Hubert Hurkacz – TennisReporters.net

Tabilo over Djokovic, Hurkacz downs Nadal

May 12, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

In just one day, both of the other great champion, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, were gone, losing somewhat early, in Rome. Alejandro Tabilo played a terrific match, beating Djokovic 6-2, 6-3. The No. 1 put together more than a few errors, and he also didn’t crush the ball, with his amazing backhand and his forehand. He has mentally out of it.

Nadal went down again, as he could not re-find where he needed to do, when Hubert Hurkacz out-stroked him, winning it 6-1, 6-3. Hurkacz played fantastic, but Nadal was almost awful, very rare, that the Spaniard has won so many titles on the clay, but soon, he will retired. His body is going away, soon.

Neither Tabilo or Hurkacz have won a Grand Slam yet, but when they are on, they can beat almost everyone. Yet they have to continue to prove it, and they know that if they want to win day after day, they have to be super smart, and also, really go for it. Tabilo said, “I came on court just looking around, just trying to soak it all in and trying to process everything. I’m just trying to wake up right now.”

Well wake up, on the court, to all of them. The Chilean has to face against Karen Khachanov, a very tight match.

There is two American men still left, when Taylor Fritz beat another guy, Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4. Fritz didn’t play great, but good enough, while Korda made some so-so shots, or mediocre shots. Korda plays almost every week, so maybe he should not play way too much during the year. Maybe he isn’t very happy.

Fritz looks better and better, reaching the semis in Madrid, so he can do it again next week in Rome. If he does that, his confidence will shine, again, but he has to face against Grigor Dimitrov, who has been playing extremely well in 2024. That should be a long, tough match.

Tommy Paul beat Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 6-2, and while he has been struggling, here and there, at least he is finally liking on the clay. On the hard courts, he can be darn, good. He will face versus Dominik Koepfer, who is also smart, so just try to fool him.

There will 16 women players on the singles, on Monday, when there should be some marathons.

Naomi Osaka has become better, with her backhand, and when she is 100 percent, on the matches, she can pound anyone. However, she had a child, and she could not play for a while, but now she looks more powerful, both sides. She has to face the No. 7, Zheng Qinwen. That should be fascination, as Osaka is starting to understand on the dirt.

“I just wanted to play smart tennis. I wanted to play the higher-percentage ball no matter what,” Osaka said. “I think in that match, when it got tight, I did overhit maybe one or two shots. I kind of realized that and I tried to get back in the groove of things. For me, I’m very aware that I can’t beat her defensively, so obviously I have to go for my shots. I don’t want to play flat here either.”

Yes, also with some spin, and low, or really high. The No. 3 Coco Gauff has to find a way against Paula Badosa, who has lost to her three times. The other American, the No. 13 Danielle Collins, played terrific on the hard courts, but over the years, in the clay, she did not go super deep. Now she has another chance when she has to play against another veteran Irina-Camelia Begu. Win another match, and again, and again.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alejandro Tabilo, coco gauff, Hubert Hurkacz, Matthew Cronin, naomi osaka, Novak Djokovic, rafa nadal, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul

Will Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner take the Miami title?

March 26, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Is it possible for Carlos Alcaraz to win Indian Wells and Miami back to back?

Some people have, but not many, such as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.

Azarenka is still there, but Djokovic decided not to play in Miami, Federer has retired and Swiatek, who won Indian Wells, just lost in Florida against Ekaterina Alexandrova. When you win Indian Wells, you could be tired, depending on how you feel.

Alcaraz’s will find out shortly, when he has to face versus Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian, who put down Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6(5).

On court, the 20-year-old can really throw into some very cool shots, being patient and when he is set up, he can drive the ball. Alcaraz can miss here and there, down the line or crosscourt. Yes, he will keep going, harder and harder.

“Every player has his own style. But probably mine is a little bit different to other Spaniards’ style,” he said. “I think other Spanish players have similar style than mine. I’m more aggressive. I think my ball goes faster. I have a lot of things that I can do on the court. It’s depend on the player.”

