10 things to look for at the 2024 French Open

 

The 2024 French Open is beginning on Sunday, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for in Paris. If you have not yet seen the draws, click here. Alrighty, let's get started. 

#1. Can Rafael Nadal make any noise? Rafael Nadal is likely playing in his final French Open and as a result of his ranking falling, he will open up against No. 4 Alexander Zverev. Smart money is on Zverev to advance, but given that Nadal is the King of Clay, it would be foolish to rule him out. If Nadal could find a way to even reach the 4th round, Paris will be going nuts. 

#2. Can anyone stop Iga Swiatek? Iga Swiatek comes in as the number one ranked player in the world having won the French Open three times. She's won the event back-to-back years and will be gunning for her fourth French Open crown, her third straight French Open crown, and her fifth overall grand slam title.  She's definitely the favorite to win it on the women's side. Will anyone stop her? That's the question. 

#3. Can Novak Djokovic defend his crown? Novak Djokovic comes in as the top seed on the men's side. He's ranked number one in the world and is hoping to win his 25th grand slam title and his fourth French Open. He won the French Open last year, so is coming in as the defending champion. While he's won back-to-back Wimbledons and back-to-back Australian Opens, Djokovic has never won the French Open back-to-back times. Same with the US Open. It'll be interesting to see if he can buck that trend this year. 

#4. Can Aryna Sabalenka contend? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the number two ranked player in the world having reached the semifinals of the French Open last year. She has won the Australian Open twice and is looking for her first French Open title and third grand slam. If you're talking about who has the best chance to beat Swiatek, Sabalenka's name comes up. Having said that, Swiatek is 8-3 all-time against Sabalenka. If Sabalenka is going to beat Swiatek, she's going to have to play her absolute best assuming they do meet in the final. 

#5. Can Jannik Sinner build on his Australian Open victory? Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open this year and is now looking for his second grand slam title. A calendar slam is theoretically in play for him though I think everyone would be shocked if he pulled that off. Being Italian, you would think clay would be one of his better surfaces but he's actually struggled on the dirt. At least at Roland Garros. His lone quarterfinals appearance came in 2020 and last year he lost in the 2nd round. It'll be interesting to see if Sinner is able to make a deep run or if he'll flame out early. I could see it going either way, though if I had to guess, I think he'll be at least make it to the Round of 16 (4th round). 

#6. Can Coco Gauff go the distance? If you are talking contenders on the women's side, Coco Gauff is a major name to keep an eye on. She is ranked No. 3 in the world and won the US Open in 2023. While she is an American, she loves the clay and reached the French Open final in 2022. I do feel she's going to win a French Open at some point. The only question is when. Will this be the year? We'll just have to find out. 

#7. How will Stefanos Tsitsipas perform? Stefanos Tsitsipas comes in as the number nine ranked player in the world. He reached the French Open final in 2021, the semifinals in 2020, and the quarterfinals in 2023. He is yet to win a grand slam, but he keeps knocking on the door. He's a guy who I think has a chance to go all the way, but it's a matter of him staying consistent and getting a break or two along the way. It would be fun to see him pull it off. 

#8. Does Jelena Ostapenko have what it takes to win it again? Jelena Ostapenko is a former French Open champion, winning it back in 2017 as a teenager. She comes in as the number nine seed, so she should be getting a pretty good draw. She's been playing good tennis lately to get that seed, but for whatever reason she has never been able to contend at the French Open since winning it all. She's been bounced in the 2nd round back-to-back years and the furthest she has gone since her title is the 3rd round in 2020. It'll be interesting to see if this year can be any different for her. 

#9. Can Carlos Alcaraz carry the Spanish torch for Rafael Nadal? While Rafael Nadal is looking like a long shot to win the French Open, there's another Spaniard who has a great opportunity in Carlos Alcaraz, who is ranked number three in the world. Alcaraz has won the US Open and Wimbledon already, making him half-way to the career slam at just 21 years of age. He reached the semifinals of the French Open last year, so he's gaining confidence on the dirt. It would be fitting in a way if Nadal's final French Open resulted in him passing the torch onto Alcaraz. That would be pretty cool (though not as cool as Nadal winning it all, of course). 

#10. How does Naomi Osaka perform? After taking all of last year off, Naomi Osaka is back, though she didn't make much noise with her 1st round exit at the Australian Open. Still, she is back and that's exciting for the sport. Given all four of her grand slams have come on the hard courts, it might not be fair to expect much from her at the French Open. Especially since she's never gotten out of the 3rd round. Still, it's worth paying attention to how she does given she's such a big name in the sport. 

Prediction: I gotta roll with Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek to win it all. Alcaraz's time to win the French Open I think is now and I think the emotion of this likely being Nadal's final French Open might prove to help lift him a bit given they are both from Spain. As for Swiatek, she owns this tournament. She's won it three times and going for her fourth. I can't pick against her. 

