A Grand, If Curious, Kick-Off

Well, guys, we've made it. After the long slog that was 2020, we're finally in the New Year, and while things are far from completely back to normal, we're starting to see the gears turn again.

There may not be a traditional lead-up to the Australian Open -- there's no action in Brisbane and the qualifying tournaments will be held, weirdly, in Dubai -- but after much speculation and concern, the first Grand Slam of the year is hopefully within sight, albeit a little further away than ususual. And we're just a few days away from the first matches of this strange and shifted season.

The women kick off their action in Abu Dhabi, with last year's Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin and world #5 Elina Svitolina leading the field. It will certainly be interesting to see if my 2020 Player of the Year can come out of the gates hot, but there will be plenty of competition looking to halt her momentum. Not least of whom is Aryna Sabalenkra, riding a nine-match win streak into the new year. But there's also Karolina Pliskova, who honestly had a pretty disappointing season last year, and comes into 2021 with a new start and a new coach.

There's plenty of other talent in the field, too. Surprise French Open semifinalist Nadia Podoroska will be back in action, with a spotlight on her for the first time. And Maria Sakkari, too, a smidge off her career high ranking, but coming off a year where she bagged wins over Svitolina and Serena Williams to boot. Any of these ladies could make a play to start the year off on the right foot.

The men, meanwhile, will split their action in two very different parts of the world. Matteo Berrettini, David Goffin, and Fabio Fognini take the top seeds in Antalya, Turkey, an event moved up from June and onto hard courts, and could find themselves vulnerable to early upsets -- Fognini, for one, has only won one match since last year's Australian Open.

Instead I'd keep an eye out for Jannik Sinner, fresh off his first career title in Sofia -- the nineteen year old seems to be far outplaying his #36 ranking. Even one-time Roland Garros semifinalist Marco Cecchinato, who is trying to climb his way back into the top tiers of the sport. His specialty may be clay, but he might just be able to surprise us with a little luck.

A little closer to [my] home, there's more action going on in Delray Beach, another tournament that's moved up in the calendar. Three former titlists will hit the courts in Florida to try to make lightning strike again: Reilly Opelka, who snuck in a win here last year, before the season shut down; Frances Tiafoe, who won his only ATP crown here in 2018 but managed a Challenger win in Parma near the end of last season; and 2016 champ Sam Querrey, trying to rebound after getting fined for breaking quarantine protocol at the St. Petersburg Open last fall.

Delray will also mark the return of John Isner, who suffered some big defeats to cap off his 2020 season and ended the year at his lowest ranking since 2016. That might get him halfway to the reckoning I called for at the start of last year, but these days he certainly seems to be making more headlines for his controversial mask comments and political views than for his performance on court.

On the other hand, in what's been quite a reversal for me, I've suddenly found myself rooting hard for Andy Murray, who's taking a wildcard in Florida. Not sure if it's his pro-BLM stance or just the desire to see a great comeback, but I'd actually be more than happy to see him walk away with a title here.

Of course, it's going to be interesting to see how any of these events play out, as there is still so much strange and unusual about how we live these days. But there is light at the end of this tunnel, and hopefully this kick-off will just be the first rays of sunshine to peak through.

After all, it's 2021 now, and things can only get better from here!

2020 Tennis Spin Awards: Matches of the Year

It may have been a short season for tennis, but that still didn't leave us lacking for really great matches. From nail-biting five setters, to the ushering in of new talent, to battles reminiscent of the glory days, we certainly got to see some of the best that this sport has to offer in 2020. And it sure gives us hope for what's to come.

So as we close in on the last Tennis Spin Awards for the year, it's time to salute...

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The Women

The Winner: Serena Williams d. Venus Williams, Lexington, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Over the last twenty-two years these sistens have faced each other 31 times, twelve times in a final, nine when a Major trophy was at stake. And their their latest battle in the second round of this year's inaugural Top Seed Open could rival any one of those for a place in history.

Serena, of course, was the favorite in this one, still ranked in the top ten and holding the #1 seed at the event. Venus, meanwhile, had started to slow down, falling out of the top sixty and going winless in her first three matches of the year. But she was coming off a win over a then on-the-mend Victoria Azarenka in the first round of Lexington and might have brought that confidence with her into the next match.

