title under his belt this year. I got my money on Federer to win his 20th grand slam in New York City.

#10. Look for Madison Keys to shock the world:  I picked Madison Keys to win it last year and I'm going to double down and say that this is the year Keys breaks through to win her first grand slam. The combination of surface and location make her my favorite right now. She loves the hard courts and should thrive with the American crowd cheering her on. I know she's the #15 seed, but in the WTA, rankings don't really matter when picking grand slams. Madison Keys will win the 2017 US Open. Book it.

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10 things to take away from the 2017 Wimbledon Championships

Before I preview the 2017 US Open, I need to give my list of 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were at Wimbledon.

#1. Roger Federer reminded us that he's the GOAT: Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 to win his 19th grand slam title. By adding on to his record for most grand slam titles of all-time, Federer reminded the tennis world that he is the greatest to ever play the sport. I know there are those who will want to argue a case for Rafael Nadal or possibly Novak Djokovic, but make no mistake, Federer is the greatest of all-time and will be so long as he holds the record. I picked Roger to win the event and he delivered just as I thought he would.

#2. Garbiñe Muguruza is the real deal: Garbiñe Muguruza defeated Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 to win her second grand slam title. With both a Wimbledon and French Open (2016) title under her belt, Muguruza is half way to a career slam, which is no small feat. In a sport that is very unpredictable, Muguruza is starting to maintain a fairly consistent presence at the grand slams.

#3. Marin Cilic is back to being a contender: After winning the 2014 US Open, many of us expected Marin Cilic to be a more consistent threat to win grand slams. Unfortunately for him, he has not been able to be the type of threat that we were all expecting. By getting back to a grand slam final, perhaps Cilic will finally find his groove and be able to make these kind of deep runs on a more regular basis.

#4. Venus Williams is still a threat: I've been saying for the last couple of years not to sleep on Venus Williams in a grand slam and especially at Wimbledon. Venus backed up my claims by reaching the final. While she came up short, she has to feel good about the tournament that she had. Especially when you consider that she is 37 years old.

#5. Sam Querrey was a pleasant surprise: Nobody would have predicted that Sam Querrey would have been a threat, but he proved the doubters wrong by making it to the semifinals. Whether or not Querrey has turned the corner or not remains to be seen, but it was nice to see him make such a deep run. He's a very beloved and well respected guy on the tour.

#6. Johanna Konta played well under the pressure: It's not easy to play at Wimbledon as a Brit when you consider all the pressure that they have to play under. This pressure didn't seem to faze Johanna Konta, who made a run to the semifinals. I picked her to win the whole thing, so I was disappointed to not see my prediction come to fruition. At the same time, it was also nice to see her make as deep of a run as she did.

#7. Rafael Nadal should feel good about he played: I know that a 4th round exit isn't what Rafael Nadal was hoping for, but when you consider all the early exits he's had at Wimbledon over the past few years, reaching the 4th round was much better than he had done in quite a while. Nadal is still playing elite tennis. It's just that grass isn't really his thing.

#8. Magdalena Rybarikova was the big surprise: Coming into the tournament as the #33 ranked player in the world, nobody saw Magdalena Rybarikova making a run to the semifinals. The WTA is where anything can happen and Rybarikova certainly proved that to be true. It will be interesting to see what kind of momentum Rybarikova can carry over to the US Open after such an impressive run.

#9. How much trouble is Novak Djokovic in? Novak Djokovic lost in the quarterfinals to Tomas Berdych and has since been ruled out for the rest of the season due to an elbow injury. Djokovic is not living up to his standards and expectations, making us wonder whether or not we'll ever see the best of him again. 2017 is the most disappointing season Djokovic has had to date, putting a lot of pressure on him to right the ship in his 2018 campaign.

#10. Angelique Kerber had a disappointing outing: Angelique Kerber came into Wimbledon as the #1 ranked player in the world, but lost that ranking after losing in the 4th round to the eventual champion Garbiñe Muguruza. After winning two grand slams in 2016, Kerber is yet to win one in 2017. It appears as though the #1 ranking got to her head and put a lot of pressure on her.  It will be interesting to see if she plays better without the top ranking hanging over her.

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10 things to look for at the 2017 French Open

The French Open at Roland Garros begins on Sunday, May 28 and so it’s time for me to list my 10 things to look for at the second Grand Slam of the tennis season. Click here to view the seeds. Click here to view the draw.

