10 things to take away from the 2023 Australian Open

 

                                             (Credit: Wiliam West/AFP)

Before I shift gears to write about the French Open, I need to share my 10 things to take away from the 2023 Australian Open. Here we go! 

#1. Novak Djokovic is the GOAT Down Under: Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 in the men's final. It was Djokovic's 22nd grand slam title (tied for #1 all-time with Rafael Nadal) and his 10th Australian Open title, which is #1 all-time. While the overall GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate will rage on for years, Djokovic is indisputably the GOAT at the Australian Open. He owns this event having won the last four times he entered: 2019, 2020, 2021, & 2023. 

#2. Aryna Sabalenka is a grand slam champion: Aryna Sabalenka won her first career grand slam singles title, defeating Elena Rybakina 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 in the women's final. She had been to three grand slam semifinals before at Wimbledon (2021) and the US Open (2021 & 2022), so she has been knocking on the door. Once a player wins a grand slam, there's more pressure on them in future slams. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to build on this title and snag another grand slam this year or if the pressures that come with being a grand slam champion will get to her a bit. The US Open will be particularly big since that too is a hard court event. 

#3. Stefanos Tsitsipas is knocking on the door: Speaking of knocking on the door, Stefanos Tsitsipas has now been to two grand slam finals, the first one being the 2021 French Open. He's also been to five grand slam semifinals including this year's Australian Open, so he's a guy who keeps on putting himself in position. It does feel like his time will come and if it does, Australia is a very likely place for it to happen. 

#4. Elena Rybakina is a serious contender: While she fell in the final, Elena Rybakina showed she is a real threat at grand slams by getting back to her second career grand slam final after winning Wimbledon in 2022. I think it's safe to say that we're going to be seeing her compete deep into slams rather frequently. She's turning 24 in June and is just starting to enter her prime. 

#5. Tommy Paul had a breakthrough tournament: Tommy Paul turns 26 in May and is now ranked #17 in the world as a result of his run to the semifinals before falling to Djokovic in straight sets. The previous best outing he had at a grand slam was a trip to the 4th round of Wimbledon in 2022. So, he really had an outstanding and breakthrough event in Australia. It'll be fun to see if he can build on this and get back to another grand slam semifinal or better. 

#6. Victoria Azarenka is back (for now): I don't know if she'll be able to sustain this or not, but Victoria Azarenka reached her first grand slam semifinal since the 2013 French Open. The two grand slams she has won were at the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, so if there's an event for her to return to form, it's this one. She is turning 34 over the summer and is definitely on the older side, but she does seem to have found a new groove. How long will this new groove last remains to be seen, but it certainly is fun to have her back in the conversation. 

#7. Rafael Nadal had a rough outing: Rafael Nadal fell in the second round and clearly did not have his best stuff. He had a 1st round exit at the 2016 Australian Open, so by no means does this spell the end of him. Still, any time you see a player of his magnitude fall so early in a grand slam, one can't help but wonder if it's a sign of age. Obviously the French Open is going to be huge for him. 

#8. CoCo Gauff needs to find her groove Down Under: CoCo Gauff had a 4th round exit and while that doesn't sound too bad, she's yet to go beyond the 4th round in the Australian Open. She's reached the final of the French Open and the quarterfinals of the US Open, but at the Australian Open she has not found that same kind of success. At just 19 years of age, Gauff has plenty of time to figure it out, but nonetheless, making deeper runs Down Under have to be a priority for her. 

#9. Casper Ruud went out way too early: Casper Ruud came in as the number two seed and is currently ranked #3 in the world. Going out in the 2nd round is not how he wanted this tournament to go. Ruud does have a couple grand slam finals under his belt at the French Open and US Open in 2022, but he needs to find more consistency. How he responds the rest of this year is going to be very telling. 

