And it’s done ! This Sunday, December 5, the 2021 world tennis season officially ended with the Davis Cup final, won by Russia. It is therefore an opportunity to take stock of a year rich in twists and turns, between the first Grand Slam title of Daniil Medvedev or the exceptional year of Novak Djokovic. But it was also more painful for others, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Naomi Osaka, for example. Check out the editorial’s tops and flops for this season. An obviously non-exhaustive list …
Nos tops
Medvedev, Zverev, Tsitsipas: finally there. They have been present at the top level for several seasons already. However, they had never really been able to oppose the overwhelming domination of the Big Three (Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer) until this year. They are the Russian Daniil Medvedev, the German Alexander Zverev and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Of the three, it is undoubtedly the first named that makes the strongest impression. For the simple reason that he succeeded to lift his first Grand Slam title, winning the US Open. Faced with Novak Djokovic, who had an appointment with History, the Russian was sparkling. In addition, there is a Masters 1000, a Davis Cup and a world No. 2 place.
We have blocked the display of this content to respect your cookie choices.
By clicking on “Consult”, you accept the deposit of cookies by social network services such as Twitter.
–
–
–
The moment @DaniilMedwed defeated Cilic 7-6(7) 6-2 to clinch a third Davis Cup title for RTF ??????#DavisCupFinals #byRakuten pic.twitter.com/yX6rrIQm4x
– Davis Cup (@DavisCup) December 5, 2021
For Alexander Zverev, the Grand Slam glass ceiling has still not been broken, even though he has shown consistency this year by qualifying for the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open. On top of that, the German won gold at the olympics by brushing aside Novak Djokovic on his way. Same story at the end of the year Masters, which he won against Medvedev.
Finally, Stefanos Tsitsipas, despite the end of the white season, has also shown that he will have to be counted on in the coming years. At the start of the season, the Greek went for his first Masters 1000 title (Monte-Carlo) and his first Grand Slam final (Roland-Garros).
Djokovic: the almost perfect year. Three more Grand Slam titles, the counter which displays 20 in total, like the two other monsters in the history of tennis: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It’s hard not to consider the Serbian’s season a successful one. In addition to that, he obtained the record for the number of weeks spent in first place in the world and an additional Masters 1000 (Paris-Bercy). What makes it one of the best seasons in history, even if the failures in the final of the US Open and at the Olympic Games “tarnish” the record a bit?
Barty, patron of the circuit. Australia’s Ashleigh Barty once again finished the year in first place in the WTA rankings. This is the third consecutive season that she has achieved this performance. Enough to make her the patron of the women’s circuit, often criticized for her lack of leaders. This season, Barty also stood out by winning Wimbledon.
–
Ashleigh Barty won Wimbledon this season. © AFP
Raducanu, the wind of freshness. What the young Briton has achieved is unique in the history of tennis: winning a Grand Slam title from… qualifying. At barely 19 – she had not yet celebrated her 19e birthday at Flushing Meadows – Emma Raducanu was strong. There had already been the beginnings, at Wimbledon, where she had climbed to the round of 16. If it is still early to warn him of a bright future, the Briton has made an appointment for 2022.
Nos flops
Naomi Osaka, silence and absence. The Japanese had yet ideally started the year 2021: victory at the Australian Open, fourth Grand Slam in total. And then… nothing. The player has been talked about more for his moods and his refusal to participate in press conferences, only for his strokes of genius in the field.
Serena Williams, the desperate quest. The American can’t do it. In her quest to equal Margaret Court’s record (24 Grand Slam titles), Serena Williams remains stuck at 23. Her 2021 season has been chaotic. She is now out of the top 40 in the standings, that is to say a drop of 30 places in one year …
Nadal, Federer, Thiem: an almost blank season. What to say ? For Thiem, it is a terrible disappointment as his year 2020 had been beautiful (3e world, victory at the US Open…). The Austrian, hampered by injuries, has hardly played and is today at 15e world place.
For Federer and Nadal, it’s different. The Swiss, hampered by his knee, made his return in March before withdrawing for the remainder of the season, after a pitiful elimination in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. His ATP ranking? 16e worldwide … for now, sincehe shouldn’t be back on the courts until July 2022, at almost 41 years old.
–
Roger Federer came out of Wimbledon this year with his head bowed. © AFP
As for the Spaniard, if he won a tenth title in Rome, he too had to cut his season short due to injury, without a Grand Slam title. And he also came out of the top 5 (6e worldwide).
Black year for the Blues. Catastrophic: this is how to describe the year of the Tricolores. For the first time since 1980, no Blue has been able to climb into the second week of at least one Grand Slam this season. And it was not more glorious on the other tournaments of the circuit. There were still some clearings: Hugo Gaston, Arthur Rinderknech or Benjamin Bonzi. Hoping that this will herald good weather for 2022.
– .