#1. Can anyone stop Rafael Nadal? Rafael Nadal comes into Roland Garros having won clay titles at Monte Carlo (ATP 1000), Barcelona (ATP 500), and Madrid (ATP 1000) while also reaching the semifinals at Rome (ATP 1000) before falling to Dominic Thiem, who is the #6 seed at Roland Garros.

While he is seeded #4, Nadal comes into this event as the heavy favorite to win. Andy Murray has never won the French Open, Novak Djokovic has just one title all season at Doha, which is an Australian Open tune up, Stan Wawrinka failed to reach the quarterfinals at all three ATP 1000 Masters events on clay, and Roger Federer is skipping the event.

Given Nadal’s historical success at Roland Garros and the lack of anyone really emerging as a serious contender, it will be a major disappointment for Nadal and his camp if he doesn’t walk away with his 10^th French Open title.

#2. How much will the absence of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova hurt the women’s competition? Serena Williams will not play in the French Open due to her pregnancy and Maria Sharapova was denied a wild card because of her suspension for doping. Sharapova is eligible to play on the WTA Tour again, but the only way she could have gotten into the French Open this season was through a wild card since her ranking isn’t high enough to play in the qualifying rounds.

With Serena Williams unable to compete, Maria Sharapova’s presence could have given the women’s draw a real boost in terms of ratings and interest. While the French Tennis Federation did what was perhaps the morally right thing to do, they certainly weren’t thinking of their fans or ratings when they decided to not grant her a wild card. If the women’s tournament suffers from a lack of ratings and ticket sales, the decision to not give Sharapova a wild card may come back to haunt the event.

#3.  Is Dominic Thiem the best hope to knock off Rafael Nadal? With Murray, Djokovic, and Wawrinka all looking like long shots to upset Nadal, most people see Dominic Thiem as the guy with the best chances of taking out the King of Clay. Thiem took out Nadal in the quarterfinals at Rome, but lost to Nadal in the previous two clay events in Barcelona and Madrid. Since he has faced Nadal a lot recently and can say he’s beaten him on clay earlier this season, I give Thiem a puncher’s chance at taking out Nadal at Roland Garros, but nothing more than that.

Note: If Thiem were to face Nadal, it would be in the semifinals after a projected quarterfinal match against Djokovic.

#4. Can Angelique Kerber go the distance?  Angelique Kerber comes into this event as the #1 player in the world and with both Serena and Sharapova out, she is on paper the heavy favorite to win it all. The biggest hurdle she faces could be herself. The furthest she’s gone at Roland Garros is the quarterfinals and that was back in 2012. The only player who might be considered the favorite ahead of Kerber is Garbiñe Muguruza, who won the event last year. Unless it’s Muguruza who takes her out, it will be a major disappointment if Kerber doesn’t go all the way.

#5. Will Andre Agassi make the difference for Novak Djokovic? One of the major headlines coming into the French Open is defending champion Novak Djokovic’s decision to hire Andre Agassi as his coach. It’s unclear how long Agassi will work with Djokovic, but he will be his primary coach for the French Open at least. A lot of people see this move as an act of desperation on Djokovic’s end, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad decision. As a player who also most excelled on the hard courts, Agassi can relate well to Djokovic as he tries to go about finding more success on the dirt. Given their similarities, this could be a good pairing.

#6. Will Petra Kvitova make a run? After being sidelined for an extended period of time due to a robber stabbing her hand with a knife, the fact that Petra Kvitova can compete is a miracle and fantastic news. She’s currently the #15 seed and will be making her season debut. The furthest she’s gone at Roland Garros is the semifinals back in 2012, so if I can be honest, I have a hard time seeing her find that same level of success this year.

#7. Can Andy Murray get back to the Final? Andy Murray lost to Novak Djokovic in the final last year. As the #1 seed, Murray has a great shot of getting back for a second straight year. Nadal, Thiem, and Djokovic are all on the opposite side of his draw, which is obviously good news. The biggest threat on his side appears to be Stan Wawrinka and he hasn’t exactly lit the dirt on fire this clay season.

#8. Can Garbiñe Muguruza defend her title? As the defending champion, Garbiñe Muguruza is the biggest threat to Angelique Kerber in this event. She comes in as the #4 seed and would face Kerber in the semifinals should they meet. While I agree that Kerber should be the favorite considering her ranking and recent success, it’s pretty tough to pick against Muguruza at this event. She won it last year and seems to enjoy the clay as much as anyone in the women’s draw.