#10. Magda Linette found a new gear: After never getting past the 3rd round at any grand slam, Magda Linette made a run to the semifinals before falling to Sabalenka in straight sets. Whether or not this was a one hit wonder kind of run is the big question, but at 31 years of age, her best tennis very well may be ahead of her. Linette is now ranked #19 in the world. If she can make another deep run at a slam this year, she should finish the year ranked inside the top-20. 

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10 things to look for at the 2023 Australian Open

 The 2023 Australian Open is underway, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for at the first grand slam of the year. Let's go! 

Note: To check out the draws for all events, click here. 

#1. Can Rafael Nadal defend his title? Rafael Nadal comes in as the top seed in the men's draw, eager to defend his title from last year. With Novak Djokovic back in the field after missing last year due to not getting vaccinated, things are going to be tougher for Nadal. Fortunately, Djokovic is on the other half of the draw for Nadal, so if he were to see Djokovic, it won't be until the final. It'll be fun to see how far Nadal goes and whether or not he'll be able to defend his crown. 

#2. Can Iga Świątek go the distance down under? Iga Świątek is the top seed in the women's draw and is establishing herself as the top player in the women's game. She won the US Open last year and will look to win her second straight grand slam, both on the hard courts. She reached the semifinals last year in the Australian Open and should be primed to make an even deeper run this year. If you're talking contenders on the women's side, she might be the one to pick. 

#3. Can Novak Djokovic re-establish his dominance? Novak Djokovic owns the Australian Open. Nine of his 21 grand slam titles have come in this event. He's had more success at this event than any other grand slam. However, he didn't play in this event last year and it's never easy to win an event after missing it the year before. Plus, he's likely to encounter mixed reactions from the fans for how he handled things last year. How he deals with the early rounds will be really key to his success. He needs to set a good tone and pick up right where he left off. If he does, he's going to be really tough to stop. 

#4. Can Ons Jabeur break through? Ons Jabeur is the number two seed in the women's draw after reaching back-to-back finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. She's knocking on the door and is eager to break through to win her first grand slam. She reached the quarterfinals in 2020, so she's had some success at this event, but after not playing it last year, she's gonna have to adjust to being back in this environment. I think it's going to be really interesting to see if her past couple slams propel her forward and how she does if she finds herself in a third straight grand slam final. 

#5. Can Frances Tiafoe bring his US Open success with him? Frances Tiafoe is the 16th seed and is coming off a run to the US Open semifinals. This will be a real test for him as he won't have the home court advantage he had in New York. If he's able to reach the semifinals of this event, that'll be a really strong indicator that he is here to stay for the foreseeable future. 

#6. Does Victoria Azarenka have another run in her? Victoria Azarenka is seeded 24th and had a decent outing at the Australian Open last year, reaching the 4th round. She won the event back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013. It's been a while, but she knows how to win this event. It would be really cool for her to win a third grand slam and if there's any place she'd do it, it would be in Australia. Also, she did reach the US Open final in 2020, so she's recently shown she can contend at grand slams. 

#7. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas reach the final? Stefanos Tsitsipas is the number three seed on the men's side and is eying a third consecutive trip to the semifinals. The big question with him is can he get over the hump and into the final. He's reached the final at Roland Garros (2021), so it's not totally uncharted territory for him. Still, he hasn't yet figured out how to get to the final at this event. Getting past Nadal is not going to be easy, but I like his chances of sneaking past Nadal in the semifinals better than I do against Djokovic. So, he's got a shot. 

#8. Can Jessica Pegula reach the semifinals? Jessica Pegula is the third seed in the women's draw, but she's never gotten past the quarterfinals at any grand slam. She reached the quarters at three of the four grand slams last year, only failing to do so at Wimbledon. How she does at the Australian Open will be a really strong indicator of whether or not she's made progress from last season. 

#9. Can Casper Ruud make a deep run? Casper Ruud is the number two seed on the men's side and reached the final at both the US Open and French Open last year. As for the Australian Open, the furthest he's gone is the 4th round in 2021. He didn't play in it last year. How he does this year after a strong 2022 season is something to watch for. Definitely a strong candidate to at least reach the semifinals if not the final. 