Believe it or not, in the 2023 Miami, he lost to Jannik Sinner in three sets. Maybe it will happen again, because the Italian is still winning. Sinner won the Australian Open, and this season he has won almost all of it, also winning Rotterdam. But guess what? Alcaraz out fooled him, beating Sinner it 6-2 in the third at Indian Wells in the semis. It could happen again, but Sinner has to be patient, and go for it early, if there is a chance.

Christopher O’Connell will play Sinner on Tuesday , and he has to play spectacular, as this year he has not gone deep at all, until this week. He has to play very consistent, and move forward, fast. If he wins it, it will be one of his best matches of all time.

Speaking of Hubert Hurkacz … he has had a decent year, even terrific, as the tall man not only can chuck it some many aces, but he can hit his forehand and his backhand deep, without too many errors. He is thoughtful, that is for sure. However, he has to face Grigor Dimitrov, a veteran, as the one-handed backhand can earth him. He can play great, or he can disappear. It is hard to know, but it should be a very intense match.

We all know that the former No.1 Azarenka has won the title three times in Miami in 2009, 2011 and 2016, and she was very good, but she would hit some off errors. Maybe she will win it again, but she is ranked No. 32, and she has not won a big title in a long time. The 34-year-old is still so powerful, from both sides, but she does not return enough, and to run it down. Maybe Azarenka will rise up one more time, but first she has to face Yulia Putintseva, who has been consistent for a long time. They will try to jump on the lines.

Here is a stellar match when Elena Rybakina will face Maria Sakkari, the two top 10ers. The No. 4 Rybakina won Brisbane, and her strokes can be tremendous, but she can also trip it down. Finally, Sakkari started to play well over the past few weeks, and she reached the final at Indian Wells. She loves to rally, for many hours, but she also has to go for it, faster. She has no choice as Rybakina will attack her as soon as she can and put it on the lines.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Carlos Alcaraz, Elena Rybakna, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Matthew Cronin, miami open, victoria azarenka

ATP Finals day 5: Sinner over Rune, Djokovic over Hurkacz

November 16, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Jannik Sinner over Holger Rune
The two young people will face off on Thursday in Italy when Jannik Sinner could win another tremendous match, when he upset against the No. 1, Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2). In the third tiebreaker, he hit some phenomenal backhands and his forehands, too. He also returned darn deep, and true.

“I think I was really brave and intelligent in important moments, especially the third set,” Sinner said.

However, now he has to be consistent, day after day, when he will play against Holger Rune. While the Danish has had a very good year, but not great, yet, but hopefully, his strokes will be harder. Also, he has to be patient, and at times, mix it up. On the clay in Monte-Carlo in the semis, he edged Sinner 7-5 in the third set. He knows that the fans will be cheering very loud, as the Italian is totally absorbed, but still, he can out-hit him, forehand to forehand. Or maybe not.

“[Sinner] can do whatever he wants on the court,” Rune said. “He can hit a great forehand, great backhand, great volley. Great movement, serve, everything. Obviously it’s more tough here in Italy to play him. I’m just going to prepare.”

Then he can, and it will be very close, maybe for three hours, but in the third set, Sinner will punch him in the chin, and win it 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.

Novak Djokovic over Hubert Hurkacz

Djokovic did beat Rune in a marathon, so he is split, 1-1. If he wants to reach into the semis, then he has to beat Hubert Hurkacz to move on. The Polish person Hurkacz just started playing as he is replacement with Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is injured.

Djokovic really wants to reach into the semis, so he will battle, point after point. The 36-year-old says it is pretty standard to lose, and then, to win it again. “It’s normal to lose some of my matches like this (against Sinner), but I have to be content with the fighting spirit. I managed to make a comeback from set down, break down in the third set,” Djokovic said. “ Played in really challenging and difficult conditions on the court. I’m proud of the fight that I put in. It just wasn’t enough for the win.”

This time, Djokovic did beat Hurkacz 6-3, 7-5.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: atp finals, Holger Rune, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Turin

Grigor Dimitrov over Andrey Rublev in Shanghai semifinal

October 13, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Ten years ago in Brisbane, Australia, Grigor Dimitrov won the tournament, and he said that soon, not only can he beat anyone, but he can win a Grand Slam. He hasn’t yet, but the 32-year-old still has a chance, a small one, but something.