#9. Will anyone from France step up?  #31 Gilles Simon, #28 Caroline Garcia, #24 Richard Gasquet, #16 Lucas Pouille, #15 Gaël Monfils, #13 Kristina Mladenovic, and #12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are the seeded players from France in both the men’s and women’s draws. At every Grand Slam, players from the home country always have a bit more pressure on them to deliver the goods and represent their country with pride.

Sadly for France, they’ve not had a champion at Roland Garros in quite a while. Yannick Noah is the last Frenchman to win the event back in 1983 while Mary Pierce is the last Frenchwoman to win the event back in 2000. Odds look slim that either drought will end this year.

#10. Can Karolina Pliskova back up her ranking? Karolina Pliskova is ranked #3 in the world and with Serena Williams out, she’s the #2 seed at Roland Garros. She’s been playing some fantastic tennis as of late, reaching the final of the 2016 US Open and the quarterfinals of the 2017 Australian Open.

However, she’s not found success at Grand Slams away from the hard courts, failing to get past the second round at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. On the clay this season, her results haven’t given us any reason to think she’ll have much improvement. She lost in the quarterfinals at Stuttgart, the Round of 32 in Prague, the Round of 32 in Madrid, and quarterfinals in Rome. If I can be honest, I’ll be surprised to see her survive into the second week.

Predictions: As far as my predictions go, I have Rafael Nadal defeating Andy Murray in the men’s final 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to win his 10^th French Open title. In the women’s draw, I have Garbiñe Muguruza defeating Simona Halep in the final 6-4, 6-3 to win her second French Open title.

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10 things to look for at the 2017 Australian Open

The Australian Open starts on Monday and so it is time for me to share my list of 10 things to look for in the first grand slam of the 2017 tennis season. Enjoy!

1. How will Nick Kyrgios perform? Amid all of the controversy that he has created during these past few months, largely with Tennis Australia, Nick Kyrgios comes in as the #13 player in the world (#14 overall seed). There's no denying the talent that Nick Kyrgios has. He has phenomenal athleticism and is a multi-dimensional player on the court. What's getting in the way is his head and his inability to stay out of trouble. He's a lot like his fellow countryman Bernard Tomic in this way. Anyways, it will be interesting to see if Nick Kyrgios can put his suspension and other issues aside and deliver the goods in front of the home fans. Anything less than a 4th round appearance would be a major disappointment for the Aussie.

2. Will Johanna Konta make another deep run? Johanna Konta comes in as the 9th overall seed and is looking to make another deep run down under. The 25 year old Brit burst onto the tennis scene last year with a run all the way to the semifinals at the Australian Open and established herself as one of the top players in the world for the rest of the season. Now that she's no longer under the radar it will be interesting to see how she handles the pressure of being a top ranked player.

3. How will Roger Federer perform after all the time off? Roger Federer comes in as the #17 overall seed in the tournament, which is much lower than where we are used to seeing him. As a matter of fact I believe it's been well over a decade since he's been seeded at a grand slam outside of the top ten. The word out of Roger Federer's camp appears to be that of optimism. The thinking is that all of this time off and rest has helped Roger Federer rejuvenate himself and return to his elite self. Roger Federer doesn't need to win this event to show that he's elite, but he does need to get passed the 5th seeded Kei Nishikori so that he can face the top seed Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. If Federer plays Murray tough in the quarterfinals, there is reason to believe he'll have a strong season. If Federer flames out earlier than the quarterfinals, then that will indicate he has a lot more work to do.

4. How will Samantha Stosur play in front of the home fans? As the 18th seed, there really isn't too much pressure on Samantha Stosur to go deep, which knowing her might be a good thing. It will be interesting to see if Sam Stosur is able to make a bit of a run and benefit from the Aussie crowd for once.

5. Will Marin Cilic finally make a run down under? Marin Cilic might be the #7 overall seed in the Australian Open, but that doesn't automatically mean he's destined to go far. Cilic was knocked out in the 3rd round last year and has only reached the semifinals of the Australian Open once back in 2010. If you are looking for a dark horse to go all the way at a hard court grand slam, the 2014 US Open champion would be a pretty good guy to put money on. However, the fact that he's had such limited success at the Australian Open is good reason to doubt his chances of going far. Personally, I consider Cilic a dark horse and I am very curious of as to whether or not he goes far or crashes out early.

