2023 Australian Open: Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud lose to Americans

Mackenzie McDonald

American, Mackenzie McDonald just played his best tennis, ever, upsetting the No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

He was so quick, and he crushed his forehand and his backhand. Who, knew? He was been decent, but he had not defeated top 10 players.

Nadal was clearly hurt, and while he could have retired in the second set, he decided to play on when he suffered a hip injury. He was breaking down, and his legs were very sore. Usually, he can run so fast, and nail his famous forehand, but he put together so many errors. That is the way it goes. The 36-year-old has rarely retired, but he wanted to just play, win or lose. This time, he lost, and he has to deal with it.

Will Nadal return next year in the 2024 Australia Open? It is tough to say.

“It’s a tough moment, it’s a tough day, and you need to accept that and keep going. Just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally this time because I would be lying,” Nadal said. “I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s muscle, if it’s joint. I have history in the hip. I had to do treatments in the past, address a little. It was not this amount of problem. Now I feel I cannot move.”

Believe it or not, McDonald, who was born in Berkeley, Calif.,  is only ranked No. 65, and the 27-year-old has never won a tournament. However, gradually, they can get better, but they have to construct the points. Plus, they have to try every second. This time, he swung hard.

“[Nadal] didn’t even want to roll over and quit. He kept fighting until basically the end, even though he maybe didn’t have all his game,” McDonald said. “I was like, `Hey, that’s actually really big for me, because I haven’t beaten someone of that caliber.”

If he can reach into the second week, then maybe he will think that he can upset other excellent players.

Brooksby ousts Ruud
In another stunner, a Northern Californian – Jenson Brooksby – took out another the second-seeded Casper Ruud 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2. The Norwegian threw in 55 unforced errors, giving the consistent Brooksby an opening to advance into the third round. This is Brooksby’s first time playing the Australian Open.

Ruud said, “I didn’t feel like I played particularly bad or not at the level that I wanted to play, but he just ended up winning many of the longer rallies and had an answer to all the questions that I asked him.”

A number of the American men won on Wednesday and Thursday, including Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda. Michael Mmoh eliminated Alexander Zverev in four sets. JJ Wolf ousted Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Taylor Fritz, the top American man, lost to Australian Alexei Popyrin in five sets. Cressy fell victim to the ninth-seed Hunger Rune in straight sets in the second round.

Brandon Holt outlasted Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. It is never easy to play for many hours in a five-setter, but he stood in there, and he was very consistent. He has only won few matches in the ATP Tour, so he has to be powerful, and to mix it up more. But Holt is young, so gradually, he will understand what he should do.

Lauren Davis on a roll
Who would have thought that Lauren Davis won another match? Davis has played in the WTA for 12 years, and while she plays all the time. Incredibly she has won eight matches in a row, coming off a victory in Hobart. She decided to really go for it, rather than just be more stable. It seems to be working.

Coco Gauff is playing with intelligence and hitting the balls deep. She took down the former US Open champion, Emma Raducanu, 6-3, 7-6(4). She can beat most players, but she still has to improve her serve and return. Maybe she can do it over the next 11 days…

For other American women, there are some impressive wins by Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Bernarda Pera and Claire Liu.

What a match it was when Danielle Collins edged Karolina Muchova 6-7(1), 6-2, 7-6(6). The rallies were tremendous.

Two of the women lost, Sloane Stephens and Alison Riske-Amritraj. Once again, Stephens is unsure where she is going. This year will be fascinating. Can she comeback into the top 10 again, or stay under the top 50? She will have to change, something.

Riske-Amritraj plays a lot, too, but perhaps she can find a way into the net and put it away, or attack when she is returning.

