10 things to look for at the 2026 Australian Open

                                              (Credit: Mike Frey/Imagn Images) 

With the 2026 Australian Open already underway, I need to get my 10 things to look for posted ASAP. If you want to check out the draws, click here. Ok, let's get after it! 

#1. Can Jannik Sinner complete the three-peat? World No. 2 Jannik Sinner is gunning for a three-peat Down Under, having won the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025. He's certainly the heavy favorite to go all the way, but winning any grand slam three years in a row is no easy task. The record for most consecutive Australian Open titles during the Open Era is three by Novak Djokovic. Djokovic did it twice from 2011-13 and 2019-21. Sinner would be joining rarefied air if he were to complete a three-peat this year. A lot of it may end up coming down to how well world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz does (more on him later). 

 #2. Can Madison Keys defend her title? Madison Keys is the defending champion on the women's side, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. It's the only grand slam title Keys has ever won. She comes in ranked No. 9 in the world and obviously a contender. It'll be fun to see if she can defend her title and how far she goes. She had a first round exit at the US Open last year, so these first few rounds will be key for her to regain some confidence. She's already through the first round in straight sets, so she's off to a good start. 

#3. Can Carlos Alcaraz complete the career slam? The furthest world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has gone in the Australian Open is the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025. It's the only grand slam he is yet to win. At some point, I think he's going to break through Down Under and go all the way. The question is when will that breakthrough happen? For whatever reason, he hasn't been able to get past the quarterfinals. It's really important for him to win with confidence during the first few rounds and enter the second week of the tournament with as much momentum as possible. 

#4. Can Aryna Sabalenka win her third Australian Open title? Aryna Sabalenka is ranked No. 1 in the world and is gunning for her third Australian Open title after losing in the final to Madison Keys last year. Sabalenka is likely the favorite the go all the way. She's already won the title twice in 2023 and 2024 and reached the final last year. If she's able to win her third Aussie Open title this year, that would truly be a fantastic way for her to start the season and remind everyone who is number one. 

 #5. Can Alexander Bublik keep the momentum going from Hong Kong? World No. 10 Alexander Bublik is coming off a strong performance in Hong Kong, winning the title at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open. He's never gotten past the 2nd round at the Australian Open, so if he can win two matches that in and of itself will be progress. I look forward to seeing how he does. If he does make a run, I think we'll be able to look back at his title in Hong Kong as the catalyst. 

#6. Can Iga Swiatek complete the career slam? While Carlos Alcaraz is gunning for a career slam on the men's side, Iga Swiatek is doing the same on the women's side. The furthest she's gone at the Australian Open is the semifinals in 2022 and 2025, so she's gone further than Alcaraz has. I feel like at some point, she's going to win an Australian Open title and complete the career slam. Will this be the year it happens? 

#7. Can Novak Djokovic still contend? At 38 years of age, Novak Djokovic is ranked No. 4 in the world, so on paper, he should be a serious contender to win it all. Especially since he has won the Australian Open a record 10 times. This is by far and away his best event. After winning it all in 2023, he reached the semifinals in 2024 and 2025. If Djokovic could get one more grand slam to get to No. 24, that would be pretty cool. If it's going to happen anywhere, the Australian Open would be the most fitting place for it to happen. 

#8. Can Naomi Osaka make a run? Ranked No. 17 in the world, Naomi Osaka is climbing her way back up the rankings. She won the Australian Open twice in 2019 and 2021, so she knows what it takes to win this event. It's just been a little while. If there's any dark horse on the women's side that could legitimately go the distance, it's Osaka. She reached the 3rd round at the Australian Open last year and reached the semifinals of the US Open. So she should be coming in with some momentum and confidence. 

#9.  Can Alexander Zverev break through to win his first grand slam? Alexander Zverev comes in ranked No. 3 in the world, reaching the Australian Open final last year. Given that Alcaraz hasn't reached the semifinals Down Under yet and Sinner's attempt to win three titles in a row is no easy task, there's an opportunity for Zverev here. He just has to make the most of his opportunities and hope that he gets a bit of luck in the draw.

#10. Can Coco Gauff break through to win her first Aussie Open? World No. 3 Coco Gauff is looking to win her first Australian Open title with US Open (2023) and French Open (2025) titles already under her belt. I feel like her time is coming Down Under. Especially after she reached the semifinals last year. If there's anyone that can most threaten to beat Sabalenka, on paper it's probably Gauff. 

Prediction: On the men's side, I gotta roll with Jannik Sinner. He's gunning for a third straight Australian Open title, knowing well what it takes to go the distance at this event. I think he does it again. As for the women's side, I have to pick Aryna Sabalenka. I think after not winning it last year, she'll be hungry to get back on top. The fact that she'll have that as extra motivation will make her even tougher to beat.  

 ATPGuy.com on X (Twitter): @atp_guy 

ATPGuy.com on Facebook: @ATPGuyNation 

ATPGuy.com on Bluesky: atpguydotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406  

 

10 things to look for at the 2025 US Open

 

The US Open actually began on Sunday, so I'm a bit late to getting this up. Below are my 10 things to look for at the 2025 US Open in New York. Click here to check out the draws in case you haven't yet seen them. Ok, let's dive in! 

#1. How healthy is Jannik Sinner? No. 1 Jannik Sinner pulled out of the final in the Cincinnati Open due to an illness, handing the title to No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. A lot of questions have swirled around about how healthy Sinner is and whether or not he'd even compete. Well, he's in the main draw and will give it a go. But will he stay healthy the entire tournament or could he be in for an early exit? The first couple rounds will tell us a lot. 

#2. Can Aryna Sabalenka defend her title? No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the defending champion with many picking her to defend her title. However, she did lose to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final earlier this year, unable to defend her title there. Sabalenka will be eager to not have that happen again and this time defend her crown. If she does, she'll be sending a message that she truly is the top hard court player in the game. 

#3. Does Novak Djokovic have one more slam in him? No. 7 Novak Djokovic has won 24 grand slams and is gunning for his 25th. He cruised to a 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 victory over Learner Tien in the first round, so he's off to a good start. The key for Djokovic will be to make sure he takes care of business in straight sets through the first four rounds. The less tennis he has to play, especially on the hard courts, the better. Djokovic has to make sure in these early rounds he doesn't get pushed. Otherwise, fatigue will certainly catch up with him in the later rounds. 

#4. Will Coco Gauff's coaching change pay off? No. 3 Coco Gauff fired her catch Matthew Daly just days before the US Open in a move that sent a bit of a shockwave through the tennis world. It's a bold move to make that only will look smart if she goes all the way. If she doesn't, it will look like a desperate move that should have at least waited until the end of the season. It certainly adds more pressure on Gauff to perform well at this tournament, but then again, maybe this will help her out mentally. Time will tell. 

