10 things to look for at the 2021 French Open

 The 2021 French Open is set to begin on Sunday now that the qualifying rounds have concluded. That means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for as is custom with every grand slam! If you haven't yet checked out the draws, click here. 

#1. Can Iga Świątek defend her title? Iga Świątek won her first grand slam title at the 2020 French Open despite coming into the event ranked #54 in the world. She became the first Polish player to win a grand slam title, putting her country on the map as well as herself. This time around, she comes in as the #9 ranked player in the world and the #8 seed in the tournament. So, there's a lot more expectations for her to do well this time around.

The interesting thing will be to see how she handles the pressure early on and whether or not she'll succumb to an early exit. A lot of players struggle out of the gates early when they seek to defend a grand slam title. Especially when it's their first time doing so. If Świątek can survive the first three rounds, she very well could be on her way to another Roland Garros title. 

#2. Is Rafael Nadal destined for a 14th Roland Garros title? Rafael Nadal is the defending champion, having won 13 French Open titles overall and four in a row. Nadal is the Michael Jordan of clay tennis. The King of Clay. Whatever other superlative you wanna call him, nobody has done it better on the dirt than Nadal. 

As Nadal guns for his 14th Roland Garros title, he'll also be gunning for his 21st grand slam title, which will put him ahead of Roger Federer for most grand slam titles ever. Both are tied at 20 at the moment.  So, there's a lot on the line here. Personally, I got Nadal getting it done. He's the #3 seed and is coming in with a lot of confidence. 

#3. Can Ashleigh Barty defend her 2019 title? It kinda feels like there are two defending champions on the women's side. There's Iga Świątek, who won the 2020 French Open and then there's Ashleigh Barty, who won the 2019 French Open, but skipped the 2020 French Open due to COVID-19 concerns. Barty comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world, so on paper, she should be the favorite to win it all. That said, we've seen her struggle at times under the pressures of being #1. Most notably at her home grand slam in Australia. How Barty does out of the gates will be interesting to see as well. It would be particularly fun to see her and Świątek face off. If that were to happen, that would happen in the semifinals as they are on the same half of the draw. 

#4. How deep will Roger Federer go? Roger Federer is playing for his legacy in this tournament. As I said above, if Rafael Nadal wins it all, Federer is no longer #1 all-time in grand slam titles. Nadal will be. Now, there's of course the chance for Federer to even things up at Wimbledon and that's certainly an event that Federer has had a lot more success at. But even so, Federer can't be happy with seeing his record fall to Nadal. 

As for how far Federer will go, he's slated to face #1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals should all things hold. And then if he were to beat Djokovic, Nadal projects to be there waiting for him in the semis. To put it simply, Federer has a tough draw. That said, Federer is an all-time great and considered by many to be the greatest ever. So if there's anyone who can rise to the occasion, it's him. 

#5. Can Naomi Osaka win a non-hard court grand slam? Naomi Osaka is ranked #2 in the world and a major reason for that is her four grand slam titles: Two at the U.S. Open and two at the Australian Open. However, she has never reached the 4th round at either Wimbledon or Roland Garros. The next step for Osaka will be to contend in Paris and London and show that she's capable of winning away from the hard courts. It'll be interesting to see if she's able to make strides at this year's French Open or if she'll once again bow out early. 

#6. Is this the year Dominic Thiem breaks through at Roland Garros? Dominic Thiem comes in as the #4 seed and he's also won a grand slam title (2020 U.S. Open). However, he's not been able to get over the hump at Roland Garros as he lost in the 2018 and 2019 final to Nadal. Should he reach the final again, Nadal in all likelihood will be waiting for him. 

I wish I could have more confidence in Thiem to knock off Nadal, but should they face again, I do see Nadal winning. Their first meeting in the 2018 final went Nadal's way in straight sets while the 2019 final went Nadal's way in four rather decisive sets. There's a first time for everything and maybe Thiem will prove me wrong. Time will tell. 

#7. Can Serena Williams make it to the second week? Serena Williams is still seeking to win her 24th grand slam title and tie Margaret Court, so that's something she's eying as she heads into this tournament. As for whether or not she'll get it done at this event, odds say it's unlikely to happen. In 2018, she lost in the 4th round; in 2019, she lost in the 3rd round; and in 2020 she lost in the 2nd round. So she's trending in the wrong direction at the moment. 