TennisReporters.net’s top 32 in 2022: men 5-1

Carlos Alcaraz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

No. 5: Novak Djokovic
When the Serbian gets into a tiebreak, then the 21-Grand-Slam champion can settle in. Over the years, here and there, he can miss more than a few shots, but he does know that when the tension is there, then he can become more settled. Djokovic has had a difficult year, off the court, but now on the court, he is wonderful again. He won Wimbledon, but because he didn’t get the COVID-19 virus, he could not play the Australian Open and US Open. But in the fall, he rose again, winning Tel Aviv, Astana and the ATP Finals in Italy. He was a little bit tired, but he won all five matches, outlasting Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev. In the last match, he put down Casper Ruud. Maybe Djokovic is only ranked No. 5, but if he played those two Slams, he might have been the No. 1, again given that he has won so many titles in the hardcourt. He is in incredible shape, and his backhand is certainly one of the best for all time. When he won his first Grand Slam in 2008, he looked very good but his forehand, serve and net play were very good, but he had to improve. And he did, gradually. Currently then, in 2023, he wants to pass Rafa Nadal for the all-time Slan lead. But, he has to catch him, first. Next year, these two champions may have some fantastic matches. Sit down and watch it, because eventually, they will retire. For the fans, that will break hearts.

No. 4: Stefanos Tsitsipas
There’s a chance that Tsitsipas may end the year at No. 1. But not yet. He has had a very good year, yet he was not phenomenal. In the ATP Masters Paris, the Greek was so close to beating Djokovic in three amazing sets, but the Serbian hit some incredible shots. Tsitsipas could have put it away but he became confused, right at the end, and he went down 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4). This year, Tsitsipas won two titles in Mallorca and Monte Carlo. Yes, he put together some good wins, but also he has lost to the top 15 a good amount. That will be difficult, because in 2021, he was injured and he could not sustain it. In 2019, he won it at the ATP Finals in London, edging Dominic Thiem in three tough sets. He wants to do it again. When he finishes a match, then he can go home at a hotel, and he can think about where he is. He studies the matches, what he did, and also, did he do it the right way or was it all wrong? In the fall, Tsitsipas can be astonishing, but he stuttered, and at the 2022 ATP Finals, he did beat Medvedev, but he lost to Djokovic and Andrey Rublev. As he said in 2023, he has to be upbeat and not so despondent. If he manages that, then for sure, the mammoth hitter can win a Slam next year.

No. 3: Casper Ruud
That was an incredible year for the Norwegian, winning Buenos Aires, reaching the final in Miami, winning Geneva, reaching the final at Roland Garros, winning Gstaad, , and once again, he managed to reach the US Open, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in four tough sets. Almost each week, he was crushing the ball. Last year, he became more consistent. As his coach and father Christian Ruud, said, “We knew he had the level to play with the top guys and also beat the top-10 players. So, of course, a little bit disappointing Grand Slam last year, that was the big goal this year to at least reach some quarterfinals. … The goal was achieved a little bit, and then this US Open he plays maybe with little bit calmer because he already had one good Grand Slam result. In a way, he got that breakthrough in the Grand Slams, and hopefully we can continue to do well in the Slams. He’s fit, he’s doing well, so he suits playing five-set matches.” That is the real goal in 2023. He achieved some terrific wins. If he wants to beat Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz at the Slams, then he is going to be more dominating, every single second.

No. 2: Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard reached the final at Roland Garros 13 times, and he owned it, but each year. In the final, Nadal was already to sprint on the clay, and he poked it to take-no-prisoners. He easily won, crushing Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. He lost just six games, which is a record. He played almost seamless, while the newcomer Ruud, could not figure out a solution. He was battered. But not Nadal, who now has won 14 majors in Paris, and overall, he has 22 Grand Slams. So then, right now, he is the best player ever. Yes, and that has happened many times over the decades, but in the summer, he is the “King of Clay.” Nadal is ahead of Djokovic (who he beat at Roland Garros), who has 21 Slams, and also, Roger Federer who has 20. The 36-year-old Nadal is hurt quite a bit. His foot is very sore, so much so that he couldn’t feel it. The doctor helped him, each day, and he managed to not only smack his phenomenal forehand, but his backhand is so steady. Plus, at the net, he can just put it away and execute drop shots, too. But look, in the fall, he was not quite there. He made the effort, but when he came back, he was a bit slower. However, he always tried to play, very super furious. He has won all four Slams, on clay, the grass and the hard courts. So, there is no question that he will have another chance to win a bunch of titles, as long as his body will hold up.

