Interesting. Exciting. Breathtaking. All apt descriptions for the 2022 men’s and women’s professional tennis season. With the rise of Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz and the tearful departures of Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Ashleigh Barty, it’s hard to remember a year in the sport like this one. Now, the sport starts a new season, with a new face.
When last season started in Australia in January, Covid-19 was still a big problem. Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, whose steadfast refusal to be vaccinated has polarized fans across the world, was detained for hours at Melbourne airport and then placed under confinement in a migrant detention hotel.
He ended up being sent home just as the tournament was starting.
With Federer in Switzerland tending to his ailing knee, Rafael Nadal, who had not won a major since the 2020 French Open, beat Daniil Medvedev to the men’s title to claim his 21st Grand Slam championship, breaking a three-way tie with Federer and Djokovic .
Nadal, who turned 36 in June, won his first 21 matches of the year before finally falling to Taylor Fritz in the final at Indian Wells in March. Then he added a 22nd major by winning his 14th French Open.
With much of the early season drama on the men’s side, Barty, the world number one and then Wimbledon title defender, sailed smoothly through the women’s Australian Open to become the first Australian woman to win the title since 1978.
Shortly after, she announced her retirement at the age of 25, pointing to exhaustion and clearing the way for Swiatek to become the top ranking. Swiatek wasted no time in proving himself, winning 37 consecutive matches from late February to early July to capture his second French Open and his first US Open.
If the rise of Swiatek, 21, seemed swift, it was nothing compared to that of Alcaraz. As a teenager, the Spaniard started the 2022 season ranked No. 32 and ended it as the youngest number one at 19. It was the first time since 2003 that anyone other than Djokovic, Federer, Nadal or Andy Murray ended the season at the top of the rankings. ATP rankings.
In all, Alcaraz won five titles, including the Masters 1000 in Miami and Madrid, where he defeated three of the four best players in the world: Nadal, Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
There were many other amazing performances. Casper Ruud, who just turned 24, has reached two major finals, losing to Nadal at the French Open and Alcaraz at the US Open. He was also runner-up in the ATP Finals (which brings together the best men’s season), losing to Djokovic
Holger Rune, 19, has risen from relative obscurity to win 19 of his last 21 matches, including a victory over Djokovic in the Paris Masters final. Fritz, now 25, won at Indian Wells to take Nadal to five sets in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Frances Tiafoe, 24, beat Nadal and Andrey Rublev before falling in five lush sets to Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals.
Elena Rybakina, 23, won her first major at WimbledonCoco Gauff reached the final of the French Open, helping her to become, at 18, the youngest woman since 2007 to finish the year in the top ten.
Jessica Pegula, 23, won the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara and finished the season in 3rd place. And Caroline Garcia, 29, who started the year ranked No. 74 and looking to retire, came back with a vengeance, winning four titles, including the WTA Finals, and finishing fourth.
There were tears and applause as American Serena Williams, who announced her retirement after the US Open, won two of the tournament’s night matches, studded with stars in the crowd. At the age of 40, the one considered by many to be the greatest in history said goodbye as a symbol of strength, leaving a void that the younger ones are trying to fill.
It also said goodbye to Roger Federer, 41, who played his last professional match at the Laver Cup in London in September, teaming up with Nadal, his longtime rival and friend. With hugs and tears, Federer ended a 24-year career that included 20 majors: eight at Wimbledon, six in Australia, five in the US and one at the French Open.
“Someone I looked up to, rivaled and also shared a lot of beautiful things on and off the court was leaving,” said Nadal of his post-match display of emotion. “You know you won’t experience that again, and a part of my life has gone with him. It was also the emotion of saying goodbye to someone who was so important to our sport.”
The future of the sport is now in the hands of young Alcaraz, Swiatek, Gauff, Rune and Ruud.
The first major tournament of the year will start on Sunday (15), the Australian Open. Alcaraz, with a hamstring injury to his right thigh, will not be in action, but there will be plenty of talented youngsters – and some not-so-young talented ones, like Nadal and Djokovic – to watch in a sport that is renewing itself.
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