That said, if Serena can find a way to avoid an early exit and make into the second week, she should be a contender. She's the #7 seed and has won the French Open three times in her career (2002, 2013, and 2015) and also reached the final in 2016. So, she's proven to be dangerous once she reaches the second week. It's just a matter of getting there that has been a challenge for her. 

#8. Can Novak Djokovic win a second French Open title? Novak Djokovic comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world, seeking his 19th grand slam title and 2nd French Open title. On paper, his odds look good. However, when you learn that he's 0-4 in French Open finals against Rafael Nadal, you start to back off a bit. This year, if he were to face Nadal, it would be in the semifinals, which kinda sucks. As the #1 overall seed, you'd think they'd make him avoid Nadal until the final, but that's the nature of the draw. But anyways, Djokovic will be a major player to keep an eye on in this tournament. I do think he'll get past Federer in the quarterfinals should they meet. But, given his history with Nadal at this event, I just don't see him getting past him. 

#9. Will someone knew break through on the women's side? While picking the men's winner is super easy, the same cannot be said for the women's winner. A strong case can be made for both Świątek and Barty because they are the two most recent winners. A strong can also be made for Sofia Kenin (2020) and Marketa Voundrousova (2019) as they are the most recent runners up. If one is putting money on this event, one would be wise to not stray away from those four players when making a pick. But at the same time, one cannot ignore the fact that a lot of the recent winners have seemingly come out of nowhere. Nobody saw Świątek coming in 2020 and nobody saw Jelena Ostapenko coming when she won it all in 2017. 

So, it's hard to figure out whether to pick a consensus front runner or pick someone to break through and win it all. But in the spirit of not pushing and making a decision, I will pick Sofia Kenin to win it all. I think a new player will break through to win it all, but it'll be someone who has been knocking on the door. Kenin fits the description of such a player. She reached the 2020 final and won the 2020 Australian Open, so she knows what it takes to win a grand slam. 

#10. Can Daniil Medvedev win a match? You might be wondering why I'm asking this question when Daniil Medvedev is the #2 ranked player in the world. The reason is because he has never gotten past the first round at Roland Garros! He is 0-4 in first round matches. You know that this is on Medvedev's mind and that he's eager to silence his critics. So, it'll be interesting to see whether or not he'll be able to win a match and build on that to formulate some sort of deep run. If he fizzles out in the first round again, it'll be very disappointing. 

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10 things to look for at the 2021 Australian Open

 

The 2021 Australian Open begins on Sunday, February 7. Which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for at this event. Click here to check out the draws for men's singles, women's singles, etc. 

Before I list my 10 things, here are some key names who are missing the event: Roger Federer, Andy Murray, John Isner, Kiki Bertens, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Madison Keys, Juan Martin del Potro, Joao Sousa, Kim Clijsters, and Kyle Edmund. Click here for more absences and details on those who aren't playing. 

#1. Can Rafael Nadal get over the hump? Rafael Nadal has won all four grand slams, but if it wasn't for his 2009 Australian Open title, he'd still be in hunt of a career slam. Kinda crazy to think about, no? For whatever reason, the Australian Open has been Nadal's least successful grand slam. Which is odd since his second most successful grand slam after the French Open is the U.S. Open, which is also played on hard courts. There's been kind of an odd cadence to his Australian Opens. He has been alternating between the quarterfinals and the final going back to 2017. In 2017 and 2019, he reached the final. In 2018 and 2020, he reached the quarterfinals. Does that mean in 2021, he'll reach the final? Gonna be interesting to see. 

#2. Will Serena Williams' shoulder be an issue? Serena Williams pulled out of an Aussie Open tune-up due to a right shoulder injury. Click here to read more about that. Serena says she feels great and isn't worried about the shoulder being an issue, but it's still something to monitor in the early rounds. 

#3. Can Novak Djokovic three-peat for a second time? Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open eight times and is gunning for his ninth title. From 2011-2013, he won three straight titles. He had a shot to complete a three-peat in 2017 after winning the title in 2015 and 2016, but ended up going out in the 2nd round. Winning the same grand slam three years in a row is no easy task and even with some notable names out, it's still not going to be an easy feat for him to pull off in 2021. 