No. 1: Carlos Alcaraz
Somehow, someway, the young Spaniard won the US Open. He became the youngest Slam winner and No. 1 in history. Three of the best players – Nadal, Djokovic and Federer – were not in the final. Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic all lost. Both Alcaraz and Ruud have had some amazing matches. They were quick, they can super fast, and they can switch from defense to offense immediately. Night after night, the 19-year-old Alcaraz seemed to never get tired, competing for many, many, hours. How about this? The speedy person edged Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-7, 6-7 7-5, 6-3, and it took 5 hours and 15 minutes. Alcaraz just keeps churning. And when he is sprinting, he doesn’t really care, he just wanted to hit the lines, incredibly hard. His forehand is gigantic, and his backhand can slap it. Plus, he has all sorts of strokes. Alcaraz got hurt in the ATP Masters Paris, so he has to stop playing the rest of the year. Yes, he will win a number of titles next year, but just like his friend, Nadal, if you want to improve, then work at the net, his second serve and his return. Still, there is no limit to how dominant this youngster can be.

Let Taylor play!

Taylor Fritz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

When I was the Atlanta Open media director, one reporter who was new to tennis asked, “What’s a lucky loser? How can a loser be lucky?”

I explained tennis’ practice of letting qualifiers who lose in the final round of qualies move into the main draw if a main-draw player withdraws before play starts. The rule gives more players a chance to play and advance into the tournament. Plus, it gives the fans an extra match to watch.

So, why not do that with the main draw? Let’s let Taylor Fritz advance into the Wimbledon semifinals.

Rafael Nadal, who downed Fritz in the quarterfinals, announced today he would not play his next match. He was scheduled to face Nick Kyrgios on Friday in the semis.

But, there are no lucky losers in the main draw or in any tennis tournament. If a player withdraws, his/her upcoming opponent gets a walkover. No opponent, no match.

What is the alternative?

Just like the advantages to give a lucky loser a slot in the main draw, the advantages of moving a loser further in the tournament are the same.

  • The fans, especially those who spent a whole lot of English pounds at Wimbledon, will get to see two semifinals instead of one.
  • The losing player will be pleased to get another match and can continue in the tournament.
  • No opponent would have one less match than another. In the upcoming Wimbledon singles final, Kyrgios goes in having played only five matches while his opponent will play six matches.

Oddly enough, there is a rule that allows Fritz to advance. If Nadal had decided to retire during the match (as seemingly he was encouraged to do by his camp), then Fritz would have been the winner. So, to a certain degree, it was the timing when Nadal decided to stop that means a Wimbledon semifinal won’t be played. Explain that to the fans and TV networks.

As happens when a player pulls out of a Grand Slam before the first round, both players would get a payday. To make sure giving up the match was not too attractive, the player withdrawing could get a small slice of the money. How about 25 percent?

What happens if Fritz is already on a plane to the U.S. when Nadal announces his withdrawal? Undoubtedly, he would return to London. But, what if this happens in a $25K low-level tournament and the player has arrived in the next city? Well, no penalty to the player if he/she decides not to play the match.

I’ve read criticism that allowing a loser to advance goes against the core of competitive tournament structure and it could contribute to intentional losing or, even worse, the temptation to have the player who would benefit influence the player withdrawing. All these are fair arguments.

There’s nothing wrong with questioning the tournament structure and making improvements.

Let’s discuss about how we can make tennis more attractive. If you have any thoughts on this rule change, please email me at cioffi@tennisreporters.net.

Novak Djokovic: ‘It could not be better going into Roland Garros’

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal

It took Serbian Novak Djokovic weeks before he came back into top form this spring. In Rome, he won the tournament, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6(5). The No. 1 has won 38 ATP Masters 1000s. He has also won 20 Grand Slams. He has had a tough year, but now, he is finally in the zone.

“Two days ago I played great. I have been building my form for the past couple of weeks and I knew that my best shape on clay usually comes around Rome, so it could not be better going into Roland Garros,” Djokovic said. Djokovic knew his form was improving through the final and, gradually, he exploited Tsitsipas’s backhand.

“I always believed that I could come back and win the match, and I stayed there even though a lot of things were against me in terms of how I felt on the court. Game-wise, physically I was just far from my best,” Djokovic said. “So, of course, in those types of conditions and circumstances, then you have to really work two times more than you normally would. I played a clay court specialist. I have to try to be optimistic and build, to Roland Garros and where I want to peak.”

