by ponchi101 As we are starting a new year, it is time for us to make our predictions for what will happen. So, get your crystal ball, sieve through the tea leaves or the coffee grinds, or pluck the entrails of a chicken (preferably dead but, your method is your method) and tell us, for both the ATP and the WTA:
Who ends 2022 as #1?
Who wins the slams?
Who retires?
Who drops from the top 10?
Who enters the top 10?
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it?
Will the WTA play in China?
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?)
What really odd thing will happen in tennis?

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year?
Off Topic
We didn't do it last year but this time we will look back at our forecasts and check how well we did ;)

by patrick Who ends 2022 as #1? ATP: Djokovic WTA: Barty
Who wins the slams? ATP: Djokovic, Medvedev and Nadal WTA: Osaka, Sakkari, Barty and Halep
Who retires? ATP: Lopez WTA: Stosur
Who drops from the top 10? ATP: Ruud WTA: Krejcikova
Who enters the top 10? ATP: Auger-Aliassime WTA: Halep
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it? ATP: McDonald WTA: Cornet
Will the WTA play in China? No.
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?) No.
What really odd thing will happen in tennis? Tsitsipas will stop abusing the bathroom break rule.

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Yes.

by meganfernandez Who ends 2022 as #1? Medvedev and Barty
Who wins the slams? Medvedev, Nadal, Zverev, Barty, Sabalenka, and a first-timer WTA, I'd say Badosa
Who retires? Federer, Kevin Anderson
Who drops from the top 10? Thiem, Tsitispas, Djokovic, Muguruza, Pliskova, Krejickova, Jabeur
Who enters the top 10? Rybankina, Gauff, Fernandez, Alcaraz, Norrie, Harris
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it? Botic van der Zandschulp, Potapova
Will the WTA play in China? No
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?) No
What really odd thing will happen in tennis? Djokovic doesn't win a Slam. A WTA player will win 2 Slams. We'll stop talking about Kyrgios's potential.

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Full year
Off Topic
We didn't do it last year but this time we will look back at our forecasts and check how well we did ;)
[/quote]

by Liamvalid Who ends 2022 as #1? Medvedev and Sabalenka
Who wins the slams? Zverev, Djokovic, Medvedev, Osaka, Sabalenka, muguruza
Who retires? Federer, Serena, Venus
Who drops from the top 10? Nadal, krejikova
Who enters the top 10? Fernandez, Alcaraz, Davidovic Fokins
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it?
koepfer, musetti, osario, burel

by ponchi101 For me.
Year #1's. Medvedev in the ATP. I think he is just a bit more solid than Zverev or any of the new crop. But if Novak remains on top, it will not surprise me one bit. For the ladies, there are at least 5 players that can get there, so I will go with whom I want, not whom I think because I really have no clues: Kontaveit. I give her 10% chance of doing it, which is better than what I would give anybody else. I just can't see Barty going three years straight, and Naomi will not play a full calendar.
Slams: ATP: Medvedev, Novak and Zverev, with somebody maybe getting the fourth (Tsisipas at RG?). This, of course, hinges on Novak getting his vaccine because RG and W will simply not allow players to come without it. WTA: Naomi, Kontaveit, TOTAL SURPRISE 1, TOTAL SURPRISE 2. And by TS I mean somebody ranked outside the top 20, to repeat RG and USO last year.
Retirees: WTA: Serena, Stosur, Venus, and somebody in her early 30's. Kvitova perhaps. ATP: Roger, Feli, Anderson. Nadal at 25% if the feet and knees decide that it has been enough. Kyrgios will announce it via Tik Tok.
Out of the top 10: Badosa, Pliskova. Maybe Garbie. ATP: Berrettini, Ruud and Hurkacz.
Into the top 10: Gauff, Alcaraz. Other than that, I really could not even guess.
Into the 50: Mussetti. In the WTA, 25 players will go into the top 50, for the first time. The separation between the #100 (788 points) and the #50 (1215 pts) is minute.
WTA will not play in China. Maybe the top 10 will make a statement and say the YEC should remain in Guadalajara. The ATP, of course, will say nothing and remain a political eunuch.
Odd thing to happen: ratings for the WTA at the Slams will be better than for the ATP.
And yes, Covid will interrupt the season. This thing is so far from over... :cry:

by Deuce Leylah won't be top 10 - she doesn't (yet) have the consistency required to get there. I say she'll drop down a bit to between 30 and 40.
Sabalenka might stay in the top 10, but she won't win a Major. Ever.

