The ATP/WTA Tennis thread
The cluster**** to the AO seems to have been resolved, and we're ready to fire up the hype for 2021.
I'm running a season-long tennis PEEHS and we still need runners, thread here: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/46/sp...
Now let's preview the 2021 season!
The Big 3
Spoiler
Noted anti-vaxxer Novaxx Djocovid is fresh off his record tying 6th year end #1 ranking. His prospects for a 7th look pretty good. However, there's a vaccine on the horizon. What happens if the ATP makes vaccination mandatory for players? Will this be Novaxx's kryptonite?
Spoiler
Noted old man Roger Federer is a year older, again. Fresh off of two knee surgeries, will he recover in time for AO? Will 2021 finally be his final year? Many have been saying "Federer is done" every year for 5 or 6 years now. Eventually they'll have to be right, right?
Spoiler
Noted butt-picker Rafael Nadal is fresh off his eleventy billionth Roland Garros title. How many more does he have left?
The Challengers
Spoiler
Noted bird-flipper Daniil Medvedev is fresh off his SE thread title year, which was going rather poorly until he won his last 10 matches, earning titles at the Paris Masters and world tour finals, and breaking the thread title curse. Can he continue the fine form into 2021?
Spoiler
Noted shirt-puller-upper Alexander Zverev is fresh off an embarrassing US Open final performance. Does he have a major in him or is he the next Todd Martin?
Spoiler
Noted hair highlighter Dominic Thiem is fresh off his first major title at the US Open. Can he beat Nadal at RG? Is he the guy who will retire the GOAT era?
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Noted One Direction cover band member Andrey Rublev is fresh off a stellar year in which he won 5 ATP titles and surged into the top 10. How much higher can he go?
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Noted long haired Greek guy Stefanos Tsitsipas is fresh off a disappointing year with 3rd round exits at 2 of the 3 majors. Will he step it up in the big tournaments in 2021?
Young Guns On The Rise
Spoiler
Brandon Nakashima, 19, ranked #166. Won his first challenger title in Orlando last month. Solid all court game, coached by Pat Cash. The future of USA mens tennis.
Spoiler
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, 17, ranked #141. This hugely talented Spaniard is coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero. He started 2020 ranked #490 and crushed his first 14 matches in futures. Then shocked the world with a win over veteran clay mug Albert Ramos at the Rio 500 event. He followed that up with 3 challenger titles and 1 runner up. He's a lock for the NextGen finals.
Spoiler
Lorenzo Musetti, 18, ranked #128. The 2019 AO junior champ. He burst onto the pro scene at the Rome Masters where he took advantage of a wildcard to qualies by winning 3 matches to get to the main draw, then beat Wawrinka and Nishikori, both in straight sets. He followed that up the very next week with his first challenger title, beating 4 top 100 players.
But there's one young gun whose ginger curls stand out above the rest. He's still a teenager, yet won his first ATP title at his last tournament of 2020. He's scored wins over Goffin, Tsitsipas, Zverev, and De Minaur. He's the only teen in the top 100 and currently ranked #37.
Our 2021 thread titleist: Jannick Sinner
Spoiler
Is Olympics on clay?
This year yes. At the French Open courts aka Roland Garros.
Novak, Qinwen - phenomenal
And didn’t think Popyrin or Anisimova would make 1000 finals. Amanda has amazing power, I hope she’s back for good. I still remember how close she was to making the 2019 French Open final.
Can't believe no one is talking about the story of the year. At age 35, Donald Young has finally reached his potential, taken full advantage of the 5648145745th wildcard of his career, and is a US Open semifinalist! What a legend!
Truly pathetic effort by Zheng here.
Tiafoe Dimitrov gonna go 5 hours. Smart money is on D.
Women's final was excellent. I like both players. I noticed Chris Evert taking a lot of flak for her announcing. She called something well today. When Pegula was down a set and I think a point or two from down 4-0 in the second, Evert said, "She won't give up." She insta won 5 straight games and almost flipped the match. Not quite. Great match. They were wailing.
Sabalenka is an incredible player. She averaged the highest forehand speed at the US Open this year….men included.
Shuai Zhang on a 24 match losing streak, the longest of all time in WTA or ATP, crushing Vince Spadea's record of 21.
She reached a career high ranking of #22 at AO 2023, reaching the 4th round. The week after that she won a first round match in Lyon, and hasn't won since. Her ranking is now #601. She's been getting into tournaments using a protected ranking because of an injury last year. It's possible she could get some WCs in the upcoming asian swing and extend her legacy. Kinda like Djokovic!
I wish to congratulate all the fans who paid outrageous sums of AUS $ and booed off the court 10 time AO champion Novak Djokovic, after he retired in his semi final match against Alexander Zverev.
happy for Madison. huge upset to grab her first major
been grinding for yrs and finally climbed to the mountaintop
well done to Madison Keys.
i've always thought her name sounded like a porn star.
Aussie Open champ is better.
Nah like a pop star
Big changes for the USO X Dubs.
Runs over two days (Aug 19-20), a week before the main draw singles starts (Aug 24).
16 teams, USD $1m for the winners.
MD/WD prize money increased as top singles players will squeeze out many doubles players.
