Following the Australian Open, several questions must be asked. There have been some major upsets as well as domination by the biggest stars in tennis. Hopefully the rest of the season builds on the great Australian Open that was just held.
Fall of Federer?
Entering his twenty-second year as a pro, Roger Federer is visibly worse on the court. Following his sudden resurgence in 2017, Roger Federer looked significantly worse across all aspects of the sport. At 39, Federer has lost a significant amount of his athletic ability, which was never the focus of his game. However, his great skill and control cannot be used properly if Federer cannot move well around the court.
Even though Roger Federer made the semifinals of the Australian Open this year, his matches have been increasingly longer. These long matches eventually led to a quick three-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Roger Federer is on the decline and there is no question about it.
Sofia Kenin Here to Stay?
Sofia Kenin capped off a masterful Australian Open with a finals victory over former two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza. I liked how Kenin was able to finish off her opponents relatively quickly, as she only had to play two third sets, one to fan-favorite Coco Gauff and the other to Muguruza. This gave her a great advantage going into the finals against a much more worn down Muguruza, who had to play 4 other seeded women and two three-set matches prior to the finals.
While Kenin did play extremely well, she did not face superior competition until the semifinals, where she played world number one Ashleigh Barty in a hard fought match. Expect Sofia Kenin to ride her momentum throughout the year and become a common championship contender on the women’s tour.
Is This Nick Kyrgios’s Year?
Known for his flashy style, temper and questionable decisions, Nick Kyrgios has started his 2020 with respectable performances at both the ATP Cup and the Australian Open. Kyrgios opened this season with lots of motivation fueled by the wildfires that are ravaging his home country of Australia.
He should be able to keep up his strong play if he continues to play the way that he has so far this year. I would also like to see Kyrgios significantly cut back on all of his tricks and focus on higher percentage and smarter shots, something that has severely damaged his previous play. This season will all come down to if Kyrgios is able to keep his head straight.
The 2020 tennis season is off to a quick start. We are already seeing older names fade and newer names shine. This year should be very entertaining to watch.
(Photo: For the Win – USA Today)