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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 2019 French Open

The first round of the 2019 French Open (Roland Garros) begins on Sunday, which means it is time for me to list my 10 things to look for. If you have not yet taken a peek at the draw, click here to check it out.

#1. Can Alexander Zverev make a deep run? One of the things I'll be curious to see is if Alexander Zverev can build on his run to the quarterfinals last year (the furthest he's gone in a grand slam). Ranked #5 in the world, Zverev is a guy that should have made at least one grand slam semifinal by now, so it does seem like he's due for one anytime now. If you're going to pick a place for him to finally break through, what better place than Roland Garros? I don't like to put the heat on guys, but Zverev should be feeling a lot of pressure going into this tournament.

#2. Can Naomi Osaka win her third straight grand slam? Naomi Osaka has turned a new leaf since her last time out at Roland Garros (3rd round exit in 2018). She's won the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open, which means she's gunning for an "Osaka Slam" right now. The big question mark going into this event and the rest of the season is how she'll do now that she's split with her coach Sascha Bajin, with whom she won both of her grand slam titles. Personally, I don't expect Osaka to win the tournament just because clay hasn't been her best surface. If she can prove me wrong and win it all, she'll be on one of the greatest runs in modern tennis history.

#3. Roger Federer is back! The last time Roger Federer played at Roland Garros was 2015, where he made a run to the quarterfinals. He skipped the event in 2016, 2017, and 2018 to rest and get himself ready for Wimbledon. This time, he's deciding to return to the dirt and see if he can perhaps win a second title in Paris. He played his first clay tournament in three years at the Madrid Open earlier this year, where he fell in the quarterfinals to Dominic Thiem. He had a similar result at the Italian Open in Rome, falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals due to a right leg injury. These recent results don't suggest he'll be much of a contender, but all the same it's fun to have him back. It makes things more interesting at the very least.

#4. Can Serena Williams get back in the winner's circle? I'm confident that Serena Williams has more grand slams to win, but whether or not she'll win another one at Roland Garros is a big question mark. Relative to the other grand slams, Roland Garros has proven to be a tough event for Serena. She's won it three times (2002, 2013, and 2015) and plays an aggressive style that the dirt doesn't always reward. Seeded 10th, I think Serena has to be considered a contender, but I don't expect her to come out victorious.

#5. Can Novak Djokovic take down Rafael Nadal? Novak Djokovic comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world and viewed by many as the biggest threat to Rafael Nadal's quest for a 12th Roland Garros title. He's beaten Nadal at Roland Garros before (2015) and has one Roland Garros title under his belt (2016), so the hype is definitely warranted. I got my money on Nadal to win it all, but if there's anyone that he should be concerned about it's definitely "The Joker."

#6. Can Simona Halep defend her title? Simona Halep finds herself in a position she's never been in before: Defending champion at a grand slam. After years of seeking her first grand slam title, she finally broke through at the 2018 French Open. Now, the question is can she defend her crown and start to establish some dominance in Paris.

#7. Can Dominic Thiem go the distance? In last year's French Open final, Dominic Thiem fell to Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the final. He's been eying this tournament all year long and is eager to prove he can win it all in Paris. While Djokovic is the biggest threat to Nadal in my eyes, Thiem is right there behind him. His run to the final last year was impressive and with more experience under his belt, it's not crazy to think this could be the year Thiem wins his first of what is expected to be several Roland Garros titles.

#8. Does Jelena Ostapenko have any magic left? Jelena Ostapenko has had a very interesting tennis career thus far. In 2017, she won her first grand slam title at the French Open right before her 20th birthday. Since then, she has fallen off the map relative to her expectations. She hasn't won a grand slam title since and lost in the first round of the 2018 French Open, doing a terrible job at defending her title. Currently ranked #40 in the world, it'll be interesting if she can make a deep run this year and get herself back in the Top 25. When discussing contenders at this year's French Open, it would be foolish to rule her out given her success just two years ago.

#9. Look for Rafael Nadal to win his 12th Roland Garros title: So long as Rafael Nadal continues to breath air and play on tour, I will pick him to win the French Open every time. His dominance at this event is simply ridiculous. The only thing that can stand in his way is health. If he's able to stay healthy and not get worn down by the event, he'll win it all again. He is without question the greatest clay court tennis player of all-time and deserves to be the heavy favorite.

#10. Look for Karolina Pliskova to win her first grand slam title: Picking the winner of the women's singles tournament at Roland Garros is a really difficult task. In the last five years, we've seen five different champions (Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Garbiñe Muguruza, Jelena Ostapenko, and Simona Halep). So it really is anybody's guess of as to who will in it. If there's one thing that we can bank on, it's probably going to be someone who has never won it before, which is why I'm rolling with Karolina Pliskova. She's the #2 ranked player in the world and has found some success on the dirt, reaching the semifinals at Roland Garros back in 2017. If there's a player that fits the profile of what type of winner we should expect on the women's side, Pliskova fits as much as anyone.