#5. Can Carlos Alcaraz build on his win at Cincinnati? After winning the Cincinnati Open, Carlos Alcaraz comes into the US Open with a lot of momentum. But will it ultimately matter? If Sinner is not able to play to his full strength, one has to like Alcaraz's chances of winning it all. The only reason to pause is he hasn't won the US Open since 2022. It's a bit of a dry spell in New York that Alcaraz would love to end. 

#6. Can Iga Swiatek build on her win at Cincinnati? No. 2 Iga Swiatek defeated No. 7 Jasmine Paolini to win the Cincinnati Open. Just like Alcaraz, Swiatek is eager to build on the momentum she has coming into the tournament. Also like Alcaraz, she hasn't won the US Open since 2022. Will this be the year she wins it all again in New York? It should be interesting to see. 

#7. Can Alexander Zverev contend? No. 3 Alexander Zverev is still seeking his first grand slam title. He only reached the US Open final once in his career (2020), but he did reach the Australian Open final earlier this year. If Sinner is unable to go deep in the tournament, Zverev in theory should be the guy to take advantage as the number three guy in the world. But can he actually do it? That's the question. 

#8. Can Madison Keys threaten? After winning the Australian Open, No. 6 Madison Keys will look to wrap up the 2025 season how she started it: winning a hard court grand slam. Keys should have a lot more confidence in her US Open chances after the way she performed Down Under, but as a word of caution, she has only reached one US Open final in her career and that was back in 2017. If Keys does go the distance this year, that would be quite a story. 

#9. Can Taylor Fritz go the distance? If there's an American man to threaten to win it all this year, it would be No. 4 Taylor Fritz. Fritz reached the final last year and really fed off the American crowd. While not the same level of pressure that was on Andy Murray to win Wimbledon as a Brit, it has been 22 years since an American man won a grand slam (Andy Roddick, 2003 US Open). Fritz is the best chance the United States has to end that drought. It would be cool if he did. 

#10. Can Jessica Pegula go the distance? The number four seed on the women's side is also an American in Jessica Pegula. She reached the final last year just like Fritz did and is also in search of her first grand slam. It'll be interesting to see how she does and whether or not she can once again feed off the energy from the New York crowd. 

Prediction: I'm gonna pick both Cincinnati winners to win the US Open. I got Carlos Alcaraz winning on the men's side and Iga Swiatek winning on the women's side. They're both playing great tennis right now and seem eager to win a second US Open title. 

ATPGuy.com on Facebook: @ATPGuyNation 

ATPGuy.com on X (Twitter): @atp_guy 

ATPGuy.com on Bluesky: atpguydotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406 

10 things to look for at 2025 BNP Paribas Open | Indian Wells

 

                                             (Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images) 

The 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California is underway. I would like to provide my list of 10 things to look for at this year's event, which is often dubbed the 5th grand slam. To check out the draws, click here. 

#1. Can Taylor Fritz bounce back from his disappointing Australian Open? Taylor Fritz comes in as the No. 3 seed and No. 4 player in the world on the men's side. He did not have a particularly strong Australian Open as he went down in the 3rd round, meaning he needs to bounce back and not let that result linger. The good news for Fritz is he's won Indian Wells before back in 2022 and being from Southern California, he basically has home court advantage. If there's an event for Fritz to bounce back at, this is the one. How he does could be very telling for how the rest of his 2025 season will go. 

#2. Can Aryna Sabalenka win her first Indian Wells title and reestablish hard court dominance? Aryna Sabalenka comes in ranked No. 1 in the world and the top hard court player in the women's game. In this year's Australian Open, Sabalenka fell to Madison Keys in the final, unable to win her third straight Australian Open title and third straight hard court grand slam. Sabalenka seems fired up to win this event and remind the WTA tour that she's the best on the hard court surface. She also hasn't won this event before, reaching the final in 2023 where she lost to Elena Rybakina. So that's probably a big source of her motivation for winning. It'll be fun to see if she can go the distance. 

#3. Can Novak Djokovic prove he's still got it? I think there are some questions about whether or not Novak Djokovic still has what it takes to win more grand slams. Personally, I think he does, but it would be huge for him to win at Indian Wells just to give himself some momentum after losing in the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year. Djokovic has won Indian Wells five times, so he knows what it takes to win it. But, he hasn't won since 2016. It would be pretty cool if he won a sixth Indian Wells title. That would break the tie he has with Roger Federer, who also won five Indian Wells titles (tied for most all-time). 

#4. Can Madison Keys build on her Australian Open success? Madison Keys won her first grand slam at the Australian Open earlier this year, knocking off Aryna Sabalenka. It'll be interesting to see how Keys does at Indian Wells. She comes in as the No. 5 seed and thus should be in the mix to win the tournament. That said, she has never won this tournament nor has she reached the final. If she were to win this, that would really be sending a message to the rest of the WTA. 

#5. Can Ben Shelton make a run? Ben Shelton is coming into this tournament with some momentum having reached the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year. That was his second grand slam semifinal appearance (2023 US Open). He's the No. 11 seed in the tournament and shown an ability to get hot on the hard courts. If you want to talk a dark horse in this tournament to at least make a semifinal run, Shelton is absolutely a guy who could challenge. I look forward to seeing how this tournament goes for him. 

#6. Can Coco Gauff win her first Indian Wells title? Coco Gauff comes in as the No. 3 seed and thus a favorite to at least reach the semifinals. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this year, which was a bit disappointing for her since she's trying to win multiple grand slams after winning her first grand slam at the 2023 US Open. She's won a couple of WTA 1000 titles, but an Indian Wells title still eludes her. She did reach the semifinals last year, so she's certainly knocking on the door. Perhaps this will be the year she breaks through. 

#7. Will Alexander Zverev back up his seed? Alexander Zverev is the No. 2 ranked player in the world, but with Jannik Sinner serving a suspension for doping, Zverev is the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The question is will it matter? The furthest Zverev has gone at Indian Wells is the quarterfinals last year. Perhaps this will be the year that finally changes. If he could win this tournament, that would be a huge boost to his confidence heading into Miami where he reached the final back in 2022. 

#8. Can Paula Badosa win her second Indian Wells title? Paula Badosa comes in as the No. 11 seed, fresh off a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open. She also won this event back in 2021, so she knows what it takes to win it all. If you want to pick a dark horse on the women's side, Paula Badosa would be a pretty good pick. Don't be surprised if she threatens to win it all this year. 

#9. Will we get another Alcaraz/Medvedev final? Carlos Alcaraz comes in as the No. 2 seed, ranked No. 3 in the world while Daniil Medvedev comes in as the No. 5 seed, ranked No. 6 in the world. The last two years, they've met in the final with Alcaraz getting the better of Medvedev. A big question coming into this year's tournament is will we see another Alcaraz/Medvedev final? They're both on opposite sides of the draw, so it's totally possible. If we do, will Alcaraz win his third straight Indian Wells title or will Medvedev break through? If not, who will knock these guys off? 

