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A smashing season: The 2022 tennis year in review

tennis28 December 2022 16:54| © SuperSport
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From retirements to deportations and the emergence of new stars, the tennis year was a rollercoaster ride which had viewers on the edge of their seats.

‘NOVAX’ GETS DEPORTED FROM DOWN UNDER

The year started in dramatic fashion with defending champion Novak Djokovic heading to Melbourne only to be detained at the airport, held at a hotel-turned-immigration detention centre for five days and subsequently deported from the country. The Serb believed he had a valid medical exemption but he was deported for trying to breach the entry rules at the border.

Djokovic stood firm on his anti-vax stance and would miss the US Open as well as a few other Masters 1000 tournaments. His treatment from the Australian authorities, which was politicised, divided the tennis world with some hailing him a hero and others casting him as the villain of the piece.

In Djokovic’s absence, the age-defying Rafael Nadal came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the final in five hours and 24 minutes and take the lead for the most men’s Grand Slam singles titles – 21.

Nadal extended his record to 22 Slams when he won the French Open for a record 14th time, only for Djokovic to come within one of tying the tally via his Wimbledon triumph.

A year is a long time in tennis and Djokovic has received clearance to compete at the 2023 Australian Open. The 35-year-old has been touted as the favourite and, should he claim the season’s first Slam, he would go level with Nadal.

BARTY EXITS STAGE LEFT, SWIATEK STEPS UP

After winning the Daphne Akhurst trophy, Ashleigh Barty shocked the tennis world a mere two months later by calling time on her career at the age of 25.

Having been the top-ranked player on the WTA circuit for a total of 121 weeks, Barty told former player and close friend Casey Dellacqua in a TV interview, “I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge myself at the very top any more.”

Barty, who stepped away from the sport on her own terms, is now focusing on putting the final touches to her foundation. The Australian’s exit subsequently opened the door for Polish sensation Iga Swiatek, who put her best foot forward. The 21-year-old with an all-court game, won two of the year’s four majors – capturing the French and US Open titles.

Swiatek ended the year as the top-ranked WTA player but the rest of the field seems wide open with the emergence of Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina to name a few.

Swiatek, who went on a 37-match winning streak, failed to end the year in dominant fashion after losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal of the WTA Finals but with a win-loss record of 67-9 and three Grand Slam titles she’s still the one to beat.

THE METEORIC RISE OF TEEN ACE ALCARAZ

The teen sensation coached by the man nicknamed Mosquito – Juan Carlos Ferrero – made his mark this year. Alcaraz, the young Spaniard with a brilliant all-round game, came of age by winning the US Open, which was his maiden Grand Slam title.

With Nadal having won the Australian Open and Roland Garros and Djokovic Wimbledon, it was refreshing to see one of the Next Gen fulfill their promise and capture a major title.

The 19-year-old, who ascended to the summit of men’s tennis this year, has everything in his arsenal to dominate the sport for the next decade. Backed by an experienced support team of coaches, trainers, doctors and physiotherapists, the tennis world truly is Alcaraz’s oyster.

He plays with the never-say-die attitude of Nadal, boasts the breathtaking return game of Djokovic and the finesse of Roger Federer at the peak of his powers.

On the downside, Alcaraz’s all-action game took a toll on him from a physical perspective and his style of play may have to be tweaked if he’s going to enjoy longevity in the sport.

Having missed the ATP finals due to abdominal and knee injuries, the man himself has said, “I’m healthy again but now I also have a target on my back.”

SERENA EVOLVES AWAY FROM HER FIRST LOVE

The irrepressible Williams, who made other players of colour dare to dream, announced courtesy of a piece for Vogue magazine that she would be “evolving away from tennis” at the conclusion of the US Open.

At Flushing Meadows it was clear to see that her on-court movement wasn’t what it once was and that she was short of match time. However, her fighting spirit and feel for the game remained undimmed.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion reached the third round before being bundled out by Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets in front of a partisan home crowd. Williams, who retired one Slam short of Margaret Court’s record, has been widely hailed as the greatest female athlete of all time.

Billie Jean King tweeted, “Her incredible career made its mark on tennis history and yet her greatest contributions may be yet to come.” Serena’s story from the tough streets of Compton to the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club are what dreams are made of.

And such was the incredible plotline that Hollywood came calling to retell the story of Venus and Serena. The Oscar-winning King Richard movie, which starred Will Smith, amassed $39.4-million at the box office.

FEDERER SIGNS OFF WITH NADAL AT HIS SIDE

The Swiss maestro left his legion of supporters heartbroken when he announced in an emotional letter on social media that the Laver Cup would be his last competitive tournament.

After two years of nursing troublesome knees and missing a host of tournaments, Federer decided that he could no longer compete at the top echelon of the sport.

A memorable doubles match with Nadal as his partner in London was a fitting finale to a glittering professional career which began in 1998. The eight-time Wimbledon champion, who visited South Africa in 2020 for the Match in Africa, was unranked for the first time in July this year and there was a feeling that the end was nigh for the 41-year-old.

The doubles match against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe was his 1750th match on the ATP tour and, though it ended in defeat, Federer has left a lasting legacy.

Federer, who won 103 ATP singles titles, left an indelible mark on the sport. Of the man, who was likened to an artist with his tennis racquet as his paint brush, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said, “He redefined greatness on the court, while his champion spirit, sportsmanship and the way he played the game thrilled audiences around the world.”

© GRANT SHUB

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