Who retires? Halep. She'll have more injury trouble, and won't accept being just a top 25 player.
Andreescu will retire in 2023 after playing all of 3 tournaments in 2022 (and having to pull out of 2 of the 3 due to injury).

Strange thing that *might* happen: Raducanu will do better than people expect, and will remain in the top 40 after her U.S. Open 2020 points vanish.

by led14pa2 This is always fun to look back at after the year is done!

Who ends 2022 as #1? Zverev and Barty
Who wins the slams? ATP - Zverev (2), Djokovic (1), and Nadal (1) WTA - Barty, Osaka, Rybakina, and Swiatek
Who retires? Federer, Fognini, Isner, Venus, Serena, Kuznetsova
Who drops from the top 10? Hurcazk, Berrettini, Sakkari, Konteveit, Badosa
Who enters the top 10? Fritz, Alcaraz, Rybakina, Mertens
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it? McDonald and Osorio
Will the WTA play in China? No
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?) No, they'll play in China.
What really odd thing will happen in tennis? A teenage man makes a grand slam final.

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Similar to 2021. Some tournaments get cancelled, but most get played including all 4 slams.

by ponchi101 I had forgotten about Fognini. Yes, he calls it quits too.

by Deuce Fabio calls it quits several times every year - in about every second match he plays. :)

by atlpam Who ends 2022 as #1? Djokovic, Barty
Who wins the slams? Djokovic, Medvedev, Zverev
Who retires? Federer, Venus
Who drops from the top 10? Sakkari, Nadal
Who enters the top 10? Alcaraz, Rybakina
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it? Potapova, Brooksby
Will the WTA play in China? No
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?)No
What really odd thing will happen in tennis? Roland Garros will use electronic line calling

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Some disruptions, but basically a full year of play will be possible.

by 3mlm
ponchi101 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 7:03 pm Year #1's. Medvedev in the ATP. I think he is just a bit more solid than Zverev or any of the new crop. But if Novak remains on top, it will not surprise me one bit. For the ladies, there are at least 5 players that can get there, so I will go with whom I want, not whom I think because I really have no clues: Kontaveit. I give her 10% chance of doing it, which is better than what I would give anybody else. I just can't see Barty going three years straight, and Naomi will not play a full calendar.
Barty already has gone three years straight - 2019, 2020 and 2021 - but a fourth might be a stretch.

by ponchi101 I did not count that. Ok, my point being what you say: with today parity, four in a row is very hard.
(Translation: I just jinxed myself)

by Deuce One more player I'll add to my 'will perhaps retire' list is Raonic. He has a history of injuries (relatively minor ones, but they come one after another), and he hasn't played an official match in a long time.
Once the leader of the Canadian squad, he can't keep pace with Denis and Felix now. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he pulls the plug.

by ashkor87
ponchi101 wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 5:12 pm As we are starting a new year, it is time for us to make our predictions for what will happen. So, get your crystal ball, sieve through the tea leaves or the coffee grinds, or pluck the entrails of a chicken (preferably dead but, your method is your method) and tell us, for both the ATP and the WTA:
Who ends 2022 as #1? Osaka and Djokovic
Who wins the slams? Osaka, Barty, Medvedev, Zverev and Djokovic
Who retires? Venus
Who drops from the top 10? Krejcikova
Who enters the top 10? Alcaraz, Rybakina
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it? Osorrio Serrano, Ann Li
Will the WTA play in China? No
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?) No
What really odd thing will happen in tennis?
WtA and ATP will merge
And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Yes but mostly without audience
Off Topic
We didn't do it last year but this time we will look back at our forecasts and check how well we did ;)

by ashkor87 An even more futuristic look- how many majors will they win over their entire career?
Djokovic- 23
Nadal - 22
Federer - 20
Medvedev -5
Zverev - 2
Thiem - 1
FAA - 3
Alcaraz - 5

Barty- 6
Osaka - 8
Serena - 23
Raducanu- 3
Sabalenka - 2
Leylah - 2
Rybakina - 1
Ostapenko - 3
Swiatek - 3

Thoughts?

by Deuce
ashkor87 wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:05 am An even more futuristic look- how many majors will they win over their entire career?

Alcaraz - 5
^ That's 3 or 4 too many.
I'd give a couple of those 3 or 4 to the other kid - Musetti.
ashkor87 wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:05 am Raducanu- 3
Sabalenka - 2
Leylah - 2
^ As much as I like Leylah and Emma, I don't see any more Majors for either one. The combined total at the end of their careers will be 1, I believe.