#10. Will Coco Gauff finally breakthrough down under? Coco Gauff is seeded 7th and is coming off a strong 2022 in which she reached the French Open final and US Open quarterfinals. However, she has not had that same kind of success at the Aussie Open, with her best finish being the 4th round in 2020 followed by a 2nd round exit in 2021 and a 1st round exit in 2022. She's regressing at this event and needs to put together a strong run in 2023. Will it happen? Time will tell. 

Predictions: On the men's side, I gotta roll with Novak Djokovic. He owns this event and will be hungry to reclaim his rightful crown. On the women's side, I'm going to pick Iga Świątek. She's the top player in the world right now and is bound to win the Australian Open at some point. Why not this year? 

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10 things to take away from the 2022 US Open

 

                                              (Credit: USOpen.org) 

The 2023 Australian Open is starting up soon (next week!) and before I write my 10 things to look for, I need to write my takeaways from the most recent grand slam (2022 US Open). I've been meaning to get this up sooner and will try my best to be more prompt with these in 2023, but nevertheless I feel it is better late than never. So let's dive in! 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz has arrived: Carlos Alcaraz won the men's singles title, defeating Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the final. Alcaraz showed a lot of heart and fight to win his first grand slam and as a result he is now the No.1 player in the world. It'll be fun to see how 2023 shapes up for him and what he does in the Australian Open this month. At 19 years of age, I feel he is just scratching the surface of what he can become. 

#2. Iga Świątek is a force: Iga Świątek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6 to win the women's singles title. At 21 years of age, she is the No.1 player in the world with three grand slam titles already. Her first two grand slam titles came at the French Open, so to win a grand slam on the hard courts is significant. All that's left for her now is to make a deep run at Wimbledon (4th round is the deepest she's gone). If she figures out how to win on the grass, she could end up with double digit grand slam titles before it's all over. 

#3. Casper Ruud is knocking on the door: Casper Ruud reached two grand slam finals in 2022 at the French Open and US Open. At 24 years of age and ranked No.3 in the world, Rudd is truly knocking on the door and could very well win his first grand slam in 2023. He played Alcaraz tough in the final and should learn a lot from last season. 

#4. Ons Jabeur is knocking on the door as well: Ons Jabeur is also getting close to wining her first grand slam, reaching the final at both the US Open and Wimbledon. She's ranked No.2 in the world right now and should be liking her chances to breakthrough in 2023. Clay is the surface she needs the most work on as her best finishes at the French Open have been trips to the 4th round. 

#5. Rafael Nadal didn't have the outing he wanted: After winning the Australian Open and French Open as well as a trip to the semifinals at Wimbledon, losing in the 4th round is not the way Rafael Nadal wanted his US Open to go. Still, he's ranked No.2 in the world and poised to have a strong 2023. It'll be fun to see what kind of year he has. 

#6. Serena Williams' future is up-in-the-air: Just to set the record straight, Serena Williams is not retired. Her Wikipedia page accurately describes her as "inactive." She has said that she is not retired and that her chances of a return are "very high" despite being 41 years old. I would take her at her word that we'll probably see her play tennis again, but who knows what the future holds for her? Even she doesn't seem to know for certain. 

If there's reason to believe Serena might play again, I would point to the fact that she reached the 3rd round at the 2022 US Open, which obviously shows she's still got some gas left in the tank. Plus, women's tennis is much more wide open than men's tennis, which gives her more of a reason to believe she can make a deep run at a grand slam again. My guess is this all comes down to how much she wants this. If she really wants to be elite again, I wouldn't count her out. She has 22 grand slam titles, most all-time in the Open era, but Margaret Court's all-time record of 23 is a record she would still like to break. If there's anything that's motivating her to still play, it's that record. 