#10. Can Iga Świątek defend her title? Iga Świątek comes in as the No. 2 seed on the women's side, ranked No. 2 in the world. She's the defending champion at this event and has won it twice, so she knows how to get it done. If she does reach the final, odds are good Aryna Sabalenka will be there. All I can say is what a fun match that would be! If Świątek is to defend her title, she's certainly going to have to earn it. This won't be an easy draw. It never is at Indian Wells. 

Prediction: I'm going to say Alexander Zverev breaks through to win his first Indian Wells title on the men's side. If he doesn't win it this year, he probably never will. As for the women's side, I'm gonna roll with Coco Gauff. I expect her to play well and feed off the energy that will come with being the top ranked American. I look forward to seeing how the tournament goes and who ends up winning it all. 

ATPGuy.com on X (Twitter): @atp_guy 

ATPGuy.com on Facebook: @ATPGuyNation 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

10 things to take away from the 2025 Australian Open

 

                                             (Credit: Mark Avelino/Anadolu via Getty Images) 

With the 2025 Australian Open now in the rearview mirror, I would like to share my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were Down Under. 

#1. Jannik Sinner has an iron grip on the world number one: By winning his third grand slam title overall and three straight hard court grand slam titles, Jannik Sinner is without a doubt the top men's player in the world. He'll miss a bit of time (through May 4th) due to a WADA ban for testing positive for Clostebol, but he'll be back in time for the French Open and the remaining grand slams. The big thing for him is to figure out how to win grand slams on clay and grass, but given that hard courts are where most of the action is at, he should remain the top player in the world for the foreseeable future so long as he stays healthy and doesn't get banned again for a future doping offense.

#2. Madison Keys has proven she can win a grand slam: By winning her first grand slam title, Madison Keys has proven she can win a grand slam. Her only other grand slam final appearance was back in 2017 at the US Open, so it's pretty amazing she found a way to win a grand slam all these years later. Of course, now the question is whether or not she can break through to win a few more grand slams, but regardless, she can now say she is a grand slam champion.

#3. Alexander Zverev is knocking on the door: Alexander Zverev reached his third career grand slam final and first Australian Open final, losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets. At 27 years of age (turning 28 next month), Zverev can certainly take inspiration from Madison Keys. While I'm not sure if Zverev will ever be a multiple grand slam winner, I do think at some point he'll break through and win one. Especially since one of his grand slam finals came at Roland Garros in 2024. His ability to play on the clay is definitely a boost to his chances. 

#4. Aryna Sabalenka is beatable on the hard court: Aryna Sabalenka came in as the heavy favorite on the women's side having won back-to-back Australian Open titles as well as the 2024 US Open title. She's the best hard court player in the world and yet she wasn't able to defeat Madison Keys in the final, who won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. This tournament showed the rest of the WTA tour that Sabalenka is beatable on the hard courts. It'll be interesting to see how she bounces back in the upcoming hard court swing. 

#5. Ben Shelton continues to make strides: 22 year old Ben Shelton had a nice run to the semifinals of the Australian Open before going down to Jannik Sinner in straight sets. Shelton has now reached two grand slam semifinals (2023 US Open) and appears poised to soon reach his first grand slam final. It'll be fun to see how the rest of the season goes for Shelton and what kind of impact he makes on the upcoming hard court swing as well as the US Open later this year. 

#6. Iga Swiatek needs to figure out the hard courts: Even though she's won a hard court grand slam at the 2022 US Open, it's clear that Iga Swiatek still needs to crack the code on the hard courts. She lost in the semifinals to Madison Keys in her second trip to the Australian Open semifinals (2022). She also has reached only three semifinals at hard court grand slams in total, which obviously includes her US Open title. This year's Australian Open was another reminder that while she's of course competitive on hard courts, she still has work to do if she wants to start winning multiple slams on the surface. 

#7. The end could be coming soon for Novak Djokovic: The last of the "Big Four" that's still standing, Novak Djokovic fell to Alexander Zverev in the semifinals 6-7, ret. due to a muscle tear. He hasn't won a grand slam title since the 2023 US Open and with the Australian Open being his best event (10 titles), if he's coming up short in that event, it's fair to wonder if the end is near for Djokovic. He's 37 years old and Father Time catches up with everyone. That said, he's still ranked in the top 10 at No. 7 in the world and probably has another grand slam title or two in him. Still, this year's Australian Open was a reminder that Djokovic's best days are behind him and that it won't be too long before he retires. 

#8. Paul Badosa finally reaches a grand slam semifinal: Paula Badosa finally reached her first career grand slam semifinal, losing to Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. At 27 years of age, it's possible Badosa's best tennis is still in front of her. This year will tell us a lot about about whether or not the best is yet to come or if this run to the semifinals is where she's gonna peak. 

#9. Taylor Fritz needs to bounce back: Ranked No. 4 in the world, Taylor Fritz is the highest ranked American, who came into the Australian Open with a lot of hope after his run to the US Open final. Unfortunately, he went down in the 3rd round to Gaël Monfils. If Fritz wants to maintain his top ten ranking going forward, he's going to have to get back to work after such an early exit at the Australian Open. On paper, he's the best hope the United States has to break their men's grand slam drought, but after how things went Down Under, one can't help but have their doubts. He needs to put those doubts to rest fast. 

#10. Coco Gauff needs to figure out the Australian Open: Coco Gauff fell in the quarterfinals, which was not what she was hoping to have happen as she came in with championship hopes. Last year's run to the semifinals is the furthest she's gone at the Australian Open. It's clear that she has to figure out how to go deeper in this tournament. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to crack that code. Especially since her lone grand slam title is on the hard courts at the US Open in 2023. 

ATPGuy.com on X (Twitter): @atp_guy 

ATPGuy.com on Facebook: @ATPGuyNation 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

 

Madison Keys is finally a grand slam champion after winning Australian Open

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

After years of coming up short in grand slams, Madison Keys finally broke through to win her first grand slam title at the 2025 Australian Open. Keys came into the tournament as the No. 19 seed, defeating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the final. Sabalenka was gunning for a third straight Australian Open title and a fourth grand slam title, making her the heavy favorite coming in. In addition to defeating the number one player in the world, Keys also defeated No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals by a final score of 5-7, 6-1, 7-6. 

Keys became the first woman to defeat the top two players in the world en route to an Australian Open title since Serena Williams defeated No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the final back in 2005. The last woman to do it at a grand slam was Svetlana Kuznetsova at the French Open in 2009. Kuznetsova defeated No. 2 Serena Williams in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Dinara Safina in the final. 