With him being sidelined though the early part of 2022 due to not having been vaccinated for COVID-19, he practiced all the time. But, without match play the 34-years old gets irritated and frustrated. When he is on court, he can be lethal and so steady. But now he is in a better space and he is driving on the train.

His backhand might be the best ever, when he is almost perfect cross-court and also down the line, too. He can smack his very good forehand, and he can return quite deep. His eyes can focus, and he can be very thoughtful.

Djokovic is peaking, and at Roland Garros, he has a shot to win the tournament, assuming whether Rafa Nadal will be healthy. If they advance, the two legends will meet in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard stopped playing after Rome. He has won 13 Grand Slams at the French Open, and he has been clearly the best player ever in Paris, but if his legs or his sore back seize up, he might not be able to win it for the millionth time.

Another Spaniard, the 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, is winning almost everything. He is so fast, he can bash the ball, and he can hit some amazing drop shots. He can sprint, and he smiles when he hits a winner. However, even though he won Barcelona and Madrid, he has yet to dominate the three-out-of-five set matches. He will, one way or another, but can he do it next week? Maybe in the first week, but in the second week? Possibly as long as he can be more consistent.

Here are a few players who can reach the second week including Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz, Denis Shapovalov, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and of course, Daniil Medvedev, who just returned to action.

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

Rafael Nadal

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.

Summer swings into Washington & San Jose

Alison Riske

This week, in the United States, the hardcourt tournament continue in August. It very hot outside. The players know that in the summer, the heat is on.

The 17-year-old Coco Gauff is getting better all the time. Alison Riske said that Gauff hits a lot of terrific shots, and she is very powerful, as well as potent.

“I feel like women’s American tennis – I don’t know when it was this deep. I’ve been playing on tour for 12 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Riske said. “I couldn’t say enough amazing things about Coco. She’s an amazing competitor, and she has an amazing family behind her.”

In 2021, Riske has been hurt. She has been working to came back. It has been slow as she is trying to figure out what she has to do to improve. She has now played eight tournaments, and she only won three matches. Finally, this week, she is heathy.

She reached a career high of No. 18 in 2019, and at Wimbledon, she upset Belinda Bencic, and the No. 1 Ash Barty, before losing to Serena Williams 6-3 in the third set in the quarters. Pretty good, but she will be thrilled if she reaches a Slam semi before she retires.

How about the 23-year-old Reilly Opelka? He is ranked No. 36, and he wants to have a top 32 seed at the US Open. To do it, over the next three weeks, he has to go for it. The 6-foot-11 has a fine serve and backhand, but he is working on fixing his forehand. Also, in need of improvement are his net and return games. If he wants to eventually be at the top 20, or even the top 10, he has to find a focal point. On Thursday, he lost to John Millman. Time to pick it up.

NOTES
No. 26 Madison Keys was playing in San Jose, and she lost in the second round. The American did reach the final at ‘17 US Open, losing against Sloan Stephens, who is also playing in California. Keys has won Charleston, Cincinnati and Stanford. But then, she can check out. The big hitter Keys reached No. 7 six years ago, but the 26-year-old can play great, but she gets hurt a lot.

Lloyd Harris stunned Rafa Nadal 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in Washington. Nadal just returned after a long rest. So, in a couple weeks, he should look better. Harris is on fire…

Jenson Brooksby won some matches on the grass and now on the hardcourts. No doubt, the 20 -year-old will play Cincinnati, and then at the US Open.

That was a good win by Danielle Collins in San Jose when she beat Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. I am just not sure when Stephens will be more composed this year. Where is she?

Who will play the Olympics? Not enough

Sofia Kenin

Will play: Djokovic, Zverev, Berrettini, Barty, Osaka and Kenin. 

Won’t play: Nadal, Thiem, Federer, Kerber, Azarenka and Serena


Who doesn’t like to watch the Olympics? Many of us do on TV, not only tennis, but gymnastics, swimming, basketball, soccer, or track and field. It will start next week at the 2021 Tokyo, and it should be a blast to watch, but there will be no fans. That could be bizarre. 