Via NBC News: 'I am not retired,' Serena Williams says 

#7. Nick Kyrgios made some progress: Nick Kyrgios reached his first ever quarterfinal at the US Open to follow up a trip to the Wimbledon final. Known as being a diva and drama queen, Kyrgios doesn't get enough respect for how good he is as a tennis player. I think he's starting to take his game more seriously and at 27 years of age, his best days very well may still be ahead of him. 

#8. Aryna Sabalenka needs to find that extra gear: For the second straight US Open, Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals, unable to get to the final. She also reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and is ranked No.5 in the world. You could say she's "knocking on the door" as well, but she is yet to reach a grand slam final, so I think it's better to say she needs to find that extra gear to propel herself forward into a final and see what happens. Maybe 2023 will be the year that happens for her. 

#9. Frances Tiafoe's Cinderella run came up just short: Frances Tiafoe was unable to complete his quest to be the first American man to win a US Open title since Andy Roddick (2003), losing in the semifinals to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets (7-6, 3-6, 1-6, 7-6, 3-6). At 24 years of age and now ranked No.19 in the world, the future is bright for the Maryland native. I expect big things from him in 2023 and look forward to seeing what the Australian Open brings for him. 

#10. Caroline Garcia had a major breakthrough: Caroline Garcia reached her first ever grand slam semifinal, losing to Ons Jabeur 6-1, 6-3. The 2022 US Open was a major breakthrough for her and as a result, she is now ranked No.4 in the world. It'll be interesting to see if her semifinal run was a flash in the pan or if she'll be able to build on it in 2023. She's 29 years old, which is a bit on the older side, but in today's era it can also be an age where you are entering the prime of your career. 

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10 things to look for at the 2022 US Open

 

The 2022 US Open begins on Monday, August 29th, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Click here for the men's singles draw. Click here for the women's singles draw. 

#1. Will Daniil Medvedev be refreshed? With Novak Djokovic out due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, Daniil Medvedev is the top seed on the men's side. Due to Wimbledon not allowing Russian athletes to compete this year, Medvedev did not play in Wimbledon, giving him a little time off and chance to rest. It'll be interesting to see if he'll feel a bit more refreshed and if that will propel him to a second straight US Open title. 

#2. How long can Serena and Venus Williams ride the wave? Serena Williams will be playing in her final US Open and while Venus Williams hasn't announced her plans, this will be their last grand slam together. Both players are not seeded, but we've seen them make deep runs before without being seeded. It'll be interesting to see how far they can go and how much they can ride the wave of fan support. There will be an extra buzz whenever they're playing. That's for sure. 

#3. Can Nick Kyrgios make a deep run? Nick Kyrgios is coming off a run to the Wimbledon final, which is the first grand slam final he's ever reached. The furthest Kyrgios has gone at the US Open is the 3rd round, but maybe this year will be different. I think odds are good he gets to the 4th round and sets a career best at the Open, but beyond that, I think it's honestly tough to say. 

#4. Can Iga Świątek mąkę a deep run? Iga Świątek comes in as the number one seed on the women's side and the top player in the world. While the grass of Wimbledon hasn't been her friend, she has found some success on the hard courts, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year. When talking about contenders to win the US Open, one has to give Świątek pretty good odds. She reached the 4th round last year, so that's reason to think she'll at least make it that far if not go deeper. 

#5. Can Rafael Nadal defend his 2019 title? Rafael Nadal won the 2019 US Open and did not compete in 2020 or 2021. So in a way, he's kind of defending his crown even though it's from a couple years back. Nadal won the Australian Open earlier this year and his last three US Opens including his 2019 title have been two titles and a run to the semifinals (2018). Nadal should be feeling confident. Especially with Djokovic not in the tournament. 

#6. Can Naomi Osaka keep her US Open pattern going? Naomi Osaka won the US Open in 2018 and 2020. She won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. If that pattern holds, she'll win the US Open again this year in 2022. Osaka has her work cut out for her if she is to do that. She's not seeded and she's been in and out of grand slams due to her mental health. If she were to win the US Open this year, this would be her most impressive grand slam title for sure. 