What makes Keys' title all the more impressive is that in five of her seven matches, she had to play a third set. Only her first round victory over Ann Li (6-4, 7-5) and third round victory over No. 10 Danielle Collins (6-4, 6-4) were straight set victories. It could have easily ended in the second round for Keys in her match against qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse, as she narrowly won 7-6, 2-6, 7-5. Many times did Keys bend during her two weeks in Australia, but she never broke. She always found ways to come through and pull out the win. And in tennis, that's all that matters. It doesn't matter if your win is pretty, ugly, easy, or tough. What matters is if you win and Keys' run in Australia is a reminder of that. 

A major reason why Keys was able to win the tournament was her service game and ability to win break points. Her 34 aces led the tournament while her 29 break points ranked 4th. When she really needed to hold her serve or break her opponents' serve, she was able to deliver the goods. 

Another factor that I think helped Keys was the rule change allowing players to talk to their coaches during the match and actually be present courtside. Her conversations with her coach/husband Bjorn Fratangelo seemed to really help calm her down and keep her focused. Tennis is very much a mental game and allowing coaches to talk to their players is something that is going to help a lot of players mentally. Keys certainly benefited from that. 

After years of wondering whether or not Keys could win a grand slam, we now have our answer. The question now is how many can she win? She's ranked No. 7 in the world for the first time since October 2016 and should have a good deal of confidence going forward. Turning 30 in February, Keys has plenty of time to win some more grand slams. It'll be fascinating to see if she can add to her total. 

ATPGuy.com on X (Twitter): @atp_guy 

ATPGuy.com on Facebook: @ATPGuyNation 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406

10 things to take away from the 2022 Australian Open

 

                                                 (Credit: express.co.uk) 

With the 2022 Australian Open now done, it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were in Melbourne. Enjoy! 

#1. Rafael Nadal reignited the GOAT conversation: I'm of the opinion that the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) conversation will rage on for years after Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are done playing. Each guy has a compelling case right now and will have a compelling case when their career is over. By winning the 2022 Australian Open, Nadal reignited the conversation by becoming the first man to reach 21 grand slam titles. Both Federer and Djokovic are at 20 grand slam titles each. 

By having more grand slam titles than anyone at the moment, that alone puts forth a strong case for Nadal. On top of that, Nadal has now won each grand slam at least twice. That's a feat Djokovic has accomplished by winning two French Open titles, but not Federer, who has just the one French Open title. While it is true that 13 of Nadal's grand slam titles have come at the French Open, I don't think that hurts his case for greatest of all time. I think it enhances it. He has done better on Djokovic and Federer's favorite surfaces than they have on his. He's defended his turf better and shouldn't be penalized for that.

So, that's where I think things stack up on that front. Nadal has the most grand slams, he's now won each grand slam at least twice, and he's not done yet. He wins the French this year and boom, he's up by two. 

#2. Ashleigh Barty is officially an all-time great: I guess you could say winning one grand slam makes you an all-time great. But once you've won three, as Ashleigh Barty now has done by winning the 2022 Australian Open, I think it's safe to say that makes you an all-time great. Barty just needs a US Open title to complete the career grand slam. Barty also became the first Aussie woman to win the Australian Open since Chris O'Neil in 1978 and in case you are wondering, the last Aussie man to win the Australian Open is Mark Edmondson in 1976. If anyone was wondering whether or not Barty is an all-time great, this year's Australian Open should have put those doubts to rest. 

#3. Daniil Medvedev's time is coming: While he came up a bit short, losing in the final to Nadal, Daniil Medvedev reminded us that the future of tennis is in good hands. He controls his own destiny to become world number one this week and no doubt has many grand slam titles in his future. His 2021 US Open title certainly won't be his only grand slam title. He's still learning and growing and not at the level that Nadal and Djokovic are, but if he keeps it up, he just might get there in the not too distant future. 

#4. Danielle Collins is a contender: Danielle Collins was unable to knock off Ashleigh Barty in the women's singles final, but by getting to the final, she showed that she's a legit contender. She entered the top ten as a result and should have a strong 2022 season. It'll be fun to see how the rest of the year goes for her. Especially the US Open, where she'll have home court advantage. 

#5. Novak Djokovic is his own worst enemy: Novak Djokovic did not compete because of his refusal to get vaccinated. He ultimately needs to do what he thinks is best for him and his body, but by not getting vaccinated, he cost himself a chance to be number one all-time in grand slam titles on the men's side. Is that a price worth paying? I dunno.  That seems pretty steep to me. If he ends up breaking the record anyways, this will all be forgotten. But if he ends up being number two behind Nadal, his refusal to not get vaccinated with always follow him for the rest of his career. 

#6. Serena Williams' days of winning grand slams could be over: Serena Williams did not compete in the 2022 Australian Open and with her last grand slam title coming at the 2017 Australian Open, one does have to wonder now if she'll ever win one again. She's 40 years old and now ranked #241 in the world. If she ends up winning one more grand slam title, it'll be her most incredible title ever. 

#7. Nick Kyrgios has redeemed himself: Long thought of as an entertaining prima donna, Nick Kyrgios can be taken more seriously now after winning the men's doubles title along with fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis. This is undoubtedly the greatest achievement of Kyrgios' career and regardless of what happens going forward, he'll always be a grand slam doubles champion. Kudos to him! 

#8. Naomi Osaka needs to find her groove again: Naomi Osaka is a two-time Australian Open champion and a four-time grand slam champion overall with her other two grand slam titles coming at the US Open. She got bounced in the 3rd round this year by Amanda Anisimova. That's disappointing. One thing she can take comfort in is her grand slam pattern is still intact. She won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and the US Open in 2018 and 2020. This means she's on track to win the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Australian Open. She just likes to alternate years! So, this is all to say that she still likely has more grand slam titles in front of her, but she obviously has some work to do to get back on schedule. 

#9. Roger Federer's days of winning grand slams could be over: Just like Serena Williams, it's been a while since Roger Federer won a grand slam. His most recent grand slam title coming in 2018 at the Australian Open. Actually, more recent than Serena.  And also like Serena, he did not compete in this year's Australian Open. While he hasn't retired yet, he's also 40 years old and ranked #29 in the world. If he wins one more grand slam, that too will be his most incredible title ever. 

#10. Madison Keys keeps knocking on the door: Madison Keys reached the semifinals, where she fell to Ashleigh Barty in straight sets. This was her fifth trip to a grand slam semifinal, making her 1-4 in those matches (2017 US Open). Ideally, you'd like to think she'll eventually get over the hump and win a grand slam title. She's 27 years old, which is actually still considered kinda young in today's modern era. So, there's time for her to do it, but until she does, doubts will rightfully remain. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

10 things to look for at the 2020 US Open

 

2020 has been a strange year for many reasons, but COVID-19 definitely is atop the list. We saw the cancellation of Wimbledon, the postponement of Roland Garros to September/October, and the dropping out of many big names for the US Open all because of COVID-19. This year's US Open will be the first grand slam event during the outbreak of COVID-19, making it a grand slam unlike anything we've seen before. As a result, my list of 10 things to look for will be unique and different, but I will try to keep things as focused on tennis as possible. Enjoy! 