#4. Can Ashleigh Barty handle the Aussie pressure? Ashleigh Barty comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world and she's also an Aussie. Playing a grand slam in your country has its pros and cons. On the positive side, it's home court advantage. The fans have your back in larger numbers and that momentum can carry you forward. On the negative side, the fans have more expectations for you and that creates unbelievable pressure. She did reach the semifinals last year, which is the furthest she's gone. So, that should give her some confidence to come out on top in 2021. 

#5. Will Nick Kyrgios do anything of importance? Nick Kyrgios comes in as unseeded and he hasn't done much damage in the Aussie Open the past few years. His quarterfinal run was back in 2015 and since then, the furthest he's gone is to the 4th round. That said, he's a guy who seems to enjoy playing in his home country and is actually energized by the experience. With a slightly depleted field due to COVID-19, maybe he'll get back to the quarterfinals once again. 

#6. Can Simona Halen go the distance? Simona Halep comes in as the #2 ranked player in the world and yet she's never won the Australian Open. As a matter of fact, she's only reached the final once in 2018. She reached the semifinals last year and appears poised to make another deep run. If she wins it all, it will be her first grand slam title on hard court. Her two other grand slam titles have come at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. 

#7. Can Dominic Thiem keep the good vibes going on the hard court? Known as more of a clay court player, Dominic Thiem is starting to get the hang of things on the hard courts. He won the 2020 US Open and reached the 2020 Australian Open final. If there's a guy most likely to spoil a Nadal/Djokovic final, it's definitely Thiem. He won the 2020 US Open in part because of how the draw opened up with Novak Djokovic's 4th round disqualification, but even so, he's shown that he's confident on the hard court. Hopefully he'll get a shot at Djokovic in the semifinals. That would make for some good theater. 

#8. Can Naomi Osaka get her 4th grand slam title? Naomi Osaka has won the US Open twice in 2018 and 2020 and the Australian Open once in 2019. Maybe she'll keep the trend going and win the Australian Open again in 2021. Osaka has settled in and can now handle the pressure that comes with being one of the top players in the world. 

#9. Look for Novak Djokovic to win the men's title: I understand that it's no easy task to win the same grand slam event three times in a row, but Djokovic loves the Australian Open. It's been his favorite grand slam and I expect him to once again win it all Down Under. Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem are two legit threats. It's not going to be easy. But I think Djokovic is fueled by what happened at the US Open and wants to get back in the winning circle more than ever. 

#10. Look for Sofia Kenin to defend her title: I'm very tempted to pick Serena Williams to win it all, but she hasn't won a grand slam since her 2017 Australian Open title. Odds say she won't win it this year. Sofia Kenin however won the 2020 Australian Open and is coming in as the #4 seed. I'm expecting Kenin to come back hungry to defend her crown and put herself in a great position to do so. I got Kenin going the distance. 

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10 things to look for at the 2020 French Open

 

Usually I get a bit of a break between these previews and recaps, but due to COVID-19, the 2020 French Open is happening right after the US Open, a departure from its usual May/June slot in the tennis calendar. But whether it's happening in the spring or in the fall, there will always be my list of 10 things to look for in the French Open. Without further ado, let's get into it. 

Note: Click here for the draws. Action starts Sunday. 

#1. Will the early exit from the US Open actually help Novak Djokovic? Novak Djokovic's bizarre 4th round exit at the US Open was no doubt frustrating for him as it robbed him of his 18th grand slam title. At the same time, it gave Djokovic more time to rest and recuperate before the French Open. Djokovic comes into this year's French Open having won the ATP 1000 Masters event in Rome, so he's got some momentum now. This was his 5th title in Rome and his record 36th Masters title. Winning the US Open and then running it back at the French Open wouldn't have been easy, so perhaps getting some extra time off will help him as he heads into this event. Not that he's glad he exited New York the way that he did. 

#2. Will Simona Halep benefit from skipping the US Open? Simona Halep made the decision to not play in the US Open and now comes into the French Open as the top seed in the event, making her the de facto favorite. Halep won the French Open back in 2018, so she knows what it takes to win this event. If she does indeed go on to win, there will be many who'll say it was smart for her to skip the US Open and focus her energies on the French. Especially since her best run at the US Open was a run to the semis in 2015. 

#3. Will Rafael Nadal benefit from skipping the US Open? Rafael Nadal is the King of Clay and no doubt made a strategic decision to skip the US Open this year so as to get ready for the French Open and stay more rested. Winning the US Open and then French Open would not be easy for anyone, even Nadal, who won both events last year. I think he probably made the right call since the French Open is his bread and butter event. If Nadal does win the French Open as he is expected to do, he'll tie Roger Federer with most grand slam titles ever (20).