#7. Will Novak Djokovic's absence loom large? Novak Djokovic's decision to not get vaccinated means he won't compete in this year's US Open, costing him a chance to tie Rafael Nadal's all-time mark of 22 grand slam titles. I think regardless of what happens, his absence is going to loom large. If Nadal wins, that will have huge implications on the all-time grand slam titles race and if Nadal doesn't win, then it'll look like Djokovic had a golden opportunity to tie him and blew it. Djokovic is at peace with his decision and that's the main thing. It's his life. But man, it is crazy that COVID-19 has had this kind of impact on which player will win the most grand slams! 

#8. Will the American women make noise? The US Open has often seen Americans do well and as of late, a lot more on the women's side. Outside of the Williams sisters, there's a lot of American women in the field who could make noise: Danielle Collins, CoCo Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and others. Of that group, Pegula (8) and Gauff (12) are seeded the highest, so they have the highest odds of making a deep run but anyone on that list is capable of going deep. It'll be fun to see who of that group will do the best. 

#9. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas have a strong US Open? Stefanos Tsitsipas comes in as the number four seed and yet he's never gone past the 3rd round at the US Open. He's reached the semifinals of the Australian Open three times, but the US Open has been harder for him. Perhaps this is the year he'll make a deep run. 

#10. Can Emma Raducanu defend her US Open title? I started with the defending men's champion and I'm closing with the defending women's champion. Emma Raducanu shocked the tennis world last year when she won the US Open and this year she's looking to defend her title. She's the 11th seed and has a pretty good draw, but has to now deal with the pressures that come with being a defending champion. It's likely she'll either flame out early and succumb to the pressure in the first couple of rounds or she'll make a deep run to the at least the quarterfinals. How she does this year will be really interesting to see. 

Predictions: I'm going to say Rafael Nadal wins the men's singles title, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. I think Nadal is hungry to extend his all-time lead and sees an opportunity with Djokovic out. On the women's side, I'm going to say Maria Sakkari wins the singles title, defeating Iga Świątek in the final. She's the number three seed and has been knocking on the door, reaching the semifinals last year. This could be the year she breaks through to win her first grand slam. 

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10 things to take away from 2022 Wimbledon

 

                                             (Credit: AELTC/Thomas Lovelock) 

Before I write my preview of the upcoming US Open, I wanted to quickly write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Without further delay, let's get into it! 

#1. Novak Djokovic is one Wimbledon title away from tying Roger Federer's record: Novak Djokovic now has seven Wimbledon titles, one shy of Roger Federer's record of eight. Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 in the final. In addition to it being his seventh Wimbledon, it was Djokovic's 21st grand slam title making him one shy of Rafael Nadal's all-time mark of 22. 

While he is known most for being a hard court player, where he has won most of his grand slams, Djokovic has become close to equally dominating on the grass. It's truly remarkable what he's doing right now. 

#2. Elena Rybakina is a grand slam champion: Elena Rybakina won her first grand slam title, defeating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the final. This is one that came out of nowhere as the furthest Rybakina had gone in a grand slam before was to the quarterfinals at the 2021 French Open. I don't know if we'll see her win a grand slam again, but regardless, she'll forever be a Wimbledon champion. Hats off to her. 

#3. Nick Kyrgios was in peak form: Nick Kyrgios did the most Nick Kyrgios thing ever: He reached his first career grand slam final amid facing charges for assaulting his ex-girlfriend in Australia. Even when he has the best tournament of his career, he still is embroiled in controversy! The court case shouldn't overshadow the amazing two weeks he had in London. Reaching a grand slam final is a big deal and maybe this will be a sign of things to come for the Aussie. 

