10 things to look for at the 2022 Australian Open

 

The 2022 Australian Open begins on Monday (Sunday here in the United States), which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Obviously the biggest news surrounding this year's Aussie Open has been the visa status of Novak Djokovic, who ultimately lost his appeal and will not be playing. With that now confirmed, I can more easily analyze the men's field and give a more certain prediction. If you have not checked out the draws, click here to check those out. 

#1. Who will immediately benefit the most from Novak Djokovic's absence? With Novak Djokovic out of the tournament, Salvatore Caruso is replacing him as an LL (Lucky Loser). The tournament chose to initially include Djokovic in the draw as the number one seed and then when he was unable to play, they had to go to what's called a "Lucky Loser", someone who lost in the qualifiers but luckily still gets into the field thanks to someone pulling out. Djokovic's absence creates a wide open top portion of the draw with Matteo Berrettini the #7 seed now the odds on favorite in that section of the draw to reach the semifinals. We could easily see someone come out of nowhere to reach the semifinals and who knows, maybe even reach the final. With Djokovic now out, this creates a golden opportunity for someone. The question is who will make the most of it? 

#2. Can Ashleigh Barty handle the home pressure this time? If you are a loyal reader of this blog, you'll know that this question gets asked in every Australian Open preview. Barty frequently comes in ranked really high and the question is can she handle the pressure of being the crowd favorite in Australia. This year is no exception as she's the #1 player in the world and thus one of the favorites, if not the favorite to win it all. The furthest she's gone at the Australian Open is the semifinals back in 2020. In 2019 and 2021 she reached the quarterfinals, so she's been knocking on the door. Now it's a matter of her finishing the job. Can she do it under the spotlight of being the Aussie favorite? History says she won't, but maybe this year will be different. 

#3. Can Casper Ruud make a run? Casper Ruud is ranked #8 in the world out of Norway and yet for whatever reason he hasn't been able to make deep runs in grand slams. He's never reached the quarterfinals of a grand slam and the lone 4th round appearance he made was at the 2021 Australian Open. I would like to see him at least reach the quarterfinals this time and back up his ranking a bit. He's a guy who nobody talks about despite his high ranking because he never goes far in the slams. Let's see if he can change that this year. 

#4. Can Naomi Osaka defend her title as a double-digit seed? Naomi Osaka comes into the tournament as the #13 player in the world, which means she's a double-digit seed. She won the tournament last year, but this year poses a new challenge for her as she's not ranked in the top three coming in. That's going to give her a tougher draw out of the chute and not give her the same advantages she'd have if she were #1 or #2. Women's tennis is pretty fluid so in that sense it's not a huge deal what her seed is. Still, that being said, it'll be interesting to see if Osaka is able to outperform her ranking and make a serious run at the title. 

#5. Can Rafael Nadal get over the hump? Rafael Nadal has a golden opportunity in front of him with Djokovic unable to go and Roger Federer not playing. If Nadal wins the Australian Open he'll stand alone with the most grand slam titles ever on the men's side, breaking a three way tie he has with Federer and Djokovic who are also at 20. However, Nadal's lone Australian Open title came back in 2009, so it's been a while since he won this. If he were to win this event, it would probably be the most incredible grand slam title of his entire career. 

#6. Can Aryna Sabalenka back up her ranking? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the #2 ranked player in the world and yet has never reached a grand slam final. She did reach back-to-back semis at Wimbledon and the US Open, but she still has to prove that she's as good as her ranking says she is. The furthest she's gone at the Australian Open is the 4th round, so this will be a good chance for her to show that she's made progress from last year. 

#7. Can Daniil Medvedev finish the job? Daniil Medvedev is #2 in the world and is coming off a 2021 US Open championship. He reached the final of the Australian Open last year and with Djokovic out of the picture, smart money picks him to go all the way. It'll be interesting to see if Medvedev can win a second consecutive slam and kick off 2022 in style. His game is well suited for hard court and he should be feeling confident. 

#8. How will Emma Raducanu perform? Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open and is ranked #18 in the world as a result. The 19 year old Brit has a bright future in front of her and there's no reason to doubt her abilities to win more slams in the future. That said, it's always interesting to see how first time slam winners do in their next slam appearance. A lot of them don't do so well. If Raducanu can make a run to the quarterfinals or better, that'll be really impressive. 

#9. What will Nick Kyrgios do? Nick Kyrgios always seems to find a way to make headlines Down Under given that he is in fact an Aussie. It would be fun if he made a bit of a run in this tournament and surprised people. For all his antics, he is fun to watch and brings more flair and personality to the sport. Hopefully he shocks the world a bit and reaches the 4th round or further. 

#10. Can Sofia Kenin win it again? Sofia Kenin comes in as the #13 ranked player in the world and the #11 overall seed. She won the Australian Open back in 2020 but lost in the 2nd round in 2021. She's got the pieces to go all the way, but after last year's tournament, I might be a bit reluctant to buy too much of her stock. This year will tell us a lot about her and her resiliency after having a disappointing outing in 2021. 

Prediction: I'm doing something new here by not weaving my prediction into the 10 things to look for. That way I can cover a bit more ground here. On the men's side, I'm going to pick Daniil Medvedev to go all the way. He should be favored and after winning the US Open, he has to feel confident in his abilities to win it all. However, like Raducanu, he too could succumb to the pressures that come with being a new grand slam champion. I guess I like his chances better than Raducanu because his ranking is more solid and he's got more of a body of work up to this point. 