6. Are we destined for another Kerber-Williams final? Last season, #1 Angelique Kerber and #2 Serena Williams met in the Australian Open final with Kerber coming out on top. They combined for six grand slam finals appearances last season and once again appear to be the strong favorites to win their respective halves of the draw.  If I can be honest, I see no reason to not think they'll be back, but in the world of professional tennis, anything can happen in a grand slam. Should they meet in the final, it should prove to be a very exciting and interesting match.

7. Can Andy Murray finally breakthrough at the Australian Open? Andy Murray is now #1 in the world and has proven himself worthy of it. However, he has never won the Australian Open, which makes some people question whether or not to pick him to win. Personally, I have my money on Murray to finally breakthrough and win, but it will be no easy task. Especially if Novak Djokovic is waiting for him in the final.

8. How will the absence of big names affect the women's draw? There are a lot of big names that are missing from the women's draw. Petra Kvitova is out due to being attacked by some crazy person with a knife. Odds are good she misses half of the season.  Maria Sharapova is out until the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany in April due to her suspension and Victoria Azarenka is out due to being pregnant. With all of these big names out, it will be interesting to see how eventful this Australian Open will be. History suggests there will be some surprises but from whom is really difficult to figure out. As far as a larger picture is concerned, the absence of those three players seems to indicate that odds are very good we will see Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber in the final.

9.  Will Novak Djokovic once again reign supreme? Novak Djokovic is the #2 seed in this tournament, but the Australian Open is still the grand slam where he has been most successful due to the conditions of the courts and the environment. He thrives on the faster hard courts and has no problem playing in the heat. Whether or not Novak Djokovic once again establishes himself as the top player at the Australian Open will be a major story to follow.

#10. Will Agnieszka Radwanska break through? Agnieszka Radwanska is the #3 seed and has put herself in a good position to return to the semifinals. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to go further than that last year but with another year under her belt, maybe this is the year Radwanska finally wins her first slam. I'll say this: If either Angelique Kerber or Serena Williams goes down before the semifinals, Radwanska has to take full advantage. If they both go down before the semifinals, then she'll be the odds on favorite to win. I'm not saying Radwanska can't win so long as Serena and Angelique are in it. What I am saying is that Radwanska has put herself in a great position to win her first grand slam and she has to take full advantage and play her very best tennis. She won't get very many more opportunities like this. Especially with players like Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, and Victoria Azarenka out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 things to look for at the 2016 Olympics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 things to take away from the 2016 Wimbledon Championships

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 things to takeaway from the 2016 Australian Open

           

    It’s been a little over two weeks since the 2016 Australian Open ended and I’m long overdue to share my 10 takeaways from the first grand slam of the year. It was an exciting two weeks of tennis and a lot to unpack, so here I go!

#1. Who can stop Novak Djokovic? Novak Djokovic won the men's singles title, dominating Andy Murray 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 in the final. Djokovic collected his 6th Australian Open title and his 11th grand slam title overall. Unless some other young phenom comes up in the next couple of years, it's hard to see Novak Djokovic not breaking Roger Federer's grand slam title record of 17. He is locked in and extremely focused right now. The only thing he is yet to accomplish is win the title at Roland Garros, but with the way he's playing, I really like his chances to do it this year. 

#2. Angelique Kerber's moment finally came: Angelique Kerber defeated Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the women's final to capture her first career grand slam title. While many of us wanted to see Serena Williams give herself another shot at the calendar grand slam, it was really heart warming to see Angelique Kerber finally breakthrough and win her first grand slam. She's been knocking on the door for a while and she finally got it done. 

     There was a look of relief, excitement, and child-like joy on her face. It was really neat to see how much winning a grand slam meant to her. It'll be interesting to see whether or not Kerber can win another grand slam or not, but regardless of what the future holds for her, she will forever be in a very elite club of grand slam champions. 

     Tennis is a sport where winning one championship doesn't seem like much since there are four grand slam championships every year, but in truth, winning one is a big deal and Angelique Kerber should really enjoy this one. So few players ever get the satisfaction of winning one, let alone multiple, grand slams. 

#3. Is the end finally coming for Roger Federer? Roger Federer lost in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic and shortly after, it was revealed that he needed to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. While he will be back on the courts competing by hopefully March, one does have to wonder whether or not we will ever see Roger Federer win another grand slam title. He is still one of the top-5 players in the world without question, but the gap between Federer and Djokovic is widening and not closing.