#4. Ons Jabeur made history: While she came up a bit short in the end, Ons Jabeur still made history by becoming the first Arab woman to reach a grand slam final. Per her Wikipedia page, she is also the highest ranked Arab and African player in ATP & WTA history. At 28 years of age, it's no guarantee she'll ever win a grand slam. But even if she doesn't, what she's accomplished is remarkable. She'll forever hold a special and unique place in tennis history. 

#5. Grass just isn't for Rafael Nadal: Rafael Nadal's days of winning grand slams is not over, but I think it's pretty safe to say he's done winning Wimbledon titles. He's won two in his career (2008 & 2010) and he can say he's won each grand slam at least two times, so he doesn't need to prove himself at Wimbledon anymore. He's done it. But, for whatever reason, he just keeps coming up short. This year, he lost in the semis via walkover against Nick Kyrgios. No matter what the reason is, since that 2010 title I should say, he keeps falling short. 

Now, if there's one reason to have some hope that he might win Wimbledon again, it's the fact that he has been knocking on the door, reaching the semifinals in the last three Wimbledons he has played in. So perhaps he'll prove me wrong, but until/unless he does, my skepticism will be warranted. 

#6. Serena Williams is at the end of the road: The US Open will be Serena Williams' final grand slam after she lost in the first round at Wimbledon. She's had a phenomenal career and is without a doubt the greatest female player of all-time. But at some point, father time catches up with even the very best and it has caught up with her now. 

#7. Cameron Norrie made Great Britain proud: Cameron Norrie fell to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in four sets, but while he came up short, he still made Great Britain proud. He's a British citizen, born to British parents in South Africa. So I guess you could say he made both countries proud. At 27 years of age, it'll be interesting to see if Norrie enters a new stage of his career and starts to make deeper runs at grand slams with some frequency or if this was just a flash in the pan. 

#8. CoCo Gauff needs to take this up a notch at Wimbledon: CoCo Gauff first burst onto the scene four years ago when she reached the 4th round of Wimbledon at just 14 years of age. Four years later, she has not gone any further at Wimbledon, losing in the 3rd round this year. Ironically, clay has become her best surface as she reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year and the final this year. But for whatever reason, she hasn't been able to go deeper at Wimbledon than she did when she was 14. Grass is a surface she needs to figure out. 

#9. Casper Ruud needs to figure out Wimbledon: Despite being a top ten player, Casper Ruud has never gotten past the second round at Wimbledon. If CoCo Gauff has things to figure out, this guy has to do some real soul searching on the grass. A run to the final at Roland Garros this year was fantastic, but clay and grass are very different surfaces. He flamed out in the second round this year, but that was his best career result. Baby steps, I guess. 

#10. Iga Świątek needs to figure out Wimbledon as well: One more player who needs to figure out Wimbledon is world number one Iga Świątek. She's got the two Roland Garros titles, so she's doing just fine for herself, but right now she's looking more like a clay specialist than a legit all-around player. Showing you can compete on both the dirt and the grass is one of the first tests to show you can excel on multiple surfaces. 

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10 things to look for at 2022 Wimbledon

The 2022 Championships at Wimbledon are getting underway today, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. To check out all of the draws, click here. To check out my recent French Open recap, click here. 

#1. Can Novak Djokovic get back in the winner's circle? Novak Djokovic has had a rough go lately. He didn't get vaccinated against COVID and as a result missed the Australian Open. He later got bounced in the quarterfinals against Rafael Nadal in the French Open. If there's a Grand Slam for him to bounce back at, it's Wimbledon. He's won the event six times and really should be the odds on favorite to win it all. How Djokovic does will be really interesting to see given the rough ride he's been on. 

#2. Can Iga Świątek make a deep run? Iga Świątek has won two French Open titles after winning it all in Paris this year. She's the best in the world on clay in the women's game. Now it's a matter of winning Grand Slams outside of the French Open. She's ranked number one in the world and has an opportunity to show she truly is the best in the world and not just the best on clay. The furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is the 4th round last year, so she's certainly got a lot to prove. 