Note: Click here to check out the draws. Action starts Monday. 

#1. Will the U.S. Open be able to pull this off? The U.S. Open is hoping to find similar success to what the NBA has had with navigating COVID-19 and with fewer players to manage and just two weeks of tennis, I think odds are really good that the U.S. Open won't experience any disruptions due to the virus, but still, the first thing to look for in this event is whether or not the tournament will in fact be completed and how well the tournament does at replicating the NBA's bubble environment. 

Note: The US Open has already had one positive test in #17 seed Benoit Paire, who will be replaced by Marcel Granollers. Click here to read more about that and the US Open's bubble.

#2. How will the eventual champion(s) be viewed? Due to the lack of fans, the fact that many notable names (E.g. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Kei Nishikori, Bianca Andreescu, Simona Halep) won't be playing, and just the sheer weirdness of the event, it will be interesting to see how the 2020 US Open champions will be viewed. It will still count as a grand slam in the history books, but it will also be known as the U.S. Open that occurred during the pandemic. While I don't think that de-legitimizes the event, it's human nature for others to perhaps do so. On the one hand, this is a golden opportunity for someone to come in and win their first slam while on the other hand, if you're going to win your first slam, I'm not sure this is the one you would wish it to be. If that all makes sense. 

#3. Expect chaos on the men's side: The only guy who I can feel comfortable predicting will make a deep run is the top seed Novak Djokovic. Djokovic has won three US Open titles and his favorite surface is hard court, so it's a pretty safe bet that he'll at least reach the final. As for the other half of the draw, it's anyone's guess what will happen. Dominic Thiem is the number two seed and the furthest he's gone at the US Open is the quarterfinals in 2018. 

With Federer and Nadal both out, that frees up even more room for someone to make a surprise run to the final. That isn't to say Thiem won't make the final. I think he could, but odds are he won't, which means it's anyone's guess of as to who will come out of that other half of the draw. As for the women's draw, I actually think this is a year where there will be less chaos than the men's side. It'll be interesting to see if that holds. 

#4. Can Sofia Kenin back up her Australian Open title? As a result of winning the 2020 Australian Open, the last grand slam we've had, Sofia Kenin comes in as the number two seed on the women's side. Kenin hasn't gone past the third round at the US Open, but after winning it all in Australia, there's a ton of pressure on her to go much deeper than that this year. It will be interesting to see if Kenin can make a deep run at the US Open or if she'll feel the pressure and have an early exit. 

#5. Can Daniil Medvedev finish the job? Last year, Daniil Medvedev fell to Rafael Nadal in the final. This year, Medvedev is looking to finish the job, coming in as the #3 seed. After initially agitating fans a bit with his antics and temper, Medvedev gained a lot of new fans last year and became much more likable as the tournament went on. Medvedev is one of those guys who really feeds off the crowds, so in the absence of fans this year, it will be interesting to see if he can still fire himself up in the same way. 

#6. Will Black Lives Matter be a theme? We saw Naomi Osaka pull out of the Western & Southern Open in protest only to finish the tournament when the event canceled play for the day as a whole. Osaka made a courageous move and generated some conversation. It'll be interesting to see how much messages of social justice, equality, and Black Lives Matter will play a role in this event. I'm sure a lot of that will depend on who wins and finds the most success. If Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka for example both play well, then I think there's a good chance those messages will become a big story, if not THE big story of the event. 

#7. Alexander Zverev needs to make his move: Alexander Zverev once again comes in with a lofty seeding (#5) despite not having had much success at grand slam events aside from his run to the semis at the 2020 Australian Open. The furthest he's gone at the US Open is the fourth round and with the draw as wide open as it is, he has no excuse to not at least reach the semis and put himself in a position to win this tournament. If he exits in the quarterfinals or sooner, it will be a major disappointment. 

#8. Can Madison Keys finally breakthrough? Madison Keys comes in as the #7 seed, still eying her first grand slam title. The furthest she's gone at any grand slam is a run to the 2017 US Open final, so it's been a while. Keys is in the same half of the draw as Serena Williams, so she by no means has an easy draw. Still, if you're looking for possible dark horses to win this event, Keys has to be considered as a real threat. 

#9. Look for Novak Djokovic to win the men's title: Given that Federer and Nadal are both out, Novak Djokovic has to be favored to win the men's singles title. He's the top seed, coming off an Australian Open title, and all in all seems to have momentum on his side. As it stands, the all-time list for most grand slam titles on the men's side goes Federer (20), Nadal (19), and Djokovic (17). If Djokovic wins this title, he'll be one back of Nadal and two back of Federer. So when talking about history, this event is huge for Djokovic. Especially since Nadal seems to be saving up his energy to win at Roland Garros in October. 

#10. Look for Serena Williams to win the women's title: If Serena Williams wins the women's singles title, she'll tie Margaret Court's record for most grand slam titles (24). Given that they played in fundamentally different eras, to some extent it doesn't really matter if Serena surpasses Court, but that notwithstanding, you know she wants to anyways. Given that the field is a bit weaker and Serena has a pretty favorable/open draw, I expect her to finish the job and in the process use her platform to advocate for social justice. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

10 things to take away from the 2019 US Open

                                         (AP Photo) 

I'm long overdue to write this, but never fear, my grand slam recaps and previews always come! Below is my list of 10 things to take away from the 2019 US Open. Enjoy!

#1. Rafael Nadal is a serious contender for GOAT: By defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 to win his 19th grand slam title, Rafael Nadal is now just one grand slam title shy of Roger Federer's all-time mark of 20. I know the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate is a fluid one and it changes with every grand slam, but one thing that has to remain permanent is Rafael Nadal's presence in that conversation. He's won every grand slam at least once and in an era featuring Federer and Novak Djokovic, he very well may walk out with the most grand slam titles. To me, what matters is how many grand slams you get. The fact that most of his grand slams (12) have come at Roland Garros doesn't diminish his record at all. If anything, it enhances it. He's the undisputed GOAT on clay and when you look at how he's done at the Australian Open (1), Wimbledon (2), and US Open (4), it's hard to say he's not deserving of the overall GOAT title as well.

#2. Bianca Andreescu is for real: At just 19 years of age, Bianca Andreescu won her first grand slam title at the 2019 US Open, defeating Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5 in the final. Andreescu showed that she's not afraid of the big moments and eager to have a dominant career on the WTA Tour. If she can stay healthy and keep at the rate she's going, there's no reason to doubt her ability to win a few more grand slams before it's all said and done.

#3. Daniil Medvedev is going to win his share of grand slams: While he didn't win it all this time around, when you look at the way he's been cleaning up on tour this summer and fall, it's clear to all of us that Daniil Medvedev is going to be a force on the men's tour for a long time. What also helps him out is the fact that Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic are entering the back end of their careers, so he should have some time to dominate once they leave.