In Shanghai, he has reached into the semis, after beating Carlos Alcaraz and Nicolas Jarry with some powerful strokes.

In 2017, Dimitrov was locked in, at times, and he won Cincinnati 1000, as well as the ATP Finals in London. His confidence is rising, at least this week.

“I don’t think I did anything crazy in those moments, I just kept on believing in my game, kept going after my shots. I was trying to apply pressure with the hope that [Jarry] might make a few mistakes, and he did,” Dimitrov said.

However, the Bulgarian will face against Andrey Rublev on Saturday. He could win, and he travels a lot, country to country, yet when he is on, he can move it around, all over the place, but also, his return is so-so. Plus his one harder with his backhand can be terrific, but Dimitrov will miss it, and to short. But he really likes to talk, off-court, which is good.

“[Beating Alcaraz] helps confidence-wise, but also it was just another match, if you think about it,” said Dimitrov. “I didn’t have much time to overthink it, I just had a little bit of a chat with the team and tried to see what I did pretty good, what worked, what didn’t, and what I could do better in the next round. We didn’t have much time to think about that but of course I take all the positives out of it because you need to feed off this every single round.”

If he beats Rublev and he reaches the final in the ATP 1000, it will be six years since his last final appearance at that level. That is a very long time.

Dimitrov over Rublev
Rublev looks terrific when he is playing very well, with his potent forehand and his backhand, But he can also blow it. However, in April on the clay, he won Monte-Carlo. Yes, just like everyone, he wants to win a Grand Slam, but how about this, win another at the ATP 1000, and then most people would think that in 2024, he can win a major. Dimitrov will grab it 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 over Rublev.

That was an incredible match when Seb Korda beat the other American Ben Shelton 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6) to reach the semis. In the breaker, in the third set, it was a toss-up, but he hit some solid, deep, shots, and he won it. The two young players will face each other for a longish time. Or not, as it depends who will go deep a lot. Sort of like Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal.

Korda will play versus Hubert Hurkacz, who has had a solid year, especially on the hard courts. At the Australian Open, in the fourth round, he lost against Korda 7-6(6) in the fifth set. What a crazy game. Now they will play each other again, on Saturday, and without a doubt, Hurkacz will hit so many aces. He can crack the ball, but the tall Polish person is is not running that fast. But two and a half years ago, he won Miami, and he did everything. However, in Shanghai, China, he will over-hit, and Korda will win it 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz, Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Sebastian Korda, Shanghai

The picks at Wimbledon: Sunday, July 9

July 8, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Andrey Rublev over Alexander Bublik

The Russian continues to try at the Grand Slams, not only that he can crush the ball, but also, over the past two years, he has been more intelligent. Yes, Rublev can play some bad mistakes, but he can nail with his heavy forehand, and with his backhand, to put it down the lines.

Believer it or not, they just played against each other in the final, at Halle, when Rublev edged the other Russian, Bublik, 6-3 in the third set. Yes, the tall man can knock his first serve and his forehand, but he isn’t quite fast when he is running. For sure, he has had a very decent year, but not enough, so Rublev will win it again, in four tough sets.

Iga Swiatek over Belinda Bencic
This should be an intense match. Both of them can split the ball, and they can also jump early to try to put it away, fast. Swiatek recently said that on the grass, she is feeling much more comfortable than she did recently. Swiatek is very please after she won Roland Garros, recently, but that is on the clay, not on the switch grass. But now she can go low and find where she will go, low and hard.
As she said,“ I feel like last year was a little bit different, especially coming back after winning Roland Garros. It wasn’t the easiest moment for me. I try really not to come back to that. I’m just taking experience from just this period of time of playing on grass, and that’s all. It’s just a totally different chapter.”

Bencic can beat anyone when she is feeling good. Her serve isn’t that great, but her forehand and her backhand can be jolly sharp. The Swiss does believe that she can finally win a Grand Slam, and maybe she can, but how can she out-last versus the Polish person? She does have a chance, but Swiatek returns better, as does her serve, so once again, the No. 1 will win it in three brute sets.