#4. Can Victoria Azarenka make another deep run at a grand slam? After her run to the US Open final, it'll be interesting to see if Victoria Azarenka can back that up with a deep run in Paris. The furthest she's gone at the French Open is the semifinals back in 2013, so I think for her, if she could duplicate that success in 2020, she'd be very happy. One thing that will help her a bit is she comes into the French Open seeded 10th whereas at the US Open, she was unseeded. My prediction is she'll have a good tournament, but bow out either in the 4th round or quarterfinals. I hope I'm wrong. It would be awesome if she reached the semifinals or even went so far as to win the whole thing. 

#5. Will Dominic Thiem benefit from his US Open title? Dominic Thiem comes in as the #3 seed and as the 2020 US Open champion, so he does have some momentum on his side for sure. At the same time, he's on Rafael Nadal's half of the draw, making a run to the final a tough hill to climb. It will be interesting to see how Thiem plays early on and if he can build on his grand slam title in New York to knock off Nadal in the semis and win his second career grand slam. 

#6. Will Serena Williams make a deep run? Serena Williams hasn't won the French Open since 2015 and is really more of a hard court/grass player than a clay player. She comes in as the #6 seed and certainly is expected to go deep on those grounds alone. However, an early exit could happen if she's not careful. The first couple of rounds will be critical as she'll look to establish her footing and get into a good groove on the dirt. 

#7. Will Alexander Zverev build on his strong US Open performance? Alexander Zverev made a real breakthrough by reaching the final of the US Open, showing that he truly deserves the top ten ranking that he has. Now that he's made a grand slam final, there will be some pressure for him to reach the semis...aside from the fact that Nadal stands in his way as a possible quarterfinals opponent. If Zverev can at least reach the quarterfinals and give Nadal a good fight, he should feel good about his tournament and eye an even deeper run at the Australian Open come January. 

#8. Can Coco Gauff make any noise? After reaching the 4th round at Wimbledon and the 3rd round of the US Open in 2019, a lot of people expected even bigger things for Coco Gauff in 2020. Gauff appeared to pick things up right where she left off in 2020 with a run to the 4th round at the Australian Open, but at the US Open last month, she went out in the 1st round. Personally, I think it would be huge if Gauff could at least win a pair of matches and reach the 3rd round at the French Open, an event that she's never won a 1st round match in. If it's another 1st round exit for Gauff, there will be some chatter about whether or not she's worthy of the hype. 

#9. Look for Rafael Nadal to win the men's title: At the end of the day, is there anyone else worth picking to win it on the men's side? Rafael Nadal has won 12 of his 19 grand slam titles at the French Open and is the undisputed greatest player to ever play on clay. It's not even close. Until he retires, he'll always be my pick to win it all at Roland Garros. 

#10. Look for Garbiñe Muguruza to win the women's title: This is coming a bit out of left field, but Garbiñe Muguruza comes in as the 11th seed in the women's draw and has won the French Open before in 2016. On top of that, she reached the Australian Open final earlier this year, so she's still more than capable of being a threat to win grand slams. It's kind of an odd pick I know, but I got a feeling Muguruza is going to leave Paris with her second French Open title and her third grand slam title (2017 Wimbledon is her second). 

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10 things to take away from the 2020 US Open

 

                                              (Credit: Reuters/USA Today Sports) 

The 2020 US Open resulted in Naomi Osaka winning her third grand slam title and Dominic Thiem winning his first. Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the women's singles final while Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 in the men's singles final. Below is my list of 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were in New York. 

#1. Dominic Thiem is the real deal: After losing his first three grand slam finals, Dominic Thiem finally broke through at the 2020 US Open. Thiem played an incredibly gritty match against Zverev and showed that he is worthy of winning a grand slam title. What made this all the more impressive is the fact that Thiem came back from two sets down and did it on a surface that hasn't always been his best. Originally better on clay, Thiem is now arguably even better on the hard courts. A true testament to his work ethic and dedication. As for how many more grand slams Thiem will win, I think he'll get at least a couple more. He's not going away any time soon. 