Sabalenka is an enigma. She could win as many as 5 or 6 Majors.
Or as few as zero.
The physical potential is there to be rather dominant. But as strong and as talented as she is physically, it is all cancelled out by her tremendous psychological weakness.
It all depends on whether she can get finally her head together.

by ptmcmahon Not due to talent but that Osaka number seems optimistic.

by ashkor87 Thanks! I do think Sabalenka is too good not to win a couple .and Leylah could even win Wimbledon this year or the next .
This is, of course, just a way to quantify up-side..I think Alcaraz has a huge upside
So does Sinner, of course , he will win a couple but, like Raducanu he needs a fast surface, of which there are very very few..Alcaraz seems more versatile.
Coco gauff? I don't think she will win any .same for Sakkari and Badosa and Bencic..Krejcikova might won another...Anisimova will win one sooner or later..?

by ashkor87 as for Osaka, she is only half-way through her career and she already has more than anyone not named Williams.. to my mind, she is the only player who can dominate the game like Serena did - when we look back on her career, I truly believe we will think of her as a GREAT, in the same breath as Venus, Seles and Hingis at least, if not Serena..

by ponchi101 Djokovic - 24
Nadal - 22
Fed - 20
Medvedev - 5
Zverev - 5
Thiem - 1 indeed.
FAA - 2
Alcaraz - 3 (all RG's)

Barty - 6, sounds about right
Osaka - 6. I think part of her new mental outlook is to take tennis a bit easier. That usually spells a drop, but she is too good on hards.
Serena - 23
Raducanu - 3
Sabalenka - 3
Leylah - 0
Rybakina - 0
Ostapenko - 2
Swiatek - 3 (all G's)

I don't know how many players will win only 1. But at least 5 during this decade.
Coco Gauff zero? I really don't see her retiring without a slam. Look at her progress: slow and methodic, and she keeps rising. Plus, she has one quality that she shares with Serena, Steffi and Evert: she hates to lose. You can see her when she does, how dejected she gets. That is usually a very good sign. Players like that are willing to train a bit harder.
By the end of their careers, NONE of the players of this generation will be a GREAT in the same sense of Martina I, Steffi, Serena or Evert. To get there, you need at least 10 slams, and that will not happen. Not with this parity.

by Suliso Djokovic is done winning Slams, I think. Osaka will end up with more than Barty, otherwise difficult to say anything... The rest is more what I'd like to see not necessarily what I expect.

by ponchi101 Allowing for him playing at W this year: who do you see beating him there?

by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 4:37 pm Allowing for him playing at W this year: who do you see beating him there?
One of the younger guys. He'll be 35 by the time that tournament comes around. Nadal just showed that winning at that age still possible, but I still think it's a very rare exception instead of a norm.

by ponchi101 I'll put you on for that answer. Of course it has to be one of the younger guys. He will be 35, as you say! Unless Roger, Rafa or Feliciano beat him, it will have to be somebody younger ;)
He is not a regular 35 and he still has the most compact footwork of the game, barring a reincarnation by Roger. I gather that we will see this week in Dubai how well he is playing, but that is the slam where I see him with the best chance. Medvedev's far back return will be a challenge there, Zverev could do it but hasn't, Rafa will not be a factor at W, also due to his court positioning.
Shapo? He made the semis last year. I wonder if he can volley well enough, though.

by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 5:03 pm I'll put you on for that answer. Of course it has to be one of the younger guys. He will be 35, as you say! Unless Roger, Rafa or Feliciano beat him, it will have to be somebody younger ;)
:D

To clarify I meant guys at least a decade younger than him.

by patrick Think Raducanu is one and done.

by Deuce
patrick wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:58 pm Think Raducanu is one and done.
^ Yes... I don't see how anyone can think otherwise.
Firstly, it's such a small sample size - she has played very few tournaments at this level. Secondly, she won the U.S. Open during an unstable time in women's tennis - with COVID mixing a lot of things up, as well as a new order establishing itself in the game, with some of the older players on their way down and younger players on their way up. Thirdly, Emma hasn't been noticeable in other tournaments, with early round losses.

I simply fail to see any signs that she's a potential multi Major winner.

by ashkor87
Deuce wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:20 am I'd give a couple of those 3 or 4 to the other kid - Musetti.
must say I havent really seen Musetti, must check him out

by ashkor87
Suliso wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 4:33 pm Djokovic is done winning Slams, I think. Osaka will end up with more than Barty, otherwise difficult to say anything... The rest is more what I'd like to see not necessarily what I expect.
If Nadal's win at the AusOpen taught us anything, it is that the NextGen (Zverev, Medvedev et al) arent yet good enough to topple the Kings of tennis - Djokovic still has a couple years to go, at least, so why wont he win a coupl more majors?