#4. Serena Williams is still knocking on the door: Serena Williams is still knocking on the door when it comes to catching Margaret Court's mark of 24 grand slam titles. She's stuck at 23 and while I still think she'll pass Court, each grand slam that she doesn't win is a missed opportunity. If she doesn't pass Court by the end of next season, one will have to start wondering if she ever will.

#5. Maybe Grigor Dimitrov has some life: Grigor Dimitrov had a great tournament, defeating Roger Federer in the quarterfinals before falling to Medvedev in the semifinals. He's had a bit of an up and down career, going from being one of the top up and coming players on tour to having everyone give up on him. Hopefully for him, the 2019 US Open will be a catalyst to a strong 2020 season.

#6. Naomi Osaka needs to wake up: After having a dream run to win the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open, Naomi Osaka hasn't won a grand slam title since and had a disappointing outing in the 2019 US Open, losing to Belinda Bencic 7-5, 6-4 in the 4th round. Currently ranked #3 in the world, Osaka still has a lot to feel good about, but she's gotta find a way to recapture the magic. This will absolutely be one of my things to look for when I do my 2020 Australian Open preview.

#7. Roger Federer needs to win another slam if he wants any hope of keeping his record safe: It's a harsh world Roger Federer lives in. He goes from being the most dominant tennis player of all-time and appearing to be a lock to have the most grand slam titles to being in serious jeopardy of seeing his record surpassed by Nadal and Djokovic. I guess he has a little taste for what Pete Sampras went through when he saw his mark of 14 not stand for too long.

The one good news for Federer is he's still playing and thus still has time to extend his record. If he wants to walk away with the most grand slams, I think he has to win at least one more and probably more than that. Nadal is hot on his heels and Djokovic isn't far behind. It's truly a crazy and exciting era of tennis that we are witnessing!

#8. CoCo Gauff is still a work in progress: CoCo Gauff's third round exit reminds us that she's still a work in progress and has a ways to go before she becomes a serious contender at grand slams. The good news for her is she's only 15 years old and has plenty of years to be a force on tour. I don't doubt that she'll one day get there, but I'm of the opinion that it may take her at least a couple more years to reach her first grand slam final. It'll be interesting to see what 2020 brings her.

#9. The US Open isn't as friendly to Novak Djokovic as we think: We've seen Djokovic struggle to stay healthy towards the end of the season and the 2019 US Open was just another data point as he lost to Stan Wawrinka in the 4th round via retirement. When we think of what surface Djokovic is best on, we think of hard court, which is why you would expect him to have more than three US Open titles. Ironically, he has more Wimbledon titles (5) and has only really found consistent success at the Australian Open (7 titles). I'm not saying Djokovic is done winning US Opens, but if there's anything that history tells us, it's that he is not a lock by any means to win it.

#10. Will Madison Keys ever win a grand slam? I hate to ask this question because I like her a lot, but after losing in the 4th round to Elina Svitolina, one has to wonder whether or not Madison Keys will ever win a grand slam title. Her trip to the 2017 US Open final is starting to feel like a while ago and with other talented players coming up who are winning grand slams, it's not going to get any easier for Keys in the coming years. I'm rooting for her as much as anyone, but I would be lying to you if I said I didn't have my doubts. 2020 is going to be a big year for her.

To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

10 things to look for at the 2019 US Open

The 2019 US Open begins on Monday in Flushing, New York. Below is my list of 10 things to look for. Click here to check out the draws. Enjoy!

#1. Can Naomi Osaka get back on track? After back-to-back grand slam titles at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open, Naomi Osaka struggled at the French Open (3rd Round exit) and Wimbledon (1st Round exit). Despite her shaky outings in Paris and London, Osaka is still ranked #1 in the world and expected to make a deep run at the US Open now that she's back on the hard courts. One of the major things to look for at this year's US Open is whether or not Osaka can get back on track and make a deep run or if she'll once again stumble early on. There's a ton of pressure on her at this event. It'll be interesting to see how she handles it.

#2. Can Rafael Nadal win his fourth US Open? Rafael Nadal has struggled to win grand slams away from the clay at Roland Garros (12 titles), winning the Australian Open once, Wimbledon twice, and the US Open three times. If it were any other player, you would say those are really good numbers, but when you're talking about a guy in the GOAT discussion, not so much.

If there's reason to give Nadal some hope at this year's US Open, it's the fact that he won it all in 2017 and reached the semifinals last year. There's no reason to doubt his chances if you look at the recent history. It'll be interesting to see if he can build on that momentum and make another deep run this year.

#3. Will this be the time Serena Williams ties Margaret Court? Serena Williams (23) is one grand slam title shy of Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 and if there's an event for her to tie it at, the US Open should be the place. Serena is seeded #8 overall and appears to be building momentum towards another grand slam title, judging by her run to the final at Wimbledon. While I think she still has plenty of time left to catch Court, it would be nice for her to get this over sooner than later. I expect her to come out hungry and focused as a result.

#4. Will someone other than the big three win the men's title? Over the years, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have dominated the men's tour, leaving few opportunities for others to win a grand slam. If there's one event where the door has been left open at least a little bit, it's been the US Open. If you look back at the past 10 US Opens, you'll find that four players outside of that elite group (Juan Martin Del Potro, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, and Stan Wawrinka) have won the men's singles title.  During that same stretch no one outside of the big three has won the French Open, just one has won the Australian Open (Wawrinka) and just one has won Wimbledon (Murray twice).

For whatever reason (I think health is a big factor this time of year), the US Open has been that one slam where someone aside from the big three has been able to win the title with at least some regularity. I don't know if it'll happen this year, but history tells us it's certainly possible. #7 Kei Nishikori and #8 Stefanos Tsitsipas come to mind as guys who could possibly break through.

#5. Can Simona Halep make a deep run? On the surface, this seems like a dumb question considering the beat down Simona Halep delivered to Serena Williams at this year's Wimbledon final. But, when you consider that she has lost in the first round at the past two US Opens, you suddenly realize this isn't such a dumb question. The US Open has not been kind to Halep these past couple of years, but perhaps her success at Wimbledon will give her a new sense of confidence that she's been lacking at this event.

#6. Can Roger Federer end his dry spell at the US Open? Roger Federer won the US Open five years in a row between 2004 and 2008. He hasn't won it before or since, which is kind of odd considering his longevity and consistency. Part of that speaks to the random nature of the US Open that I was addressing earlier. Regardless, Federer is playing too well to ignore.

#7. Will American women make a deep run? Right behind #8 Serena Williams is a pair of talented Americans in #10 Madison Keys and #11 Sloane Stephens. Both faced off in the 2017 women's final with Stephens coming out victorious in a very emotional match. They've proven they can succeed at this event and should not be counted out. In addition to them, there are other American women like Sofia Kenin, Amanda Anisimova, Danielle Collins, and Alison Riske that could make a run as well. The US Open typically is a good event for American women and this year should be no exception.