#3. Can Rafael Nadal win another Wimbledon? If Rafael Nadal finds a way to win Wimbledon this year, the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) discussion will get even more interesting than it already is. It would be Nadal's third Wimbledon title and his first since 2010. It would also be his 23rd Grand Slam title, extending his all-time record. And in case you think it's a long put for Nadal, when he won the Australian Open this year, it was his first Australian Open title since 2009. Maybe this is going to be the year of Nadal ending really long droughts. 

#4. Can Anett Kontaveit back up her ranking? Anett Kontaveit comes in as the number two ranked player in the world and yet she has never been to the semifinal of a major. At Wimbledon, she's never gotten past the 3rd round. This is a big Wimbledon for her. A chance to show she is as good as her ranking says she is. How she does under the pressure will be fun to watch. 

#5. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas make some noise? Stefanos Tsitsipas is seeded 4th at Wimbledon and yet has never gotten past the 4th round. He's reached the semifinals three times at the Australian Open and the 2021 French Open final, so he's gone deep at majors. He just hasn't yet done so at Wimbledon. If he can find a way to step up his game on the grass, look out. 

#6. Can Ons Jabeur back up her ranking? Ons Jabeur is seeded third at this year's championships even though she's never reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam. She did reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2020. Like Kontaveit, Jabeur is another player who has a lofty ranking, but hasn't done enough in the majors to justify her ranking. It'll also be interesting to see how she performs and how well she backs up her ranking. 

#7. Can Andy Murray find lightning in a bottle? Andy Murray reached the 3rd round of Wimbledon last year and will once again have the British crowd behind him. If the draw opens up for him a bit, he could make things interesting. Watching Murray even go as far as the 4th round would be a ton of fun. 

#8. Can Serena Williams win one more Grand Slam? Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, the most of anyone in the Open era, and just one shy of Margaret Court's record of 24. She's been stuck on that number 23 for a while though as she hasn't won a Grand Slam since 2016 Wimbledon. It does feel like Serena is not going to tie Court's mark, but given how many times she's been doubted before and proved us wrong, I wouldn't count her out. 

#9. Can Casper Ruud do something at Wimbledon? Casper Ruud is coming off a phenomenal run to the French Open final and yet at Wimbledon he has never gotten past the 1st round. History says he'll flame out early, but after what he did at Roland Garros, one can't help be like his chances of at least winning one match. 

#10. Can Coco Gauff build on her strong French Open? Coco Gauff is coming off a trip to the French Open final and will look to build on that with a strong performance at Wimbledon. She first burst onto the scene at 2019 Wimbledon with a run to the 4th round, so the fans are very familiar with her. She has since not been able to get beyond the 4th round at Wimbledon, but it's possible this run to the French Open final will propel her to an even deeper run. 

#11. How will the lack of ranking points affect the tournament? Due to Russian and Belarusian players being banned from Wimbledon due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, ranking points won't be assigned for this tournament. It'll be interesting to see how that affects the feel of the tournament and just in general, what the absence of some major names will mean. It's a very strange position for the tournament to be in and one of the major storylines going into the tournament for sure. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I'm going to predict that Novak Djokovic will find a way to win it all. He's been the best on grass and he knows he really needs to win this one. On the ladies' side, it's a total crapshoot, so just to have some fun, I'm going to predict Serena Williams to come out on top. This very well may be her final Wimbledon and if things open up for her, she could make a deep run. 

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10 things to take away from the 2022 French Open

                                              (Credit: SportsKeeda.com) 

Before I dive into my Wimbledon preview, I do want to write my takeaways from the two weeks that were at Roland Garros. Like every grand slam, it was an exciting two weeks with lots to discuss! 

#1. Rafael Nadal continues to make his case for GOAT: Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final to win his 14th French Open title and his 22nd Grand Slam, both of which are all-time records. No one in the men's game has won anything close to that number of French Open titles and he also has the most Grand Slam titles of anyone in the men's game. A lot of people like to resist calling him the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) because so many of his Grand Slam titles have come on the clay, but at some point, you just gotta admit it doesn't matter how he gets to the number that he has. It's simply phenomenal. 