On July 16,  23 of the ATP top 50, will not play in Tokyo, including  Nadal, Thiem, Federer, Shapovalov, Raonic, Evans, Opelka, Isner, Fritz, Kerber, Azarenka, Serena, Halep, Kenin, Andreescu and Konta.  

Novak Djokovic is in, which is terrific, as the Serbian has won three Grand Slams this year. He was victorious at Wimbledon and now he has 20  Grand Slams, like Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.  At the US Open, Djokovic has a big chance to win it all four. Assuming they will be healthy, the Big Three could have some fascinating matches, long ones, some tough ones. In the second week, they will begin to bash the ball. They were confident, and ready to go even further. 

Which ones? It is early, six weeks away, so we don’t know who is playing healthy and excellent on the court. I won’t guess, but today, here are more players who will reach the second week with Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini, Denis Shapovalov, Sebastian Korda, Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep, Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza, Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu and Iga Swiatek.

In Newport, this week, Jack Sock won a singles match and then he lost against Kevin Anderson. The American went way down, in singles, and in 2017, he was a career-high No. 8. And in doubles, in 2018 that was another positive signs, his a career-high No. 2. So when he is healthy, and in good shape, he can gradually go up the ladder, but very slowly. He is ranked No. 231, which is way out there, but this season, he played a lot, especially on the USTA Pro Circuit. Clearly, he really wants to try. Good luck.

Wimbledon finalist Anderson got hurt two years ago, and now, he is close to reach the top 100 again. Yes, the 35-year-old may not reach a Slams final again as he did at the ’17 US Open and ’18 Wimbledon, but the tall man hits his huge serves and forehands. Remember, in 2018, he was ranked No. 5. He was darn good. When you watch him at a match, he can be so respectable, or more so. He does believe that in the next year, he will reach the top 20. But beyond that, he will have to prove it. That is life.

By the way, Sock will play Atlanta next week. Also, his friend, Nick Kyrgios, will also play, singles and doubles. 

Roland Garros, Day 12: Novak Djokovic versus Rafa Nadal

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal will face off on Friday night at Roland Garros. It is amazing that those two have clashed in 57 matches. If you really like to watch the great players, how about 58? Sit down and watch TV and you can stay there foreve
On court, they totally know each other – their strokes, their attitudes – and they can go for big shots when they see openings. There have been so many winners, hundreds of them. In their first match back in 2006, Nadal beat Djokovic, who retired in the Roland Garros quarters. The Spaniard eventually won the Slam for the second time in Paris, and while the Serbian began to win the majors, Nadal continued to beat him, six times at RG. But know this: Djokovic has taken down Nadal a lot,on the hardcourts. In a sense, they are even.

Djokovic has the overall edge 29-28, but in last year’s French final, Nadal smoked Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5. That was a blow out, but yesterday, the super consistent backhand Djokovic said that this week, he is feeling terrific. “I’m confident. I believe I can win, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. Let’s have a great battle,” he said.

There were other finals, and Djokovic could not find the solution. Back in 2013, the only time, Djokovic nearly upset Nadal in this tournament. The Serb was toe-to-toe, however, the Spaniard fought and fought and he finally won, 9-7 in the fifth. That is clearly one of their classic matches.
 
“l probably pick Rafa as the biggest rival I’ve ever had in my career. The anticipation for the match against him, any match, any surface, any occasion, is always different from any other,” Djokovic said. “His match had it all: falls, crowd, break. It was a lot of intensity. I just felt under tension the entire time. I felt like I missed some of the chances to end the match in the third set. I didn’t want to give him too much opportunities to dictate the match. That’s why it was just super, super stressful to constantly be under pressure on my service games because his service games were quite smooth with the big serve. Yeah, the reaction in the end was just me liberating that tension that was building up for the entire match.”

Nadal has a phenomenal forehand … Djokovic has a better very deep backhand … they are almost tied with the serves. But, with the second serves, the Serb hits it harder. Once again, they are tied with the returns, but Nadal is more comfortable at the net. No matter Nadal’s incredible success on clay, Essentially, they are even.

