By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday January 1, 2019
As we flip the page on the decade that was in tennis and commence looking forward to the decade to come, we quickly arrive at the realization that so much will be up for grabs over the next ten years. The stakes could not be HIGHER. The key players in what many believe is the greatest era that tennis has ever witnessed will all make their final remarks and then, sadly, retire, and the GOAT arguments will—at least for a little while—be settled. It’s crazy to ponder that the next time we celebrate the end of a decade of tennis in 2030 Roger Federer and Serena Williams will have retired—Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova as well.
The last chapter of each legend’s legacy will be sorted out and we’ll have completed the arduous task of sorting through the rubble, looking for clues as to who really was the best (warning: it might not be any easier than it currently is).
In the meantime we’ve got tennis to play, titles to lock up and questions to be answered. Here at Tennis Now we’re looking forward to a promising 2020 season and we believe that it could be one of the last great seasons of the Big Three; it could even be the last great one. We already know that 2020 will be the final season for the Bryan Brothers and Leander Paes, and with Venus and Serena Williams getting closer to 40 (Venus will turn 40 in June, Serena 39 in September) who knows how long the legendary sisters will continue smashing their way through tennis’ record books. Roger Federer will turn 39 in August, and the Swiss maestro’s time to waltz off into the sunlight is certainly coming as well.
At the dawn of this new decade we’re renewed and ready to start tackling the biggest questions that lie in wait. Without any further ado here are the ten burning questions that we are pondering as 2020 looms.
Can Serena Williams Come up with a Magical Swan Song?
It was already a race against time when Serena Williams won her 23rd major title in January of 2017. Then 35, Williams became the oldest WTA Grand Slam champion in history by defeating her sister Venus in the final, but Williams has lost her last four Grand Slam finals since, and still remains one win away from tying and two wins away from breaking the all-time Grand Slam title record three years later.
Now 38 and going on 39, Williams will try to mount her final push into tennis infamy with a swarm of talented young players hungry to leave her wanting. To do it Williams will have to be better than she was last year, when she won just 12 games in her two Grand Slam finals. Have nerves been the key factor holding Williams back, or has the game simply passed her by? We’ll likely find out in 2020.
How long can the big three keep this up?
Each of the last 12 major men’s singles titles have gone to card-carrying members of the Big 3, but many feel that the ATP’s generation next is poised on the precipice of a major breakthrough. Will 2020 be the year the changing of the guard finally begins? Last year we saw Dominic Thiem (Indian Wells) and Daniil Medvedev (Cincinnati and Shanghai) win Masters titles while Stefanos Tsitsipas (ATP Finals) took home the prestigious year-end championships title at London. The logical next step for these three players is victory at a major, but best-of-five sets is a different animal and the Big 3 will do everything in its power to remain superior in the format (let’s keep in mind that the logical next step for Alexander Zverev was also supposed to be major titles, so there is no guarantee that success at the Masters will seamlessly translate into success at the majors).
Health will be paramount, as it always is, and things could get even more complicated due to the fact that 2020 is an Olympic year. Anybody with designs on a Tokyo run (and let’s be honest the Olympic Game are like adding a 5th major) could run short on energy by the time the US Open rolls around.
If the big three can’t keep it up, who cracks the code?
We’ll stay with the previous scenario. Imagine Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic go all-out for Tokyo and face-off in a grueling final for Gold next year. What will they have left for the final major ofthe season in New York, and if they falter, could a younger, fresher player rise to glory? Daniil Medvedev was close last season—maybe the Russian has a New York encore in store?
And if Rafael Nadal struggles at Roland Garros in 2020, Dominic Thiem could be next in line to claim the Coupe Des Mousquetaires. The Austrian has played the last two finals in Paris and he could be in line to go one step further if he continues to progress.
Finally, don’t forget Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek is rapidly maturing and will be brimming with confidence after his triumph in London.
Who will claim Olympic glory?
As mentioned, the Olympics will add a new wrinkle to the 2020 season, and so much will be on the line on the men’s side in Tokyo. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are still hunting for Olympic men’s singles gold, and the rest of the field will be angling to cash in on an opportunity to win what could very likely go down as the most important and memorable trophy of the season.
How will Murray and Del Potro fare in their comebacks?
The battle for comeback player of the year on the ATP side starts with Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro. Murray, who has already pulled out of the Australian Open with a pelvic injury, and Del Potro, who has not played since re-injuring his patella last June (but will play Australia), will need time to gain momentum at 2020, but would anybody in their right mind bet against one of these two players having a big season if they can stay healthy?
Can Rafa catch Roger and what does it mean if he does?
Grand Slam titles. Yeah, they’re important. And when 2020 kicks off we’ll see Rafael Nadal resume his chase of Roger Federer in men’s singles major title category. Nadal has added three major titles to his name since Federer won his 20th at the Australian Open in 2018, and 2020 could be the year that Nadal not only catches, but passes Federer in this category.
Let’s not forget that Federer was one point away from winning Wimbledon last year and even though he’s 38 going on 39, Federer could potentially win another Slam.
Can Novak catch Roger and Rafa and what will it mean if he does?
Novak Djokovic won 15 major titles in the 2010s and as the youngest member of the Big 3 the Serb is now closing in rapidly on both Nadal and Federer in the Grand Slam title category. Can he shake off his disappointing finish to 2019 and grab another pair of major titles? It’s certainly not out of the question.
Another thing that is not out of the question: All three members of the Big 3 finishing their careers with 20 or 21 major titles—a three way tie! Can you imagine?
Are the Italian men the next powerhouse?
One story we’ll be keeping a close eye on is the rise of Italian men’s tennis. Fabio Fognini became the first Italian man to reach the Top 10 in the ATP rankings in 40 years last season and Matteo Berrettini followed suit by also reaching the Top 10 for a spell. Berrettini is certainly a player on the rise, but some feel that 18-year-old Jannik Sinner could be the best of the bunch when it comes to Italian men. There’s also depth with players like Lorenzo Sonego and Marco Cecchinato waiting in the wings. With eight players in the Top 100 and three of them under 25, Italy’s men are looking strong.
What can we expect from Clijsters comeback and what will it say about the state of the WTA?
What are the odds that Kim Clijsters second major comeback will be anything like the one she engineered 11 years ago? That was the year that the Belgian returned from a two and a half year hiatus to win her third event upon return. It wasn’t just any event – it was the US Open and Clijsters would defend that title in 2010 and take the 2011 Australian Open before she retired again after the 2012 US Open.
Now 36 and a mother of three, Clijsters will look to turn back the clock and prove that she can still play elite level tennis. Odds are that she won’t make the kind of splash that she did in 2009, but we should think twice before counting her out.
Osaka or Andreescu—will either step up to dominate?
There will be a plethora of mouthwatering storylines in effect when the 2020 WTA season kicks off in a few days, but for our money there is nothing as spectacular as a potential rivalry brewing between Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu. Both young stars have already proven that they have what it takes to win the biggest tournaments in tennis, but in 2020 they’ll aim to prove that they can do it with regularity, in consecutive seasons.
Can these two exceptional talents rise to the top of the sport or will they simply join the fray with the other uber talented members of the top 10 such as Simona Halep, Ash Barty, Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova. Besides Serena Williams, who won 12 Grand Slam titles over the last decade, only one other player won more than two—Angelique Kerber. Does either Andreescu or Osaka have what it takes to become they type of player that can win multiple majors in a season?