Serena Williams also rode off into the sunset, but Iga Swiatek (21) showed just why she is the Queen of tennis after a simply jaw-dropping season. The Pole won the French Open and US Open, and went on a 37-match winning streak - the longest of the 21st century. With eight titles all year, she positioned herself firmly at the summit of the women’s game. However, Caroline Garcia's (29) recent performances suggest she could be a real threat in 2023.
It does promise to be a blockbuster year, and with the new season starting tomorrow at the newly-formed United Cup in Australia, what would be better than making a number of predictions - potentially some wild and outrageous ones - about what is to come over the next 12 months?
Djokovic to lead Grand Slam Race - also become world No.1
Currently, Nadal is leading the Grand Slam race with 22 major titles. Djokovic is just one behind. The recently-retired Federer ended on 20. Despite being 35 years old, the Serb’s fitness is much more akin to those in their mid-20s. Nadal on the other hand, is playing with a far more brittle body, with the risk of an injury persistently lingering.
Djokovic’s exploits this year were formidable, and chances are, he would have ended up with one or even two more major titles to go with his Wimbledon success if it wasn't for his vaccination status. However, he has now been granted the freedom to play at the Australian Open in January - a tournament he has dominated, winning nine times. There is a huge possibility that he ends next year with at least 23 majors to his name, which would put him ahead of Nadal, or possibly level should the Spaniard win the French Open - as he pretty much always does. It would be surprising (but not impossible) to see Nadal finds success at any major outside of Roland Garros, so as a result, the first prediction for 2023 is that Djokovic will end up leading the Grand Slam race. Sure, he could be level with his closest rival, but he would still technically be ‘leading’.
Additionally, due to missing out on a number of tournaments this year, he has many potential ranking points to pick up, so reclaiming the world No.1 spot looks inevitable.
Alcaraz to go Slam-less
Alcaraz has been a revelation in 2022, and has already thrust himself to the forefront of any conversation for Grand Slam victories. He won his maiden major title this year, but next year, he could face a dry spell on that front. The return of Djokovic will make his task far more difficult, and his game still needs a little bit of finetuning - which is absolutely understandable for a teen. He often goes through peaks and troughs throughout five set matches, as seen against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros and Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon.
So it is totally feasible that he goes through the entire year without a major, which to be honest, if he is still putting himself in contention, wouldn’t be that big of a failure for someone so young.
Auger-Aliassime to win first Masters
2022 was also big for Felix Auger-Aliassime (22). After winning his first trophy in Rotterdam in February, he won three consecutive titles at the tail of the year and qualified for the ATP Finals, as well as being highly competitive at the Australian and French Opens. He also reached the Paris Masters semi-final.
Furthermore, he dominated in all team competitions, playing arguably the biggest role in Canada's ATP Cup and Davis Cup titles, as well as Team World's first Laver Cup win.
But the next step in the development of the talented Canadian is to go deeper in bigger tournaments more consistently, like Masters events. And that is just what he will do. In fact, he will win his first Masters event. Where, you may ask? On his home turf at the Canada Masters towards the end of the year. You heard it here first.
Kyrgios to win Wimbledon
Whatever you think of Nick Kyrgios (27), he attracts new audiences to tennis. At Wimbledon this year, he was certainly the talk of the town, with his antics and performances drawing people to watch his matches. Sure, he has been way out of line on a number of occasions with some egregious behaviour. His spitting on court is just one example of this. But when he is at his brilliant best, he is one of the greatest entertainers in the sport. His clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas (24) in the third round was an unbelievably dramatic and thrilling affair.
There are absolutely no doubts about the Australian’s ability, and on his day, he can go toe-to-toe with anyone. That is especially true when he is playing on grass. He is one of the world’s best players on the surface, with his serve an unabating force of nature. Reaching the Wimbledon final was a sign of that, where he lost to Djokovic despite winning the first set.
The issue is that ‘his day’ doesn’t come about as often as you would like, with inconsistent performances littered throughout his career. But in 2022, he showed a level of consistency we have never seen from him, suggesting that he could be someone to be reckoned with on a more regular basis.
Therefore, next year, he will go one step further at his favourite tournament, and win his first ever Grand Slam at the All England club.
I’m not sure if I have even totally convinced myself about this one.
Swiatek to add two more Grand Slams to her resume
Swiatek was relentless and irresistible in 2022, as she soared to the top of women’s tennis, winning two Grand Slams to take her overall tally to three. At just 21 years old, she portrays a maturity far beyond her years, which is a scary thought for everyone else on tour.
She is by far and away the best player on clay, and has won at Roland Garros twice in the last three years. She will be the overwhelming favourite to win in Paris. To win three of the four majors in a year would be a remarkable achievement, but with her grass court game not yet a real strength, she would most likely have to win in Australia and America. Not impossible, but improbable. Consequently, she will go on to win two major titles next year.
Five majors at 22 years old wouldn’t be too bad.
Garcia to win maiden Grand Slam
The resurgence of Garcia in 2022 was a spectacular story, and she has now made herself one of the most feared players on tour. After suffering a huge loss of form in 2021 which saw her end the year as the world No.74, she started 2022 in similarly disappointing fashion.
However, something changed post-Wimbledon. Garcia beat Iga Swiatek on clay (ending her 18-match win streak on that surface) as she went on to win the Poland Open. This was soon to be followed by victory in Cincinnati, as she became the first qualifier to win a WTA 1000 event.
She reached the semi-finals of the US Open, and then capped off her stunning revival with the biggest trophy of her career - the WTA Finals. The win moved her up to No.4 in the world, and has propelled her back into the limelight.
Garcia is a wonderful tennis player and easily capable of winning a Grand Slam. Her trajectory has been continuously upward in 2022, and with all this momentum, a major victory could be on the horizon.
Muguruza to make big comeback
Garbine Muguruza (29) has been one of the finest players in the women's game for a number of years, winning the French Open (2016), Wimbledon (2017), the WTA Finals (2021), as well as becoming the world No.1 in 2017.
However, she suffered a dip in form in 2018 and 2019, before recovering and getting back to her best during the following two years.
But in 2022, her performances completely fell off a cliff again, yet this time, it was worse than ever. She ended the year as the world No.55, dropping outside of the top 50 for the first time since 2013.
The Spaniard candidly admitted that she was looking forward to taking a break from tennis, so she could get her game back in shape for 2023. If she returns to her best and puts the woes of the last year behind her, Muguruza could easily reach the top 10 in the world once more. At just 29 years old, it would be no surprise to see her go deep into the majors in the forthcoming year.