#2. Naomi Osaka is the best women's tennis player in the world: Serena Williams is the GOAT, but she is no longer the best women's tennis player in the world. That title belongs to Naomi Osaka, who now has three grand slam titles under her belt. I think there were some who wondered if Osaka's first US Open title was a fluke, but now, I think it's clear that she is no fluke and is a force to be reckoned with. The only area that Osaka needs to improve in is winning away from the hard courts. She's not reached the 4th Round at the French Open or Wimbledon. Once she figures out how to win on the clay and grass, there'll be no stopping her. 

Note: Osaka will be skipping the 2020 French Open due to a hamstring injury. 

#3. Alexander Zverev has arrived: Despite his lofty, top five ranking, Alexander Zverev had not been to a grand slam final until this year's US Open and he had just one semifinal under his belt (2020 Australian Open). A lot of people including myself wanted to see him back up his ranking and make deeper runs in majors and he certainly did that this time by reaching the final and getting within one set of winning his first grand slam. It's disappointing that he didn't finish the job, but on the flip side, I think he made a lot of progress in reaching the final and getting as close as he did. Zverev has finally arrived for real and he's only going to get better. 

#4. Victoria Azarenka is back: Victoria Azarenka reached her first major final since the 2013 US Open. It's been a while! She's been dealing with a lot of off court issues like custody battles for her son and a romantic relationship gone sour. With that all finally resolved and somewhat in the rear view mirror, Azarenka is back focusing on what she loves, which is playing elite level tennis. This was the first time in years that she looked like the old Vika and it was really exciting to see. If she keeps this up, she could be in for a renaissance of sorts and a couple more grand slam titles. 

#5. Novak Djokovic blew a HUGE opportunity: The big story of the first week of the US Open was the way that Novak Djokovic exited the tournament, having to default his fourth round match against Pablo Carreño Busta due to accidentally hitting a line official in the throat with a tennis ball that he whacked in frustration. It was an accident, but still, according to the rules he had to default the match. With Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both sitting this one out, Djokovic came in as the heavy favorite and probably would have won the event had he not defaulted. To not win this tournament really hurts Djokovic. Especially when you consider that a win would have given Djokovic 18 grand slam titles, one shy of Nadal (19) and two shy of Federer (20). 

#6. Serena Williams also blew it: Time is running out for Serena Williams (23) to tie Margaret Court's record (24) for most grand slam titles ever. I still think Williams will get it done, but to not win this event stings. She lost in three sets to Azarenka in the semifinals and had an opportunity to show she's still the best in the world. Instead, she looked like she was kinda running out of steam a bit. With each passing year, it's going to get harder for Serena to tie that record and pass Court, so this is definitely a tournament she would like to have back. 

#7. Men's tennis will be fine after the big three retire: Don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer retire any time soon. They're legends of the sport and the longer they play, the better. That said, I think the 2020 US Open showed that when those guys do decide to hang it up, the men's game will still be exciting. Thiem and Zverev played a fabulous final and showed that they too can put on a show. 

#8. Karolina Pliskova is another player who "blew it": You should be sensing a theme from the 2020 US Open. Key players "blowing it." Another one who "blew it" is Karolina Pliskova, who came in as the #1 seed. Rather than making a deep run and taking advantage of her top seed, Pliskova lost in the second round to Caroline Garcia. Pliskova has never won a grand slam and hasn't reached a grand slam final since her lone grand slam finals appearance at the 2016 US Open. When you consider the fact that some key names like Simona Halep sat this one out, Pliskova truly had a golden opportunity to win her first grand slam and she didn't even come close to getting it done. Major disappointment for her. 

#9. Daniil Medvedev had a bit of a setback: After the way he battled against Rafael Nadal in last year's final, I think everyone expected Daniil Medvedev to win this tournament once Djokovic defaulted. Instead, he bowed out in straight sets to the eventual champion Thiem in the semis. He still had a solid tournament, but not going as deep as he did last year and not taking advantage of Djokovic's folly is a bit of a disappointment and setback for him. He'll bounce back, though. 

#10. Sofia Kenin needs to regroup: After winning the 2020 Australian Open and coming in as the #2 seed, I think there were a lot of people who thought Sofia Kenin, an American, could back up her title in Australia with a US Open title. Kinda like what Naomi Osaka did when she won the Austrian Open right after she won her first US Open. Instead of picking up her second grand slam title, Kenin lost in the 4th Round to #16 Elise Mertens in straight sets. Kenin needs to regroup a bit after this disappointing US Open and see if she can recapture the magic she had in Australia. 