She got off to a good start, too, taking the first set and building a 4-2 lead in the decider before her younger sister came roaring back. Breaking serve immediately after losing hers, Serena won the last four games of the match, and after nearly two and a half hours extended her lead in this four-decade-longrivalry to 19-12.

Of course, at 39 and 40 years old respectively, there is only so much time left that Serena and Venus will be able to play at such a high level. But reminding us of what they can do -- and seemingly bringing out the best in each other -- gives us hope that we might just see a little more meetings like this one. And hopefully the quality will be just as high as we've gotten so used to seeing.

Sensational backhand to break 💪💪@serenawilliams #TSOpen pic.twitter.com/JiJic6SQzR

— wta (@WTA) August 13, 2020

Honorable Mention: Maria Sakkari d. Serena Williams, "Cincinnati", 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1

Serena Williams didn't always come out on the winning end of her battles this year. Though she did end a nearly three-year title drought in Auckland to start the season, her quest for Grand Slam #24 remains unfulfilled and she proved she was eminently beatable on a couple fronts. But Maria Sakkari's win at the Western & Southern was more a triumph for the Greek than a breakdown of the American. The thirteenth seed fought back from a 2-5 deficit in the first set and held strong after losing an early break in the second. She came within two points of defeat before taking the tiebreak and storming through the decider. Well-placed shots, solid ground strokes and a firm resolve helped her come out the winner of that match, and while she did lose her next match -- and her next meeting with Williams -- I have high hopes she'll come into the new season strong and swinging.

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The Men

The Winner: Dominic Thiem d. Alexander Zverev, U.S. Open, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6)

Dominic Thiem was starting to get a reputation. Long heralded as the face of the next generation in men's tennis, he had, the last two years, come within one match of that elusive maiden Grand Slam, losing twice to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final. And while those losses might have been expected, he very nearly could have broken the seal this year in Melbourne, when he took a 2-set-to-1 lead over Novak Djokovic in the championship match. He fell short again.

So, you could imagine the pressure on him at this year's U.S. Open, with Rafa and Roger Federer both skipping the event and Nole so spectacularly ousted in the fourth round. We were guaranteed a first-time Major winner by the quarters and of course the 27-year-old Austrian, the second seed, was the favorite.

But it looked at the outset that things would not go his way. After a relatively drama-free run to the final he found himself down two sets to Alexander Zverev, who seemed to have put his summer troubles behind him. The German, who'd come back from two sets down to Pablo Carreño Busta in the semis, appeared the better-rested of the two combatants, and Thiem, who'd joked earlier that he'd have to call Andy Murray for advice on how to deal with losing his first four Major finals, seemed headed for the door.

It turned out, though, that Thiem had a little more fight left in him. He stormed back to take the third and fourth sets and in a decider full of service breaks -- six total in the set -- became the first man to win the U.S. Open in a fifth-set tiebreak. He was also the first to win in New York from two sets down.

The win made Thiem one of just five active players not named Roger, Rafa, or Nole who can call themselves a Grand Slam champion. We'll have to see if the win opens the floodgates for him over the coming years -- but as we get deeper into the Big Three's careers he seems in the best place to take over the reins.

It's Dominic Thiem's moment.

The point that made him a Grand Slam champion 👇 pic.twitter.com/uYMplH3TF7

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 14, 2020

Honorable Mention: Roger Federer d. Tennys Sandgren, Australian Open, 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-3

We all know it's never a good idea to count out Roger Federer. Many tried after that stunning Wimbledon victory in 2012, saying that 17^th Major trophy was looking to be his last. But, starting with the 2017 Australian Open, he then picked up numbers eighteen through twenty. Still, like many of the greats, he has proven he can be beaten in recent years, losing to players like John Millman, Kevin Anderson, and a #78-ranked Grigor Dimitrov. So when Tennys Sandgren, ranked just in the top hundred at the time, earned seven match points during their quarterfinal in Melbourne, you'd think he'd have a shot at converting one of them. But Roger showed us why he's Roger, holding tough for the win before falling a match later to Novak Djokovic. And while that was the last we saw of him this year, you have to believe he'll come back stronger and fitter in the new year.