Novak Djokovic over Hubert Hurkacz

It is pretty clear that Serbian better than him, beating Hurkacz all five times. In 2019 at Wimbledon, Djokovic lick him in the third round, in four decent sets. He is just faster, and his backhand might be his best ever. Djokovic can mix it up a lot, and he can stay there until he has a real shot to put it away.

Hurkacz has had a decent year, but not great, losing pretty early. Djokovic will win it in four easy sets.

Elina Svitolina over Victoria Azarenka

This is risky, as Azarenka has beaten Svitolina all five times. Certainly, when the two time champion Azarenka is totally bolted, and she can hit some cruel shots, down the lines, and cross court, too. However, Azarenka has retired a lot over the past few years, which is why she has not won a big tournament since 20? Yes, Azarenka destroyed Svitolina at the 2023 at the Australian Open, but she was just returning. There is no doubt that when Azarenka is totally shut it in, she can find the lines. However, Svitolina looked very good on the clay, at Strasbourg and Paris. She absolutely has to be very consistent, and drove her back. As the Ukraine said: “I will go out there and put the fighting spirit on and just really fight for every single point.” She will, when Svitolina will defeat Azarenka in three tough sets.

Matt’s recent picks at Wimbledon

~~Andy Murray over Stefanos Tsitsipas~~

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

3 out of 5, 60% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Bublik, Andrey Rublev, Belinda Bencic, Elina Svitolina, Hubert Hurkacz, Iga Swiatek, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, victoria azarenka, wimbledon

The Picks on clay in Estoril, Charleston: Thursday, April 6

April 6, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Ben Shelton over Dominic Thiem
The 20-year-old American is still learning all the time, and at the 2023 Australian Open, he was so excited, winning four matches before he lost in the quarterfinals. He is very fast, and after he hits a fine winner, he would celebrate, very loud. He is coming up, but after that, he went to four tournaments, winning one match and four losses. He must be upset.

However, in Europe, Shelton can start with his quality, but right now, he has to face the former U.S. 2020 champion Thiem. It to the Austria for years to became excellent, on court, with some heavy strokes. His forehand and his backhand are bottomless. He played so consistently, grinding, and running around for eternally. Unfortunately, he became hurt, significantly, and he could not play for a while, but after he came back, it looked like that soon enough, he would come back at least into the top 10. Right now, though, he is really struggling, and he has lost with so many players. He is ranked No. 111, which is way back there, as this year, he has won just two wins and eight losses. Someday, the former No. 3 Thiem will rise again — he hopes — but Shelton will thud him in three sole sets.

Hubert Hurkacz over Bernabe Zapata Miralles
The Spaniard has been pretty decent, reaching the semis in Buenos Airs and Rio de Janeiro, on the clay, but on the hardcourts, Miralles loses pretty early. However, in the dirt, he can drive with some long points, and he does like to blend it up. He is currently No. 43, and he has never reached into the top 40, so very soon, he thinks that if he can shove himself, he can go further.

However, Hurkacz plays a lot, and he will travel all the time. There at times when he is totally locked in, but when he is mentally tired, he will try to make the winner, to early. But throw this aside, the No. 12 can whip his hard forehand and his backhand. He is very tall, but with that, he is not that fast. Regardless, Hurkacz will win in three sizable sets.

Ons Jabeur over Caroline Dolehide
Back at the 2022 U.S. Open, Jabeur made it into the final, and she was so close of winning a Grand Slam for the first time. She couldn’t, though, as the No.1 Iga Swiatek pushed her way back. Jabeur has so many shots, with her spin, her depth and her intelligence. However, after she started to lose, early, and since then in September, she has yet to bring into a final. Maybe the No. 5 is a little bit hurt, or maybe she is thinking that she should have played better in the U.S Open.

Either way, she is a ground runner, so the American, Dolehide, is a fine doubles player, but in the singles, she has not won enough matches. She is trying to get into the top 100 with the singles, as the American is a fine doubles competitor, reaching the semis of the U.S. Open with Storm Hunter. That is great, but it is more important to play the singles, so Dolehide has to add some fine, new shots. She will know that if she wants to get into the top 50, someday, then she will have to leap much higher. Jabeur will win in two interesting sets.