On the women's side, I'm going to pick Garbiñe Muguruza. I did not mention her in my 10 things to look for, but that doesn't mean I don't like her chances. I think she'll win it all. She's #3 in the world, reached the Australian Open final in 2020, and of the top five seeds on the women's side, she's the one who I have the most faith in at the end of the day. Especially with Serena Williams not being in the field. 

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10 things to look for at the 2021 US Open

 

           

With the 2021 US Open starting on Monday, it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to look for at the final grand slam event of the year. If you want to take a look at the draws, click here. If you want to check out my 10 things to take away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, click here. 

#1. Can Novak Djokovic bounce back from his disappointing Olympics? In my takeaways from the Olympics, I mentioned that Djokovic had a disappointing outing. Not just because he didn't get the gold, but because of the way he exited in a less than graceful manner. While he won't get the golden slam, a calendar slam is still on the table for him to get. It'll be interesting to see how Djokovic does and whether or not the pressure of a calendar slam will get to him. Personally, I do expect Djokovic to win it all. He's my pick. But it's not going to be easy. 

#2. Can Naomi Osaka get back on track? Naomi Osaka has had a weird summer. She pulled out of the French Open and skipped Wimbledon all together due to emotional reasons and then came back for the Olympics where she had an early exit. If there's an event where Osaka would get back on track, it's the US Open. She's won the event twice and her other two grand slam titles have come on the hardcourt at Australia. Osaka is trying to distance herself from what happened this summer, saying she didn't handle things well. The best way for her to fully put this all behind her is to win the US Open or at least make a deep run. We'll see if she can. 

#3. Can Daniil Medvedev go the distance? Daniil Medvedev showed promise by reaching the 2019 US Open final and he reached the 2021 Australian Open final earlier this year. He's definitely knocking on the door and hard court is his best surface. If there's a guy who you'd pick to upset Djokovic, Medvedev on paper would be the guy. He's #2 in the world and has the pieces to get it done. It's just a matter of him mentally having the belief that he can do it. 

#4. Can Ashleigh Barty contend? On paper, this seems like a dumb question. Ashleigh Barty is #1 in the world right now and she's coming off a Wimbledon title. Of course she can contend, right? What makes this a not so stupid question is the fact that she's never reached the quarterfinals at the US Open. It's always been a 4th round or earlier exit for her in New York. If Barty could breakthrough to win the US Open, she really would be cooking with gas and on her way to being the next dominant player in women's tennis. 

#5. Is Alexander Zverev ready to win a grand slam? After winning the gold medal in Tokyo, Alexander Zverev is gaining more momentum towards winning his first grand slam title. He's got the physical tools to do it and much like Medvedev, it's really all about the mental side and having that belief. If he can win the US Open, Zverev will be on the verge of being the next breakout star in men's tennis. 

#6. Can the American women make any noise with Serena Williams and Sofia Kenin out? Earlier this week, Serena Williams pulled out of the US Open due a torn hamstring while Sofia Kenin pulled out due to a positive COVID-19 test despite being fully vaccinated. Had they been healthy, they would have been among the favorites to win on the women's side. 

With Serena and Sofia out, it's going to be up to other American women to carry the torch and bring home the title. The most likely women to do it are (23) Jessica Pegula, (21) Coco Gauff, (26) Danielle Collins, (13) Jennifer Brady, Madison Keys, and Sloane Stephens. It'll be interesting to see if any of them can deliver the goods. One interesting thing to note is that Keys and Stephens face off in the first round. Not sure if that's good or bad for fans of American tennis. 

#7. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas make a deep run? Stefanos Tsitsipas is another rising star in tennis looking to move up. He's reached the semis of the Australian Open twice and reached the French Open final this year. However, he lost in the first round at Wimbledon and the third round at the Olympics, so it appears as though that run to the French Open final wore him out. It should also be noted that Tsitsipas' deepest run in the US Open has been to the third round in 2020. So a run to the quarterfinals or deeper would be a big deal for him. 

#8. Look for Jennifer Brady to win the women's title: With Serena Williams out and Naomi Osaka still finding her footing again, it's hard to pick a champion on the women's side, but I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb and pick Jennifer Brady to bring it home for the USA. She's the #13 seed and reached the semifinals of the 2020 US Open, where she lost to Naomi Osaka in three sets. I think she's got a great chance to go the distance and being the top ranked American should give her a little extra motivation. 

#9. Can Denis Shapovalov make Canada proud? Seeded #7, Denis Shapovalov is the highest rated Canadian player and more broadly speaking the highest rated North American on the men's side. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 US Open and the semifinals at Wimbledon, so he too is trending up. He doesn't get as much recognition as some of the other "next gen" guys, but he deserves to be in the same conversation as the rest of them. Maybe the 2021 US Open will be his big breakthrough. 

#10. Does Victoria Azarenka have another magical run in her? When Victoria Azarenka reached the US Open final last year, it was her first trip to a grand slam final since the 2013 US Open. She showed that she still has game and can still compete for grand slam titles. She's won the Australian Open twice (2012 and 2013) and has reached the US Open final three times (2012, 2013, and 2020). Maybe she has another run in her? It'll be fun to see! 

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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 2021 Australian Open

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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10 things to take away from the 2020 Australian Open

                                         (Credit: Australian Open) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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