10 things to take away from 2021 Wimbledon

 

                                                  (Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports) 

2021 Wimbledon is now behind us, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were in London. The top seed in both the gentlemen's and ladies' singles draw won the championship, making it somewhat unique in that sense. #1 Novak Djokovic defeated #7 Matteo Berrettini 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the gentlemen's singles final while #1 Ashleigh Barty defeated #8 Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 in the ladies' singles final. 

#1. Novak Djokovic is on path to being the GOAT: Novak Djokovic now has 20 grand slam singles titles, tied for most all-time on the men's side with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He also now has six Wimbledon titles, two back of Federer's all-time mark of eight. While there will always be those who say Federer is the greatest of all-time and to a lesser extent Nadal, it's clear at this point that Djokovic is on path to being the greatest men's tennis player of all-time. He's already tied Federer and Nadal and he is the youngest of the three. There's no reason to doubt that he'll walk out with at least 5+ more grand slam titles and with the US Open just around the corner, he has a chance to finish the year with 21 grand slam titles and hold the record outright. 

When you consider that Djokovic has done this in the era of Federer/Nadal that just makes it all the more amazing. He's never not known having them in front of him, which raises the scary question of what his numbers would look like if they weren't around. Before attempting to complete the calendar slam later this summer at the US Open, Djokovic first heads to Tokyo for the Olympics where he will attempt to get a gold medal, setting up the possibility of a calendar golden slam. It'll be fun to see if Djokovic can pull that off. 

#2. Ashleigh Barty backed up her #1 ranking: Going into Wimbledon, Ashleigh Barty held the world #1 ranking on the women's side, but she did so without having won a grand slam in the past 12 months. She had won a grand slam before at the 2019 French Open, so that helped boost her resume a bit, but still, if you are world #1 without a grand slam title in the past 12 months, some may feel your ranking isn't legit. By winning Wimbledon, Barty backed up her #1 ranking and showed that she is deserving of the world #1 ranking that she holds. She will even further solidify that ranking if she can win a gold medal in Tokyo and/or win the US Open later this summer. 

#3. Roger Federer could be done: Roger Federer's plan to withdraw from Roland Garros after his 4th round match win in order to save his body for Wimbledon didn't go as planned. He exited in the quarterfinals to Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, casting doubts about his long-term outlook. Personally, I think Federer will play one more season as a farewell tour of sorts, giving the tournaments a chance to say one final goodbye to him. 

In terms of whether or not he has one more grand slam title up his sleeves, I think it's unlikely though it is possible that he will be able to get one more. Maybe at this year's US Open, which has historically been the most unpredictable tournament on the men's side for the past few years now. Regardless of how this all ends for Federer, he will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play the game, with some forever calling him the GOAT. 

#4. Serena Williams may never pass Margaret Court: While there isn't as much discussion about Serena Williams' future as there is about Roger Federer's, the truth is there is just as much reason if not more to wonder whether or not Serena is done winning grand slams. She hasn't won a grand slam since the 2017 Australian Open (Federer ironically has won two since then at 2017 Wimbledon and 2018 Australian Open) and she hasn't reached a final since 2019 (Wimbledon and US Open). Wimbledon was especially bad for her as she went down in the 1st round, appearing to injure her knee/ankle. 

As it stands, Serena has won 23 grand slam titles, one shy of Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24. When you consider the data I just presented, it's clear that it's quite possible that Serena is done winning grand slams. If you are a Serena fan looking for some hope, it should be noted that Serena reached the semifinals at the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open. She is better on hard court. So, there is good reason to think she can win another US Open and Australian Open. Still, father time is not on her side and she knows it. 

#5. Hubert Hurkacz could be the next big thing: I might be getting way ahead of myself here, but after reaching the semifinals and knocking off Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, Hubert Hurkacz deserves some love on here. He's only 24 years old and made a major breakthrough at Wimbledon. His previous best outing at a grand slam was reaching the 2nd round. It's of course possible that this was one magical run by Hurkacz and that's it, but if you watch him play, you know that there's more reason to think this is only the beginning for him. He has great size at 6'5", moves well, has confidence, and in general has a really good feel for the game. On top of that he's very poised and relaxed on the court. The US Open and Olympics will be a good test for him to see if he can keep the mojo going. 

#6. Can Karolina Pliskova build on her run to the final? Karolina Pliskova reached her second grand slam final (2016 US Open) after nearly five years. That's a bit surprising since she's one who we thought might even have a grand slam title by now. After reaching her first grand slam final, she didn't do much to build on that reaching just two semifinals until this most recent run to the final. Maybe this is the start of something new for Pliskova and she'll be a threat at the US Open and beyond, but for now I wouldn't hold my breath. 

#7. Matteo Berrettini is the real deal: If we're gonna talk about Hubert Hurkacz possibly being the next big thing, the same has to be asked of Matteo Berrettini after his trip to the gentlemen's final. It was his first trip to a grand slam final and his second trip to a grand slam semifinal (2019 US Open). On top of that, he had a very nice outing at Roland Garros, reaching the quarterfinals. The US Open has recently produced some surprise champions on the men's side (e.g. Dominic Thiem in 2020). Maybe Berrettini will win it all in New York later this year. That's certainly something I might address when my US Open preview comes rolling around. 

#8. Aryna Sabalenka is making progress: While she didn't win it all this year, Aryna Sabalenka's time could be coming soon. She reached her first career grand slam semifinal at Wimbledon and is starting to show that she has the confidence to go deep in grand slams. She came in as the #2 seed and overall backed up her ranking. This year's US Open will be big for her. 

#9. Stefanos Tsitsipas needs to figure out Wimbledon: In case you were wondering if Stefanos Tsitsipas' 1st round exit at Wimbledon can be simply be blamed on fatigue from a run to the French Open final, it doesn't look like that answer will suffice. Sure, it might be part of it, but Tsitsipas has never fared well at Wimbledon. The furthest he's gone at Wimbledon is the 4th round back in 2018. In 2017, 2019, and 2021, the result was the same: 1st round exit. While I don't doubt that Tsitsipas will figure out the grass in the future, at the moment, it does remain something that he needs to figure out if he wants to take his game to the next level. 

#10. It's amazing that Venus Williams is still playing: At 41 years of age, I just wanted to give Venus Williams a shout out for still playing on the tour! Not only that, she's still winning matches at grand slams! She won her first round match at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year. While she is long past her prime and no longer contending for slams, it's nice to see that she still has a love for the game and is out there playing. It certainly would be fun to have one more grand slam featuring Venus Williams in the second week. 

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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 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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To see the men's singles draw, click here. 

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