#2. Iga Świątek is the best female on clay: While Rafael Nadal is the undisputed King of Clay, the best clay player in the women's game is definitely Iga Świątek. Świątek now has won two French Open titles (2020 & 2022), defeating Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 in this year's women's final. She's really figured things out on the clay and now it's just a matter of her figuring things out on the other surfaces. If she can do that, there's no telling how many Grand Slam titles she'll have. 

#3. Casper Rudd has arrived: Even though he didn't win it all, Casper Ruud had his best performance in a Grand Slam by reaching the final. It was the best performance he's had at Grand Slam by a mile as his previous best performance was reaching the 4th round at the 2021 Australian Open. The big thing will of course be for him to build on this and consistently make deep run in the majors, but boy is this a great start for him. At just 23 years of age, he should have plenty of deep runs ahead. 

#4. Clay is actually Coco Gauff's best surface: While she first turned heads by reaching the 4th round at the 2019 Wimbledon, it turns out clay is the surface that Coco Gauff plays her best tennis on. Which is unusual for an American.  Before reaching this year's final, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open back in 2021, her second-best performance at a Grand Slam. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to dethrone Świątek in coming French Opens and also if she'll be able to make similar strides on the other surfaces. 

#5. Novak Djokovic has a Rafael Nadal problem: Rafael Nadal won the 2022 Australian Open and also defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of this year's French Open. With 20 Grand Slam titles, everybody assumes that Djokovic is going to eventually win more Grand Slams than anyone in the men's game and become the GOAT, but right now, he's two titles back of Nadal who (A) won his favorite event in Australia this year and (B) knocked him out of the French Open again this year. Nadal is not going down without a fight and Djokovic better step up his game if he wants to solidify the GOAT debate in his favor. 

#6. Sloane Stephens had a bit of a bounce back: Sloane Stephens has been pretty quiet lately in Grand Slams, but had a bit of a bounce back in this year's French Open by reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Gauff. That was the best performance she's had at a major since the 2019 French Open, where she also reached the quarterfinals. Stephens is one of the bigger names in tennis, especially American tennis, and yet she hasn't won any majors since the 2017 US Open. It would be fun to have her contending in majors in the future. 

#7. Alexander Zverev keeps knocking on the door: Alexander Zverev was unable to complete his semifinal match against Nadal as he tore three lateral ligaments in his right ankle and underwent surgery afterwards. He is out indefinitely and will miss Wimbledon. It's not all doom and gloom for Zverev, though. As a result of reaching the semifinals, he achieved a number two world ranking, the highest of his career. It feels like it's only a matter of time before Zverev will win a major. 

#8. Daria Kasatkina made a deep run: Daria Kasatkina reached the semifinals before getting knocked out by Świątek. It was the furthest run she's had at a major since her back-to-back quarterfinal appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2018. It'll be interesting to see if she can build on this in the rest of 2022 and beyond. 

#9. Marin Cilic turns back the clock: Marin Cilic reached the semifinals before getting knocked out by Ruud. This was the best performance Cilic has had at a Grand Slam since the 2015 US Open in which he reached the semifinals one year after his 2014 US Open title. Whether or not this was an aberration for Cilic or a possible sign of things to come remains to be seen. But for while it lasted, it was fun to see him back in the mix at a major. 

#10. Naomi Osaka needs to figure out how to win away from the hard court: Naomi Osaka lost in the first round and will not be playing Wimbledon due to an Achilles injury. While she has won the US Open and Australian Open twice for four total Grand Slam titles, she hasn't gotten past the 3rd round at the French Open or Wimbledon. This year's French Open was just another reminder that Osaka needs to figure out how to win on surfaces other than hard court. That's really the next step for her in her career. 

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