Ekaterina Alexandrova over Julia Grabher
The Russian is once again trying to move into the top 10, and to show with the fans that her style is super interesting. The current No. 17 Alexandrova did win Seoul, Korea, in the fall, knocking down Jelena Ostapenko in the final. She also beat the former two time champ, Vika Azarenka, and she nearly upset Swiatek in the Czech. That shows that when she is barred in, then she can put it away in the corners. She did reach into the quarters at Indian Wells, and again, it was a very close match, but Petra Kvitova out-hit her in three, wild sets. The Austria Grabher did win some small events last year, and of course, she wants to get much better, but she has to refine a lot against the prime players. Alexandrova will win in two easy sets.

Matt’s current week picks

Correct: Shelby Rogers over Caty McNally
~~Paula Badosa over Leylah Fernandez~~

4 out of 6: 66.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Ben Shelton, charleston, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Estoril, Hubert Hurkacz, Matthew Cronin, Ons Jabeur

TennisReporters.net’s top 32 in 2022: men 10-6

December 27, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

No. 10: Hubert Hurkacz
Hurkacz won the ’21 ATP 1000 Miami and looked like he was going up in the rankings. The Pole beat five very good players, knocking down over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner. After that, he was thinking that he is ready to beat everyone in the biggest tournaments. At Wimbledon, he served huge and punched the ball as jard as he could, and he threw in many winners. He outlasted Daniil Medvedev and then he knocked off the great competitor Roger Federer. Yet in the semis, Matteo Berrettini fooled him, and he could not understand how to break him down. And then he lost. This year, he was pretty good but the top players have beaten him a number of times. He had some success, winning Halle, over Medvedev and he reaching the final in the ATP 1000 at Montreal. Yet in the fall, he lost that momentum. In seven tournaments after that, he won eight matches and lost six. That is not good enough. He does look like a fine person, but if he wants to reach into the top 5 next year, he has to add some quality shots.

No. 9: Taylor Fritz
As the American said, he just wanted to be consistent. He found that effective strategy, but not all the time. In January, he began to mix it up a lot, and he almost beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open in a classic five setter. When he lost, he was freaked out. He should have grabbed it but he threw in a couple crucial errors. He won Indian Wells in March, upsetting Rafael Nadal in the final, and his strokes were spot on. He did little on clay. He went to England and won Eastbourne on grass. A week later, he was ready to win Wimbledon, to get down low, and mash the ball. However, Nadal was there in the quarters, and the Spaniard edged him 7-6 in the fifth set. Fritz was tense and he did not play well over the next two months, but finally won Tokyo. Then, he was back. He reached the ATP Finals and he look very solid. In the semis, the 21-Grand-Slam champ Djokovic beat him 7-6, 7-6. It is all about the tiebreaks. In 2023, like everyone says, they want to win a Slam. The last time an American man won a Slam was in 2003 when Andy Roddick took the US Open. That will be 20 years ago, a long, long time. Fritz has the best shot to break that disappointing streak.

No. 8: Andrey Rublev
At times, the Russian can be excellent, hitting the ball hard and he can nail the lines. He has won 12 titles, but he has not won any ATP 1000s or Grand Slams. He came close in 2021, in Monte Carlo and Cincinnati, but he could not pull it off. The 24-year-old hits some tremendous forehands and backhands. He is also somewhat fast. However, when he is feeling very good, then he can swing hard and take off the gloves. He won Marseille, France, Dubai, Belgrade, Serbia (over Djokovic) and Gijon. But those are not the biggest events. If he wants to reach into the semis for the first time at the Grand Slams, he has to reach up into the sky. As he said, he has to be more thoughtful on the court. “If I want to be a better player, I need to improve a lot mental part because this is the main thing I’m doing worst compared to top five players. That’s the main goal.” Then, do it.