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10 things to take away from the 2020 Australian Open

                                         (Credit: Australian Open) 

With the 2020 Australian Open now in the books, it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the first grand slam of the year. Enjoy!

#1. Novak Djokovic is the GOAT Down Under: Novak Djokovic picked up his 8th Australian Open title and his 17th grand slam title overall. He is 8-0 in Australian Open finals, once again reminding us that he owns this event. Something about the hard courts of Australia and the timing of the event brings out the very best in him. As a result of this title, Djokovic has reclaimed the world #1 ranking from Rafael Nadal. It's shaping up to be another fun race for #1 in 2020!

#2. Sofia Kenin is the real deal: Sofia Kenin showed she belonged among the world's best by winning her first grand slam title at the Australian Open. She defeated world #1 Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals and then defeated two-time grand slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza in the final. While other young Americans have struggled to win grand slams, Kenin got it done, becoming the youngest American to win a grand slam in 17.5 years (Serena Williams). Expect this to be the first of many grand slam titles for Kenin, who is now ranked #7 in the world.

#3. Dominic Thiem is knocking on the door: Dominic Thiem reached his third grand slam final, losing to Novak Djokovic in five sets. Thiem played a fabulous match against Djokovic and nearly pulled off the upset. While he didn't accomplish what we wanted to, Thiem is getting closer to winning his first grand slam. Defeating Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals has to give him a lot of confidence. Especially with the French Open coming up.

#4. Garbiñe Muguruza is back: Coming into the tournament as an unseeded player, Garbiñe Muguruza looked like a long shot to win the tournament. Instead, she showed why she's a two-time grand slam champion, reaching the final and forcing Kenin to beat her in three sets. Considering that she's won the French Open and Wimbledon, Muguruza should absolutely be considered a contender going into both events.

#5. Alexander Zverev made big strides: There have been a lot questions about Alexander Zverev over the last couple of years. He's been ranked as high as #3 in the world, but until this year's Australian Open, he had never reached a grand slam semifinal. That changed as he reached the semifinals, losing to Dominic Thiem in four sets. In order to reach the semifinal, Zverev had to beat former Australian Open and three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals. Even though he came up short of his goal of winning it all, Zverev has to feel good about where he's at after such a strong tournament.

#6. Ashleigh Barty should have a strong 2020: Even though she didn't win it all, Ashleigh Barty should feel good about this tournament overall. She reached the semifinals losing to the eventual champion and for the most part backed up her #1 ranking. Look for her to be a real force come the French Open when she looks to defend her crown.

#7. Nick Kyrgios grew up: Even though he lost in the 4th round, Nick Kyrgios should feel good about his tournament. For starters, no shame in losing to Nadal. Secondly, he won a lot of fans with his classy play and his tribute to the late Kobe Bryant by wearing his jersey before the Nadal match. At just 24 years of age, Kyrgios appears to finally be figuring things out. Hopefully he can build on this and have a strong 2020 season.

#8. Naomi Osaka has some soul searching to do: Naomi Osaka went out in the 3rd round and saw her ranking fall to #10 in the world. After winning the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open, Osaka hasn't gotten back to the quarterfinals at a grand slam. I don't doubt that she'll figure things out and get back on track, but for now, she's gotta do a little soul searching and figure out how to get out of this grand slam funk.

#9. Roger Federer is still a force: Even though he lost in straight sets to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, the very fact that Roger Federer reached the semifinals is a testament to his longevity and greatness. I don't see Federer threaten to win the French Open, but you can best believe he's eyeing Wimbledon with a lot of anticipation.

#10. Serena Williams should be disappointed: Serena Williams lost in the third round to Qiang Wang. First off, congrats to Wang on the huge win. I don't want to gloss over that. But as far as Serena is concerned, she's eying Margaret Court's record and to go out in the third round like she did is disappointing. She came in as the 8th seed and was picked by many (including myself) to win it all. Hopefully she'll regroup and make a stronger push at the French Open and beyond.

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10 things to look for at the 2018 French Open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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10 things to take away from the 2017 French Open

With the 2017 French Open now in the books, it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were at Roland Garros. While there were concerns coming in about the absences of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Roger Federer, it still proved to be an exciting event.

