With ATP tours getting cancelled left and right, it’s safe to say that we won’t get to see our favourite players compete anytime soon.
Last week in our ATP 2020 news, the ATP and WTA committee have cancelled the much-awaited Wimbledon for the first time since World War 2, which put the whole world of tennis in uncharted territory.
Instead of hearing results of tennis matches lately, we’ve been hearing how players have given back to the community which should serve as our consolation for the meantime.
With the rest of the sports world still on hold, this time, let’s take a look into the ATP landscape just like in our last week’s feature for the WTA.
Wasted year for Roger Federer?
The clock has been ticking and time is not on Roger Federer’s side as he’s fast approaching in his 40’s.
However, if the last tour was any indication, the 38-year-old Swiss international should remain competitive despite his advancing age.
During the Australian Open last February, Federer reached all the way to the semifinals only to lose against the top-ranked ATP player in Novak Djokovic.
While he has won 20 Grand Slam titles in his decorated career, it has been a while since Federer won his last big trophy. The last time he won was when he defeated Croatian Marin Cilic in the 2018 Australian Open.
Roger Federer is in a similar quandary with Serena Williams as there have been more doubters when asked about their chances this year.
In fact, French tennis player Benoit Paire took it to his Instagram live a few days ago and candidly said that Roger Federer’s ATP 2020 odds of winning another Grand Slam looks to be very slim.
But while there are doubters, there are those who still believe that the Swiss can still win one more under his belt.
In his own Instagram live session, the eighth-ranked Matteo Berrettini expressed his admiration towards his idol saying that he is Mr. Tennis.
“Roger is tennis. He can do whatever he wants. It’s so easy and he is my idol. And I can talk about him for two days. He makes it look like he was born like that,” said Berrettini in his native language.
Federer has had his share of injuries over these past few years. However, if he could remain healthy throughout this year, getting his 21st Grand Slam is no longer a far fetched idea.
The youngsters are going to be all right
Over this past season, several young turks have risen to stardom. But these hotshots would have to wait for now as we wait for tennis action to resume.
Players such as Stefanos Tsitipas, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev are expected to carry the mantle as the household names in the ATP for years to come.
Out of the three, it is Medvedev who ranks the highest as he is fifth overall behind the likes of Dominic Thiem and the Big 3.
The 24-year-old is enjoying a brilliant stretch over these past two years. He won three titles in 2018 and then he won four more in 2019 to break into the top 5 in the ATP rankings.
His play has caught the attention of pundits and fellow competitors. At one point, Novak Djokovic even called him a “complete player”.
On the other hand, Stefanos Tsitsipas has been making waves too at 21 years old. After winning the 2018 ATP Next Gen Finals, he burst into the scene when he pulled off an upset against Roger Federer in the succeeding Australian Open.
Tsitsipas would go on and reach five finals, winning three titles in the process last season and he is expected to do more since he has all the tools needed to succeed.
Another name that tennis fans should look out for is Alexander Zverev as he will be on a mission after a lacklustre 2019.
At one point, the young German made it to No. 3 in the world rankings after winning 11 titles. But he has yet to live up to his potential since he is yet to have his crowning moment in the Grand Slams.
Nonetheless, the future looks bright for Zverev and for his fellow young stars. The sport of tennis is, indeed, in good hands.
Novak Djokovic should sit steady at the top
Novak Djokovic is the best in the world right now and he is still in his prime, so unseating him at the top will always be a daunting task for his competitors.
I described the Serbian international as the perfect tennis player because of his mental make-up and his undeniable talent. In fact, because he’s so good, he can make his competitors look like amateurs.
“The toughest thing is to play against Novak. You feel like an amateur against him. I have never been close to winning a set against him. He doesn’t have any weaknesses,” said former World No. 33 Robin Haase.
Before the postponement of the season, Djokovic took home his eighth Australian Open as he continues to assert his dominance and for sure he will bring home more titles in the next few tours.
But for now, we have no choice but to wait. So tune in here at SBOBET for more of your sports news!
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