Vaccination rules will not apply in France (by the time RG starts) and W, by the time the USO rolls around, I expect the US would have relaxed them too, if only because there is a mid-term coming and Dems cannot afford to rile people up more than they already have!

by ashkor87 I know everyone here is seeing parity in the WTA but I think that is mistaken..over the next 3-5 years, I expect Osaka and Barty to rule, rather like Federer and Nadal did earlier..their reign has just begun but if we cut the clutter, it seems clear they are head-and-shoulders above the field, in sheer ability and accomplishment...

by Deuce
ashkor87 wrote: Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:55 am I know everyone here is seeing parity in the WTA but I think that is mistaken..over the next 3-5 years, I expect Osaka and Barty to rule, rather like Federer and Nadal did earlier..their reign has just begun but if we cut the clutter, it seems clear they are head-and-shoulders above the field, in sheer ability and accomplishment...
So... you think that Barty and Osaka will win 20 Majors each - like the Federer and Nadal guys you mention?
I hope for your sake that you're not a betting person. :)

by ponchi101 I have not seen Osaka as a force on anything other than hard courts. Ashely surely can play on all surfaces and I can now see her as winning around 10 slams.
But remember. She looked great at Wimby, and then was taken down at the USO.
It has been what, 3 straight years of 4 different winners at the Slams?

by Suliso Not convinced of them ruling anything, especially Osaka, but those two are the only post Serena players to have held more than one Slam at the time. Kerber did it as well, but I think 2016 can't yet be called "post Serena"

by ashkor87
Deuce wrote: Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:02 am
ashkor87 wrote: Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:55 am I know everyone here is seeing parity in the WTA but I think that is mistaken..over the next 3-5 years, I expect Osaka and Barty to rule, rather like Federer and Nadal did earlier..their reign has just begun but if we cut the clutter, it seems clear they are head-and-shoulders above the field, in sheer ability and accomplishment...
So... you think that Barty and Osaka will win 20 Majors each - like the Federer and Nadal guys you mention?
I hope for your sake that you're not a betting person. :)
Betting on sports is illegal where I live. Fortunately!!

by ashkor87 Jokes aside, the tennis World will soon settle down after Covid..was very impressed by how Barty crossed the Ocean and won Miami ...she is a real champion. So is Osaka. I am quite confident the current chaos will end soon.

by ponchi101 You call it chaos? It has happened before, although it was brief. In the early 2000's, with almost 10 players looking like potential GS winners. Then Venus and Serena took over.
You know my opinion. It is parity. All players play very much alike, and all are in excellent physical condition. Barty may be an exception, with her slice BH being a singular weapon, but everybody is about the same: first serve at about 105 MPH, solid FH, solid 2 handed BH, reasonable volleys (with all of them hitting swinging volleys when they come in, and missing about 25% of them). Barty, again, seems to be the one with the better net game.
It will be hard for somebody to gain any separation from the group.

by ponchi101 And:
TIME TO LOOK AT OUR PREDICTIONS!!!!!!

For me: man, that crystal ball was fuzzy. I only got right:
Gauff and Alacaraz into the top 10.
The retirements were mostly correct (Serena and Roger did). Of course, Barty's was impossible to see.
Slam winners: only got Novak right. Missed anything Rafa did. My high hopes for Annet were wishful thinking.

Overall: I am no good at this thing of predicting.

by atlpam
atlpam wrote: Tue Jan 04, 2022 6:17 pm Who ends 2022 as #1? Djokovic, Barty
Who wins the slams? Djokovic, Medvedev, Zverev
Who retires? Federer, Venus
Who drops from the top 10? Sakkari, Nadal
Who enters the top 10? Alcaraz, Rybakina
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it? Potapova, Brooksby
Will the WTA play in China? No
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?)No
What really odd thing will happen in tennis? Roland Garros will use electronic line calling

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Some disruptions, but basically a full year of play will be possible.
Foiled by Barty’s unexpected retirement, Djokovic not getting vaccinated, and the lack of Wimbledon points.
Would Rybakina made the top 10 with Wimbledon points?
Potapova and Brooksby did make it into the top 50.
Nadal obviously had a much better year than I anticipated.
I did get the Federer retirement but no official word from Venus.

by led14pa2
led14pa2 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 11:59 pm This is always fun to look back at after the year is done!