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We've almost made it -- only two more Tennis Spin Awards left to hand out! Up next: the doubles teams of the years. It's always better when we play together!

And to see all of the winners this year and in years past, click here.

The Hangover

It should come as no surprise that after a big night out it's not always easy to spring out of bed the next morning and find the energy you need to really be at your best. And, while it may not always happen under the same circumstances, the world's best athletes are certainly not immune from that feeling.

Take, for example, what we've seen over the last few days at the Western & Southern Open in New York. While there have been plenty of upstarts riding high after taking advantage of the many holes in the ladies' field, too many have crashed back down to earth when looking to follow through.

The first example came when Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, who hadn't notched a top ten win at all this season, toppled top seeded Karolina Pliskova, a titleist at the Cincinnatti event in 2016 and a finalist at the U.S. Open that same year. The 23-year-old wasn't able to extend her run, though, falling a round later to a largely underappreciated Elise Mertens. Then Alizé Cornet, currently #60 in the world, trounced Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin in straight sets. The veteran Frenchwoman then fell in her third round to a resurgent Victoria Azarenka.

But perhaps the biggest high came when Maria Sakkari took the court against Serena Williams on Tuesday. The Greek star, just a shade off her career best ranking at #21 in the world, has had some decent wins over the past year, beating the likes of Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova, and Madison Keys, among others. In her opener this week she plowed through wunderkind Coco Gauff in straight sets. And while Williams has struggled to close the deal recently, winning just one title since 2017, Sakkari was clearly the underdog last night. She lost a tight first set and came within two points of dropping the whole match a few times, but after winning the second in a tiebreak, she rolled through the decider in about half an hour.

Back to back @CincyTennis quarterfinal appearances! 🤩 @mariasakkari defeats Williams, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1.#CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/MS4ckFnACD

— wta (@WTA) August 26, 2020

It was by far the biggest win of Sakkari's career, but unfortunately the momentum didn't last too long. She lost today in straight sets to Britain's Johanna Konta, a woman she'd defeated last year for her first and so far only title in Rabat. Notably, it's the second event in a row that Serena's vanquisher has fallen a round later -- earlier this month in Lexington, then-#116 Shelby Rogers scored the win of her lifetime and immediately folded to eventual champion Jennifer Brady. Perhaps that's a good omen for Konta.

It's not just the women who can fall victim to the second day slump -- an on-the-mend Andy Murray scored his biggest win since 2016 when he defeated world #7 Alexander Zverev on Monday, but fell to Milos Raonic a day later. But a couple men have a chance to keep their highs going a little longer. Big-serving Reilly Opelka followed up his win over Diego Schwartzman by taking out sixth seeded Matteo Berrettini, and Serbia's Filip Krajinovic not only crushed Dominic Thiem in the second round, he's currently up a break on Raonic for a spot in the semis.

Of course, the important thing is not whether these players suffer a hangover every once in a while -- we all can relate with needing a little time to recover from a big celebration -- it's whether they pick themselves up the day after that. And whether they were the ones on the losing side of the initial upset or the ones who lost their mojo a bit, the bigger tests are still to come. And what they learn from these experiences will be what matters in the end.

The Standouts

Sometimes you don't have to win a tournament to really make a statement. After all, only one person can be left holding the trophy at the end of the day, but plenty of others can not only have matches of their lives along the way, but can certainly make it easier for that eventual champion to claim the win. And at this week's events from Thailand to New York and Europe, we certainly saw some career-making runs among those who didn't quite seal the deals.