#1. Rafael Nadal is back: After having not won the title at Roland Garros since 2014, Rafael Nadal is once again the champion of the sole grand slam on clay, defeating Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the final. Rafa has won 10 titles at Roland Garros and 15 grand slam titles overall. The King of Clay returned to excellence, dominating the event for two full weeks. Dominic Thiem, the man who everyone thought had a great chance at dethroning Nadal, fell in straight sets 3-6, 4-6, 0-6 when the two faced off. Regardless of what happens to Nadal the rest of the year, all appears to be right in the tennis world with him back on top at his favorite event.

#2. Jelena Ostapenko has arrived: At just 20 years of age, Jelena Ostapenko captured her first career grand slam title, defeating Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final. With the title, she has now elevated herself to #12 in the world after coming into the event outside the Top 32. Ostapenko made some strides at the Australian Open, reaching the third round, but nobody saw this coming. The big question now is how will she respond at Wimbledon, which is only a couple of weeks away? I'll address that more in my Wimbledon preview, but for now I want to simply acknowledge that a new star may have been born in Jelena Ostapenko.

#3. Stan Wawrinka doesn't need to thrive at Roland Garros tune-up events: Stan Wawrinka failed to reach the quarterfinals at all three masters events on clay. However, that didn't stop him from reaching the final. I found Wawrinka's run to the final to be very impressive considering his lack of success on the dirt coming into the event. Wawrinka reminded us that he's a three-time grand slam champion for a reason.

#4. Can Simona Halep get it done? I hate to bring up the topic of choking when it comes to any elite level athlete, but with Simona Halep it's time we start addressing this head on. She's #2 in the world and lost to an unseeded player in the final. She's come close to winning grand slams on multiple occasions, reaching the French Open final twice (2014 & 2017) and the semifinals at Wimbledon (2014) and the US Open (2015) once.  But for whatever reason she has failed to win a grand slam title. After failing to capitalize on such a golden opportunity, it's fair to wonder whether or not she's got what it takes to win one.

#5. Will a French Open title always elude Andy Murray? Andy Murray doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. He has two Wimbledon titles and one US Open title. He's also reached the Australian Open final five times, so there's good reason to think he'll breakthrough down under at some point. As far as the French Open is concerned, he has found the least success there. He's reached the final just once (2016) and lost in the semifinals this year to Stan Wawrinka. I think it's fair to wonder whether or not Murray will ever be able to get it done at Roland Garros considering that it is by far his weakest grand slam event.

#6. Caroline Wozniacki blew a golden opportunity to win her first grand slam. Caroline Wozniacki lost to the eventual champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 2-6, 2-6 in the quarterfinals, really blowing a golden opportunity to win her first grand slam title. The 11 seeded Wozniacki didn't have Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, or Victoria Azarenka to contend with. It was a wide open draw and a perfect opportunity for her to capture her first grand slam title. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to get the job done and truly does appear to be destined for a career without a grand slam title. She's becoming the modern day Tim Henman of women's tennis.

#7. Should we have expected more from Dominic Thiem? After defeating Rafael Nadal on clay earlier this season, many thought Dominic Thiem had good odds of giving Nadal a serious run for his money at Roland Garros. Unfortunately for Thiem, he fell to Nadal 3-6, 4-6, 0-6 in the semifinals, failing to put up much of a fight. While Thiem did have a good tournament overall, his inability to get one set off of Nadal is pretty disappointing considering all the hype he had coming into the event.

#8. Would Maria Sharapova be the champion had Roland Garros let her play? I don't want to take anything away from Jelena Ostapenko, who had a fantastic event and deservedly won her first grand slam title. All the same, I can't help but wonder whether or not Maria Sharapova would have won the event considering how weak the field was. I guess we'll never know.

#9. How much trouble is Novak Djokovic in? Going down in the quarterfinals is not how Novak Djokovic wanted the French Open to go. The addition of Andre Agassi to his team did not produce the desired results. After falling in the 2nd round at the Australian Open and the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, Djokovic finds himself as the #4 player in the world. With Wimbledon only a couple of weeks away, he better find some answers fast before he's looking back on early exits in the first three grand slams of the year.

#10.  Garbiñe Muguruza didn't do a good job defending her title. After winning the French Open last year, many expected another deep run from Garbiñe Muguruza. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, she got bounced in the 4th round by Kristina Mladenovic. While a 4th round exit isn't terrible, Muguruza didn't live up to her standards, either. She knows she should have done a better job defending her title. Especially considering the absences of so many top players.

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