#8. Will any American man do something? The bar is much lower for American men. If one of them could even reach the 4th round, that would be a big deal. The only two Americans on the men's side who might be able to get into the second week are #14 John Isner and #26 Taylor Fritz. Unless those guys really step up, American men's tennis once again projects to be a dud.

#9. Look for Serena Williams to win it all: I don't think it's a slam dunk, but at the end of the day, I got Serena Williams winning it all on the women's side. She seems motivated and hungry to tie Margaret Court's record. Wimbledon was close and this time I think she finishes the job.

#10. Look for Novak Djokovic to win it all: On the men's side, it's really tough to pick against Novak Djokovic, who has won three of the last four grand slam titles. He's killer on the hard courts and is coming in with a ton of confidence. He is without question the heavy favorite.

To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

10 things to take away from the 2018 French Open

                                         (Getty Images) 

Before I dive into my Wimbledon preview, I want to quickly look back on the two weeks that were at Roland Garros earlier in the month. Rafael Nadal won his 11th French Open title and 17th grand slam title overall while Simona Halep won her first grand slam title.

#1. Rafael Nadal is arguably the GOAT: While it is probably wise to shelve GOAT (Greatest Of All-Time) discussions until careers are over, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun while two of the games' greatest players are still playing. Roger Federer gets the nod from many for the title of GOAT due to having 20 grand slam titles, but Rafael Nadal is making a compelling case for himself racking up French Open titles and staying right atop the world rankings. I know some like to hold it against Nadal for winning the vast bulk of his slams at one event, but the name of the game is to win slams, is it not? So long as Nadal continues to win in Paris, we might someday be looking back on him as the greatest ever.

#2. Simona Halep is the real deal: Simona Halep backed up her world number one ranking by winning her first grand slam title at Roland Garros. After knocking on the door for quite a while, she finally broke through and what's scary is that she probably isn't done winning grand slams. Look for to win a few more before it's all said and done.

#3. Dominic Thiem backed up his status as the #2 player in the world on clay: In my French Open preview, I picked Dominic Thiem to reach the final, citing him as the #2 player in the world on clay behind Rafael Nadal. Thiem proved me and many others to be right by reaching the final, where he lost in straight sets to the King of Clay. If there's anyone who we can peg as the next player to win a few slams in Paris, Dominic Thiem would be the guy. The big question is whether or not he'll miss his window due to Nadal's continued dominance.

#4. Sloane Stephens is no joke on the dirt: Sloane Stephens had an impressive run all the way to the final before falling to Simona Halep. While many Americans struggle on clay, Sloane Stephens appears to be quite comfortable on it. She's reached the 4th round a few times and now has a trip to the final under her belt. Do not be surprised to see her win in Paris in the next few years.

#5. Marco Cecchinato has arrived: Going into Roland Garros, few knew who Marco Cecchinato was as a 25 year old player ranked #72 in the world. After the event, he's made quite a name for himself, reaching the semifinals before losing to Dominic Thiem. It's too early to say whether or not the Italian can sustain this type of success, but given the type of season he's had overall, there's little reason to doubt his ability to get back to this point again in the future. He won his first career title in Budapest earlier this year and appears to be picking up some steam. He's definitely a guy to keep an eye on in the future.

#6. Maria Sharapova is still dangerous: Maria Sharapova benefited from Serena Williams' withdrawal in the 4th round, advancing to the quarterfinals as a result. Even with this fortunate break in mind, Sharapova still has to be applauded for the way she played at Roland Garros. She's won the event twice and showed that she's still a threat despite her suspension and layoff. I never thought the day would come when we'd say clay is Maria Sharapova's best surface, but it's safe to say that at this point, that's the surface she is most deadly on.

#7. Novak Djokovic should feel cautiously optimistic: Novak Djokovic's weakest grand slam has been Roland Garros, so he has to take some confidence knowing he reached the quarterfinals. While it remains unclear whether or not we'll see Novak Djokovic ever return to form, his performance at Roland Garros has to give him some confidence to make some noise at future grand slams.

#8. Serena Williams isn't going anywhere: Coming off childbirth, Serena Williams was unseeded and still found a way to reach the 4th round before having to withdraw due to injury (overuse). Once she gets back into game shape, she should be a threat at future grand slams to come. In a way, seeing her go as far as she did given her circumstances just shows us how good she really is.

#9. Alexander Zverev needs to get it together in the slams: Alexander Zverev is the latest highly ranked player who struggles in slams. Once one guy breaks through, there's always someone else to carry this unfortunate torch and right now it's Zverev carrying it in the men's game. Despite being seeded #2 and ranked #3 in the world, Zverev lost in the quarterfinals and once again flamed out much earlier than expected. The good news for him is that progress is being made as he had previously never reached the quarterfinals at a grand slam before. Still, when you are ranked as high as he is, you need to be going deeper in slams. Hopefully for him, he'll be able to make an even deeper run at Wimbledon.

#10. Madison Keys is still knocking on the door: Madison Keys lost in the semifinals to her close friend Sloane Stephens and is still trying to crack the code to win her first grand slam. The good news for her is she keeps knocking at the door. It just hasn't opened yet. Once it does, expect her to win several. She's the real deal.

To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here. 

10 things to take away from the 2018 Australian Open

The Australian Open concluded a month ago, so I’m long overdue for my recap of the first grand slam of the year. Roger Federer won the men’s singles title, the 20^th of his career while Caroline Wozniacki won the women’s single title, the first of her career. Below is my list of 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were down under.

#1. Roger Federer continues to solidify himself as the GOAT: With 20 grand slam titles now under Roger Federer’s belt, there’s little question of as to who the greatest tennis player of all-time is. Federer’s longevity and ability to continue to win grand slams is utterly remarkable. Federer played really well over the course of these two weeks and looks like a guy who could play until he’s 40.

#2. Caroline Wozniacki has entered another stratosphere: Before the 2018 Australian Open, Caroline Wozniacki was arguably the greatest female tennis player to never win a grand slam. After defeating Simona Halep in an emotional three set final, Wozniacki was able to take that monkey off of her back and instead be remembered as one who won a grand slam title. Wozniacki played great during the entire two weeks and stepped up in the clutch, something that she hasn’t been able to do at past grand slams. Regardless of whether or not she wins another grand slam, Wozniacki has this one under her belt, which redefines her legacy.

#3. Hyeon Chung has arrived: You probably didn’t know who Hyeon Chung was before the Australian Open, but you should know who he is after. Chung defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-6 in the 4^th round and advanced all the way to the semifinals before retiring against Roger Federer. Chung came in ranked outside the top-50 and left ranked inside the top-30. Chung had the run of his life and looks to build on the success he had in Australia.