Let's start with the men in Buenos Aires, where we saw some clay court veterans try to make a stand. Thirty-four year old Pablo Cuevas did manage an upset of Albert Ramos, just two years his junior, and took top-seeded Diego Schwartzman to three sets before losing in the quarters. But Argentina's Guido Pella, seeded second thanks largely to a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon last year, was less fortunate, losing his second match of the event to Juan Ignacio Londero, after squeaking through a qualifier in his opener. Today's final, though, will be a battle between the old and new guard in the most unlikely of ways. Eighth seeded Casper Ruud, who picked off John Isner and Fabio Fognini at the ATP Cup this year, has largely sailed through the draw, upsetting world #24 Dusan Lajovic on the way to his first career final. Only Portugal's Pedro Sousa, ten years older than him, stands in his way. The lucky loser, who benefited from the withdrawal of Cristian Garin, hasn't had a real test this event as Schwartzman pulled out with a leg injury ahead of their semi. Ruud is the heavy favorite for this match, but win or lose, something tells me we'll be seeing a lot more of him this year.

Then we head over to Rotterdam where Gael Monfils just picked up a second title in as many weeks. Still, let's not discount the performance of his final opponent Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian teen was one of my players to watch this year, but kind of got off to a slow start. After losing all but one of his matches at the ATP Cup, he lost in the Adelaide semis to the seemingly unstoppable Andrey Rublev, and he was shocked by a resurgent Ernests Gulbis in his Australian Open first round. But he seems to have found his game again this week -- just barely unseeded he took out an always tough Grigor Dimitrov and Aljaz Bedene, who'd dispatched second seed but struggling Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round. The championship match may not have gone the way he hoped, but his performance up to that point certainly makes me more optimistic for the future of FAA.

Closer to home for me, the New York Open was full of upsets and surprises. Mustachioed Jordan Thompson, who's had a solid career on the Challenger's circuit and stunned Andy Murray at Queen's Club a few years back, hasn't had consistent success on the main tour and had only won a single match so far this year. But after dismissing big-serving Ivo Karlovic in his first round he took on another ace machine in top-seeded John Isner, getting the win in three sets and two and a half hours. And Soonwoo Kwon, ranked 84^th in the world managed a big upset of Milos Raonic on his way to the quarterfinals. But the real surprise of this event for me was thirty-year-old Jason Jung, who's never cracked the top hundred in his long career and had to battle through qualifying round last week. He took out another big man in Kevin Anderson, a two-time Major finalist, in his opener and defending champion Reilly Opelka to make the semis. While he was ultimately stopped by Andreas Seppi, his performance certainly puts him on a map he may never have been on before.

Some of the more amazing breakthroughs, though, happened on the women's tour this week. In St. Petersburg, ultimately second seeded Kiki Bertens got the win over a red-hot Elena Rybakina in the final, but some much more interesting stories emerged earlier in the draw. There was unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova, who notched her first career title to start the year in Shenzhen -- she beet Donna Vekic on her way to the semis -- and Oceane Dodin, who caught my eye years ago with a win over Jelena Jankovic at the U.S. Open. This week she scored wins over Viktoria Kuzmova and Johanna Konta. But perhaps the one to watch out of this event is Maria Sakkari -- yes, she's seeded just outside the top twenty, but she's playing well above that ranking. The Greek got a solid win over Madison Keys and took Petra Kvitova to three in Melbourne. This week in Russia, she ousted top seed Belinda Bencic and won the first set off Rybakina. She's only won one trophy in her career so far -- taking the title in Rabat last year -- but she seems primed to really have a breakthrough in 2020.

And that leaves us with Hua Hin, where the draw went the way no one would have expected. Nao Hibino, who lost to Sakkari in Melbourne, scored her first top ten win over Elina Svitolina on her way to the semis, and Patricia Maria Tig took out two seeded players during her run. But the big story here was nineteen-year-old Leonie Kung, currently ranked #283 in the world. The Swiss qualifier not only ended Hibino's campaign, but took out Qiang Wang, the woman who stunned Serena in the Australian Open third round. While Kung ultimately lost in the final to fifth-seeded Magda Linette, it seems her star is only rising, and I'll be excited to see what she brings to the table this year.

While these guys may not have been the ultimate winners this week, they all certainly made the case that they should be taken seriously on the court. It's hard to tell, of course, whether they'll all be able to follow up their performances this past week with more success down the road, but it sure feels like they were each able to make a couple of splashes. Whatever the case, you can be sure you haven't heard the last from any of these guys.