     If Roger Federer doesn't win Wimbledon this year, I'm not sure we'll ever see him win another grand slam. Also, Roger Federer has never won an Olympic gold medal and the 2016 Olympic games in Rio will certainly be his last opportunity to do that. This is a big year for Roger Federer and I hope he'll be able to win another slam and get that Olympic gold. 

#4. Serena Williams is still the player to go through to win a grand slam: Even though she didn't win the title, Serena Williams showed us that she is still the best player in the world and the player who every woman on tour must go through in order to win a grand slam. In addition, Serena displayed great sportsmanship and appeared to be genuinely happy for Angelique Kerber. 

     I think that while Serena Williams still wants to win more slams, she knows that she has solidified her place as the greatest female tennis player ever. So at this point, every time she gets to compete in a grand slam, I think she's just grateful to be out there and still able to be the best at what she does. She isn't done winning grand slams by any means, but she is a human being and can't win them all. Look for her to make serious noise in Paris. 

#5. Hello, Johanna Konta: Until the 2016 Australian Open, the furthest that the 24 years old British/Australian had gone in a grand slam was the 4th round of the 2015 US Open. In the 2016 Australian Open, Konta had a breakthrough tournament, reaching the semifinals before losing to Angelique Kerber. What's crazy is that after her run to the semifinals, her ranking shot up to 95 in the world! Yeah, she was so low in the rankings that a semifinal run to a grand slam made her barely crack the top 100! 

     Anyways, considering her 4th round run at the US Open and her semifinal run at the Australian Open, I would say that Johanna Konta is certainly trending upward at the moment. It'll be interesting to see how she does on the clay at Roland Garros and the grass at Wimbledon before returning to the hard courts in New York. 

#6. Serena Williams seriously owns Maria Sharapova: Maria Sharapova was on a roll until she met Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. Serena won easily by a score of 6-4, 6-1. It's kind of crazy how much Serena Williams just owns Maria Sharapova. It's almost like Serena Williams has a personal vendetta against Maria Sharapova ever since she lost to her in the 2004 Wimbledon final. 

#7. Maybe Milos Raonic is on the verge of breaking through: Milos Raonic had a great two weeks in Melbourne, reaching the semifinals before losing to Andy Murray. It was just the second time he had reached a grand slam seminal (2014 Wimbledon) and what was even better was that he took Andy Murray to a 5th set. Perhaps Milos Raonic is finally scratching the surface of what he can do and we'll see him in grand slam final later this year. 

Note: For your amusement, click here to watch Milos Raonic dunk a basketball at the 2016 NBA All-Star Celebrity game in Toronto. 

#8. Victoria Azarenka is on her way back: Victoria Azarenka lost in the quarterfinals to Angelique Kerber, but the fact that she got to the quarterfinals is a huge step in the right direction for Vika. She has been successful at the Australian Open, winning the title back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013. For her to get off to a strong start in 2016 is definitely encouraging. Hopefully she can build on this and make an even deeper run at Wimbledon and the US Open. She isn't really a clay player, so an early exit at Roland Garros wouldn't be a setback for her at all. 

#9. Eugenie Bouchard has work to do: A second round exit to the 4th overall seed Agnieszka Radwanska was expected but all the same discouraging for a player who very recently appeared to be on the verge of winning a grand slam. Eugenie Bouchard has the talent to win a grand slam in future seasons, but right now, she has to get her mind right and put herself back in a position where she can compete for grand slams. She was ranked as high as #5 in the world in October of 2014, so she definitely can get back, but it will require her to buckle down and really focus. 

#10. Andy Murray can't get it done down under: Andy Murray has a lot of good things happening in his life. He's a husband and now a father in addition to a two-time grand slam champion and an Olympic gold medal winner. However, winning the Australian Open title is not one of the good things to happen in Andy Murray's life. He has now reached the Australian Open final 5 times only to lose in the final 5 times. No player in the history of tennis has been to the final of a particular grand slam more times without winning it. He's sort of the Buffalo Bills of the Australian Open. Anyways, look for Andy Murray to contend at grand slams this year, but it's possible that so long as Novak Djokovic is around, an Australian Open title will always elude the Scotsman.   

Conclusion: The 2016 Australian Open had a lot of exciting moments and interesting results. We saw Novak Djokovic continue his dominance and Angelique Kerber win her first grand slam title. In addition, we saw Johanna Konta breakthrough and Milos Raonic have a possible breakthrough of his own. It'll be interesting to see what the future grand slams hold for us this year. Look for my preview of Roland Garros to come the Friday before the tournament starts, which will be May 13.