#4. Simona Halep’s time is coming: Simona Halep lost to Caroline Wozniacki in the final 6-7, 6-3, 4-6, so this was truly a heartbreaking loss for her. However, she played much better than she has in previous grand slam finals and convinced me that her time is coming. I don’t know when exactly, but I’m convinced that Halep will win at least one grand slam title and probably more.

#5. Novak Djokovic is in some trouble: After he went down in the 4^th round, it was revealed that Novak Djokovic’s elbow was still bothering him and that he needed to undergo a minor operation. I don’t want to say this is the beginning of the end of Nole’s career, but the optics are definitely not good. If Nole wants to be a contender at future grand slams, he has his work cut out for him. That’s for sure. 

#6. Madison Keys is not there yet: I thought Madison Keys might win the Australian Open, but she didn’t come all that close to doing so, getting drubbed by Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals. I still expect Keys to win a grand slam down the line, but it looks like she’s going to have to take a few more lumps before doing so.

#7. Marin Cilic is still a contender: Despite his lone grand slam title coming at the 2014 US Open, Marin Cilic showed he could still contend for grand slam titles, taking Roger Federer to a fifth set in the final. With Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic both hampered by injury and not at full strength, there’s an opportunity for Cilic to continue to make a run at future grand slams. It’ll be interesting to see if he does.

#8. Maria Sharapova has a ways to go: Maria Sharapova fell to Angelique Kerber in the 3^rd round, which was perhaps better than some expected, but still not where she wanted to end up. The good news for Sharapova is she’s back and capable of winning matches at grand slams. That’s definitely progress, but she still has a ways to go to get back to the level that she wants to be at. What happens at Roland Garros will be interesting since she’s had a lot of success over there in recent years.

#9. Grigor Dimitrov continues to disappoint: Despite coming in as the 3^rd seed, Grigor Dimitrov fell to Kyle Edmund in the quarterfinals. Dimitrov was expected by many to win a few grand slams in his career, but he continues to fall short of his own lofty expectations. He still has time to turn the corner but so far isn’t blossoming into the player that everyone expected him to be. Considering the draw that he had, he should have reached the semifinals with little difficulty.

#10. The American women were a bust: Madison Keys was actually the top performing American woman in this event. However, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens both lost in the first round and everyone else lost somewhere before the 4^th round. The American women were hoping to make a lot more noise down under and they failed to make much of a splash. The American men were also pretty quiet, though Tennys Sandgren reaching the quarterfinals was nice to see.

To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here.

To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here. 

10 things to take away from the 2017 US Open

The 2017 US Open proved to be a very entertaining event. Rafael Nadal won his 16th grand slam title while Sloane Stephens won her first. Below is my list of 10 things to take away from the final grand slam of the season.

#1. Rafael Nadal put himself back in the conversation for greatest of all time: Rafael Nadal has already established himself as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, so it's not like he has anything more to prove. However, if we are talking about who the greatest of all time is, every grand slam title matters. With 16 now under his belt, Nadal is only three grand slam titles shy of Roger Federer's all-time record of 19. Federer still deserves the title of greatest of all-time, but Nadal is making a very compelling case for himself after winning the 2017 US Open.

#2. It's only the beginning for Sloane Stephens: At just 24 years of age, Sloane Stephens continues to get better, breaking through to win her first grad slam title at the 2017 US Open. After suffering a stress fracture in her right foot and falling outside of the top 100, nobody saw this coming. Sloane Stephens' comeback and ability to persevere through adversity speaks very highly of her determination and perspective. It would have been easy for her to give up or think this isn't the year she'll win a grand slam. Instead of listening to the odds, she listened to her heart and it paid off. I have a feeling that we'll see Sloane Stephens win at least a few more grand slams before her career is over.

#3. Kevin Anderson was the feel good story: After having never gone further than the 4th Round at any grand slam, Kevin Anderson had the run of his career all the way to the final before falling to Rafael Nadal. At 31 years of age, Anderson has been through a lot in his career, so it was nice to see him get rewarded with a trip to a grand slam final. I don't know if he'll ever break through to win a grand slam, but even if he never does, this run will be something he'll be able to proudly reflect on for the rest of his career.

#4. Madison Keys will be back: Madison Keys choked in the final against Sloane Stephens. As much as I hate to say it, it's the truth. As well as Stephens played, Keys shouldn't have gone down 3-6, 0-6. There's really no excuse for that. The good news is that at 22 years of age, Keys is still very young and can use this grand slam final as a great learning experience. I'm very confident that the next time she's in a grand slam final, she won't let the moment overwhelm her like it did against Sloane Stephens, who just happens to be one of her closest friends on tour.

#5. Juan Martin Del Potro had a fantastic run of his own: While he wasn't able to get past Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, Juan Martin Del Potro still had a fantastic two weeks at the US Open, taking out Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. As the #24 seed, a lot of people thought he was past his prime and not capable of making another run like this. Del Potro proved that he still has what it takes to do damage at a grand slam. He's definitely a guy to look out for in the 2018 season.

#6. Maria Sharapova had a pretty good comeback: Maria Sharapova did better than a lot of people thought she'd do, upsetting #2 ranked Simona Halep in the first round and making a run to the 4th round. Now that she has her first grand slam back from her suspension behind her, I expect Maria Sharapova to do big things in 2018.

#7. Roger Federer didn't have the tournament he was hoping to have: Falling to Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarterfinals isn't what Roger Federer was planning on when he began the tournament. However, I don't sense this as anything to worry about if you're a Fed fan. He came up short this time, but I expect him to contend for slams in 2018 and possibly beyond.

#8. Simona Halep has to do a lot of soul searching after this one: I don't want to take anything away from Maria Sharapova's tournament, but if you are Simona Halep, you cannot go down in the first round to anyone as the #2 seed. Halep is yet to win a grand slam despite two trips to the French Open final and trips to the semifinals at Wimbledon and the US Open. In the summer, I said Simona Halep needed to step up and break through at a slam in the near future. Right now, I'm not sure if we'll ever see her win one. She's starting to look like another Caroline Wozniacki.

#9. Is this the beginning of something great for Pablo Carreño Busta? Pablo Carreño Busta reached the semifinals and it looks like that may not have been a fluke. He put together his best season on tour, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open earlier in the year. At 26 years old, he is just starting to enter his prime. Don't be shocked to see more deep runs from this guy in future grand slams. He just might be the real deal.

#10. Serena Williams' absence didn't loom large: Don't get me wrong, women's tennis needs Serena Williams. But with the way things unfolded, it really does look like the future of women's tennis, especially American women's tennis, is very bright. All four semifinalists (Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Venus Williams, and CoCo Vandeweghe) were Americans and generated plenty of buzz without Serena. I found this to be a very encouraging sign for women's tennis and where it's heading in a post Williams sisters world.

To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here.