No. 7: Daniil Medvedev
The ‘21 US Open champ grabbed the ATP 500 Vienna Open, stepping past Denis Shapovalov in three sets. The Russian has had a strange year, winning and losing here and there. At the ATP Finals, he lost all three matches, and believe it or not, he went down 7-6 in third sets. Now that was pretty odd, almost bizarre. When he is mentally sound, he can pound the ball all the time. He can sprint, he can slap it down the line and he can blast the ball cross court with both sides. He is tall, and he can be consistent, but he rarely goes into the net and put it away. His return is somewhat mediocre. He can be a great player in 2023 if he can win another Slam. To do that he has to make his shots.

No. 6: Felix Auger-Aliassime
In the fall, he won three tournaments, Florence, Antwerp and Basel. He lost early at the US Open, but then he suddenly turned it around. He hits some fabulous serves, and his forehand and his backhand are very effective. Currently he is the hottest player on tour. Before last year, when he was serving, his first serve didn’t do very much and his second serve would be pretty flat and predicable. But now, he is much more intelligent. The confidence is there, and when he played the ATP Finals in Italy, he had a real chance to reach the semis, but he lost to Fritz and Casper Ruud. Auger-Aliassime is ready to win Grand Slam for the first time in 2023. The 22-year-old needs to return better and throw in lots of spin. Simply, he has to go for the lines, quickly, and grab the winners right there.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrey Rublev, daniil medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Hubert Hurkacz, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Taylor Fritz

TennisReporters.net 2021 year-end review: top 10-6, the men

December 29, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

10. Jannik Sinner
This year, the Italian certainly improved a good amount, having more self-trust and confidence to hit some different shots. He smashed the ball and was more patient. The 20-year-old is not close to reaching his potential. Month after month, he seemed to be more mellow. He does have a gigantic forehand and his backhand is consistent. Those are the positives. But there were a few negatives this year, when he lost in the first rounds, six times. That is a lot. Next year, he should pull it back, and re-think what he should do on court.

9. Hubert Hurkacz
The very tall Pole has revamped his game over the past year. He has a lot of variety, with his big forehand and his firm backhand and can go very hard or soft right over the net. If he falls off his game, then he knows how to pick it up. He needs to return a lot better. But, he can scramble. Even with a big jump in the rankings, out of nowhere on the clay he would underachieve. In 2022, if he wants to get deeper into the top 5, then on clay he will need to find more success.

8. Casper Ruud
The Norwegian mentioned that his forehand and his backhand were just fine. During the summer, he needed to improve his return. So, he worked on it a lot, and now it is better. He really likes to play on the dirt, which is surprising. But he got used to it. He is pretty smart, beating four very good players like Diego Schwartzman, Pablo Carreno Busta, Fabio Fognini and Stefano Tsitsipas. He has to swing out with his backhand and certainly at the net. Next year, he has to develop more if he wants to win an important ATP 1000.

7. Matteo Berrettini
In July, the Italian reached the final at Wimbledon, and lost to No. 1 Novak Djokovic in four tough sets. Before that he won the title at Queen’s Club on grass. He is versatile, and on clay, he reached the final in Madrid. This year, he stepped on the gas, and he decided that he was good enough to swing away and grab more winners. His serve has improved a huge amount, when he held 80 percent when it was 0/15. That is very difficult, but he did it anyway. He has won some titles, on clay and grass, but next year, can he figure out how to understand to win on the hardcourts? He will try again, and he should flatten it out more. Whack it.

6. Rafael Nadal
The older he gets – when he is healthy which is rare, now – he still is extraordinary. His forehand is mind blowing, with heavy spin, very deep, crosscourt, down the line, wherever he aims. That is why he has won 20 Grand Slams. When the rally begins on clay, he is the master. He is patient when he is about to serve, he sits way back when he is returning, and he gets it back, much more than most players. That is, except with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Stan Wawrinka, who also can return constantly. Yes, the Spaniard Nadal does not have a fantastic backhand, but it is much better than when he came on tour. He also has improved a lot at the net, and now he can put it away. The questions is: Can he win another Grand Slam title? Clearly, he is always the favorite at Roland Garros, but the 35-year-old is getting hurt a lot these days. Sure ,he has a chance to beat anyone, anytime. But, when he walks on the court, can he make sure that he is 100 percent? One way or another, he just loves to battle.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, Rafael Nadal