Who ends 2022 as #1? Zverev and Barty
Who wins the slams? ATP - Zverev (2), Djokovic (1), and Nadal (1) WTA - Barty, Osaka, Rybakina, and Swiatek
Who retires? Federer, Fognini, Isner, Venus, Serena, Kuznetsova
Who drops from the top 10? Hurcazk, Berrettini, Sakkari, Konteveit, Badosa
Who enters the top 10? Fritz, Alcaraz, Rybakina, Mertens
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it? McDonald and Osorio
Will the WTA play in China? No
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?) No, they'll play in China.
What really odd thing will happen in tennis? A teenage man makes a grand slam final.

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Similar to 2021. Some tournaments get cancelled, but most get played including all 4 slams.
Mixed results for me here! My teenage man making a grand slam final prediction hit. I wish I had been bold enough to say one would win. I got 3 out of the 4 WTA slam winners, including Rybakina! On the mens' side, I got Novak and Rafa each winning a slam. Both my #1 guesses were way off as neither finished in the top 10, though for very different reasons.

I got 3/5 dropping out of Top 10 correct and 2/4 entries (Fritz and Alacaraz). Sakkari staying in the top 10 surprised me, and Osorio disappointed.

We'll see how next year's picking goes!

by ponchi101
led14pa2 wrote: Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:51 pm ...

Mixed results for me here! My teenage man making a grand slam final prediction hit. I wish I had been bold enough to say one would win. I got 3 out of the 4 WTA slam winners, including Rybakina! On the mens' side, I got Novak and Rafa each winning a slam. Both my #1 guesses were way off as neither finished in the top 10, though for very different reasons.

I got 3/5 dropping out of Top 10 correct and 2/4 entries (Fritz and Alacaraz). Sakkari staying in the top 10 surprised me, and Osorio disappointed.

We'll see how next year's picking goes!
You know? Wow! :notworthy:

by ashkor87
ashkor87 wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:05 am An even more futuristic look- how many majors will they win over their entire career?
Djokovic- 23
Nadal - 22
Federer - 20
Medvedev -5
Zverev - 2
Thiem - 1
FAA - 3
Alcaraz - 5

Barty- 6
Osaka - 8
Serena - 23
Raducanu- 3
Sabalenka - 2
Leylah - 2
Rybakina - 1
Ostapenko - 3
Swiatek - 3

Thoughts?
Barty confounded us all by retiring..and Raducanu doesn't look like getting 3, ever but am pleased Rybakina did win 1 and Swiatek is already at 3
My revised forecast at the end of '22 would be:
Swiatek 6
Osaka 5
Rybakina 2 (1 more,)
Ostapenko 1 ,(no more, that is)
Gauff 1
Leylah 3

by ashkor87
ponchi101 wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 5:12 pm As we are starting a new year, it is time for us to make our predictions for what will happen. So, get your crystal ball, sieve through the tea leaves or the coffee grinds, or pluck the entrails of a chicken (preferably dead but, your method is your method) and tell us, for both the ATP and the WTA:

For 23 ..
Who ends 2023 as #1? Djokovic and Swiatek
Who wins the slams? Djokovic and Alcaraz, Kyrgios wins Wimbledon..Swiatek wins 2, Osaka returns with 1 and Qinwen Zheng wins one
Who retires? Venus, Muguruza, Svitolina, Monfils
Who drops from the top 10? not sure I even know who is in there but- Sakkari and Fritz
Who enters the top 10? Osaka, Rybakina, coric
Which player from outside the top 50 makes the jump into it?again, don't know off the top of my head who is in there so ..
Will the WTA play in China? No
Will the ATP NOT play in China? (Alternate question, will the ATP grow a pair?) ATP will not either
What really odd thing will happen in tennis? Pickleball will draw a lot of money and players away from tennis

And last:
Will C19 throw the entire calendar out of whack, or will the tours be able to play a full year? Not relevant now, I hope.
Off Topic
We didn't do it last year but this time we will look back at our forecasts and check how well we did ;)

by ponchi101 You did well, Ashkor. You called Swiatek and Novak was one AELTC dumb decision away from #1 again. :thumbsup:

by ashkor87 Thanks..Rybakina is the call I am proudest of...

by ashkor87 2023 looks like the return of the Big 3, except it will be a different 3:
the men; Alcaraz, Djokovic, Medvedev
the women: Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina

these will mostly win all the big titles...

hope Zverev will be back, and Sinner steps up, but dont see them as challenging the big 3 this year..

by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:55 am 2023 looks like the return of the Big 3, except it will be a different 3:
the men; Alcaraz, Djokovic, Medvedev
the women: Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina

these will mostly win all the big titles...

hope Zverev will be back, and Sinner steps up, but dont see them as challenging the big 3 this year..
You can start a topic for 2023 ;)