Matt Cronin unveils his current ranking of the top ATP and WTA tour players.
THE MEN
No. 1: Novak Djokovic
He has won 23 Grand Slams, a record. He really wanted to do it, and so he did, with so many terrific forehand, his backhand, the returning, everything. He said that over the years on court, and off court, he was excellent at times, but he was also mediocre, and straining. But now the 36-year-old is much more mature, when he is thinking about what he needs to do. He said that he can win Wimbledon, and the US Open. That is a huge challenge, but for sure, he is the best player, hands down.
No. 2: Casper Ruud
He had a very solid tournament in Paris, who has improved, but he could not win a set in the final against Djokovic. Yes, he is darn good, but to win major, he must enhance his serve, his return and at the net.
No. 3: Carlos Alcaraz
The Spaniard was on fire, after he won five matches, but in the semis, in the last two sets, he went down so fast. Maybe he is mentally tired, as he has played a lot in the past two months. Regardless, especially on the grass coming up, he has to be more patient.
No. 4: Alexander Zverev
The German look awesome with his huge forehand and his backhand, and also with his valid return. However, in the semis, he folded, again. As he said, he still has to play more original, and passive. Yes, he does, but the German still has to be more thoughtful.
No. 5 Holger Rune
He might have been so tired in the quarters, but he did win some wonderful matches. The 20-year-old is getting better each month, so when he nails more winners, he will be certainly have a chance to grab more trophies.
THE WOMEN
No. 1: Iga Swiatek
Now she has won it three times at Roland Garros, with some incredible strokes. She is like lightning , and her forehand and her backhand are phenomenal. Coming in, she was pretty nervous, but now she is much more assured. But that was on clay, and now she has to deal with the slippery grass. At Wimbledon, that will be a gigantic challenge.
No. 2: Karolina Muchova
The Czech had a unreal tournament, with some strong rallies, and with her hard backhand. She almost won it in the final, but in the third set, she threw in some critical errors. She must be disappointed, but she can let it go and continue to be so sensible again.
No. 3: Aryna Sabalenka
The No. 2 has had a pretty darn good year, as she finally improved her so-so serve. On the baseline, she can bash the ball, with both sides. But in the Roland Garros semis, she backed off and lost. She has to turn it around again.
No. 4: Beatriz Haddad Maia
That was a surprising tournament, not that the Brazilian can be pretty fit, and she can attack, early, but she had not gone very deep at the Grand Slams. Well, now she finally did, as she is finally in the top 10. Let’s see if she can continue to rise, more.
No. 5: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
She had a fantastic event, as last year she was really dropping, but all of a sudden, her backhand found on the lines. She may not be super fast, but she really understands how to play. The question is: Will she beat a number of the very good players again? It is hard to say.