#11. David Ferrer will be missed: David Ferrer retired at the Madrid Open earlier this year as opposed to playing one more Roland Garros. While he never won a grand slam title, Ferrer had an amazing career, reaching the 2013 French Open final and the semifinals at five additional grand slams (Australian Open in 2011 and 2013, French Open in 2012, and the US Open in 2007 and 2012).

Ferrer should be not be defined by what he didn't accomplish, but rather by what he did accomplish. Listed at 5'9", Ferrer overcame his lack of physical tools to get ranked as high as #3 in the world and embodied a fighting spirit that every athlete should strive to have. I certainly hope he gets inducted into the tennis hall of fame. He deserves it.

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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 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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2017 Wimbledon Preview: 10 things to look for

With Wimbledon beginning on Monday, now is the time for me to make my list of 10 things to look for at the third Grand Slam of the tennis season. Enjoy!

#1. Can Andy Murray repeat at Wimbledon? Andy Murray comes into Wimbledon having lost in the semifinals at Roland Garros. He is the #1 ranked player in the world and is the defending Wimbledon champion. Murray has three grand slam titles under his belt (2012 US Open, 2013 Wimbledon, and 2016 Wimbledon). He has never won the same grand slam in back-to-back years. If he accomplishes that at Wimbledon that will be another major achievement in what is already a hall of fame career.

#2. Can Angelique Kerber bounce back from a disappointing French Open? Angelique Kerber comes into Wimbledon as the #1 ranked player in the world, but her performance at Roland Garros was disappointing, losing in the first round. With Simona Halep right behind her in the rankings, Kerber cannot afford to go out early at Wimbledon. Especially since she has a lot of points to defend, reaching the final last year.

#3. Will the rest pay off for Roger Federer? After winning the Australian Open, Roger Federer decided to skip the French Open so as to be more prepared and rested for Wimbledon. Federer skipped Roland Garros in 2016 as well and went on to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon, so that gives us good reason to think it won’t negatively affect him this year.

#4. How will Jelena Ostapenko perform under the spotlight? After winning her first grand slam title last month at Roland Garros, Jelena Ostapenko is under the greatest spotlight she’s ever experienced. A lot of players have struggled in their next grand slam following their first grand slam title. If Ostapenko can make it to the second week, I’ll be very impressed.

#5. How deep will Novak Djokovic go? Currently ranked #4 in the world, Novak Djokovic is in a funk by his standards. He lost in the 2^nd round at the Australian Open and went down in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. It would be huge for Djokovic to find himself back in a grand slam final after his recent struggles. He really can’t afford to stay in this funk for much longer.

#6. What should we expect from Victoria Azarenka? After having a baby, Victoria Azarenka is back at a grand slam. Currently ranked #678 in the world, it’s hard to know what to expect from the former world #1. The good news for her is that Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are both absent, giving her an opportunity to make a deep run. If I had to place odds on it, I’d say it’s 50/50 odds we see her playing into the second week.

#7. Can Rafael Nadal shock the world and actually win this thing? I know it sounds weird to phrase a Rafael Nadal grand slam title as “shocking” when you consider that he’s won 15. But in truth, it would be rather shocking to see Nadal come out on top at Wimbledon. He hasn’t won the event since 2010 and has only advanced past the 2^nd round once since 2011, making a 4^th round appearance in 2014. It will be very impressive if Nadal finds a way to seriously contend.

#8. Can Venus Williams put aside the car accident? Venus Williams has been dealing with a lot off the court lately, being found responsible for the death of a 78 year old man via a car crash. While what Williams did was an honest mistake and not even technically “criminal”, it still must be hard for her to go out and play tennis with such a cloud hanging over her head. If it wasn’t for this, I would consider her my dark horse to win the event, but right now, I’m not sure if it’s smart to expect her to win more than a couple of matches.

#9. Look for Roger Federer to win it all on the men’s side: After winning the 2017 Australian Open, I’m a firm believer in Roger Federer’s ability to come out on top at this year’s Wimbledon. He’s well rested and appears dialed in to win this thing. He’s the greatest to ever play the sport and also the greatest grass court player of all time. I got my money on Fed.

#10. Look for Johanna Konta to win it all on the women’s side: It’s hard to know who to pick to win the women’s title with Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams both out. Nobody appears to be a clear frontrunner right now, so I’m going to go out on a limb and pick Johanna Konta to win it all. She’s the #6 seed and will have the backing of the Great Britain crowd behind her as the top ranked Brit in the women’s draw. You can call me crazy, but I have Konta winning this thing.

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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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