On Fire: Nadal and Swiatek win Rome

Iga Swiatek

On Sunday in Rome, Rafa Nadal and Iga Swiatek won the tournament, and they were joyful. Nadal knocked down Novak Djokovic 7-5 1-6 6-3. In the third set, he hit deeper, he moved to different areas, and his massive serves can twist it into the corners and he yanked Djokovic almost on the ground. Then Nadal would crack a winner. 

Swiatek played one of the best matches ever. Given feeble opposition from Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0, Swiatek still performed at the level we saw when she took 2020 Roland Garros. Let’s say it again: The former US Open finalist Pliskova was out of it. She couldn’t face come with anything when it was time to raise her game. She was sleeping, maybe a bad dream? Where she goes, it is ruthless to say. Playing great or awful? In the last 10 years, for the most part, she is a head case. 

Swiatek really understands how to play fantastic on clay, which is why she dominated Sofia Kenin in last year’s French final. Now she can do it again. She moves really well, she can scramble, and eventually, she can smoke a winner, with her forehand and backhand. She returns super well, too.

In Paris, she should be ranked No. 8, as Simona Halep is injured and likely she won’t play at the French Open. Is Swiatek the favorite? I would say yes, but Aryna Sabalenka , Garbiñe Muguruza and Jessica Pegula have a shot to win it, too.

NOTES
At RG, Nadal will be ranked No. 3, while Djokovic stays No. 1. Guess who is ranked No. 2? That’s right, Daniil Medvedev, who loves playing on the hard courts. But, as he said, he just doesn’t like clay. He could lose early in the first week in Paris…

Novak said: “Rafa and I had a little laugh today in the locker room after I won against [Stefanos] Tsitsipas. We kind of joked around that the old guys are still not giving up. I saw he said somewhere a few days ago that Roger [Federer], him and I think we’re showing some different, fresh energy.”

Swiatek likes to attack, and last year at RG, few of the fans knew who she was. Not know: ‘I’m, like, surprising myself actually when I’m not doing well because I’m pretty ambitious. I’m a perfectionist, which I’m fighting with actually sometimes. 

“I always try to learn from what other girls experienced. There are many players that had some kind of regress, after winning their first Grand Slam. I always thought try to be different, just work, just focus on not doing the same mistakes. It works pretty well.”

Nadal, Federer and Djokovic: the 20-20 thing

Rafael Nadal

In the great but very cold at Roland Garros. Rafa Nadal smashed Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win it again.

He is now 20 Grand Slams, on all surfaces, with an astronomical 13 on clay. He is tied with Roger Federer with the “20-20 thing,” and we do not really know whether they will win another major again, next year, or ever, or if they will continue to dominate.

With the 39-year-old Federer aging, Nadal, 34, and Djokovic, 33, are much more likely to pad their Slam count. They look fantastic, and they have improved a lot. But, when you are in the 30s, you can get seriously hurt, and then it will be very difficult to feel healthy and easily to go deep at the Slams. The great thing in Paris was seeing how Nadal’s and Djokovic’s forehands, backhands, serves, returns and play at the net have improved a lot when since when they started 15 years ago. They are, as people say, mind-boggling.

Yes, there are some very good young players but, except for Dominic Thiem at this year’s US Open, they haven’t won a Grand Slam. Very few men have won a major early on and then have gone on to win numerous big titles. The list of top 10 in the Open era includes Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander – all have at least seven Slams. Really, you have to win it at least those seven to make the top 10.

Over the next few years Andy Murray (three Slams) and Stan Wawrinka (three Slams) can win another Slam, but they are at least 30 years old, and fading. Plus, they haven’t played much in the past two years. To catch it up again, they have to find a new level – especially for Murray with a revived hip. At the US Open and RG, both Murray and Wawrinka lost pretty early. Neither have a very good chance to do it again.

Right now, Nadal and Djokovic are eager. Thiem has a strong chance to win a number of majors, but right now to eventually become the top-10er, he could have to win another six Slams. The would be somewhat surprising.

Nadal understands what it going on with the other players, and he is not only smart, but he really listening. When he retires, as he says, then he can talk about everyone. He just won Roland Garros for the 13th time, and clearly, he has the credentials to say anything.