Bold Predictions Ep 1

Hello and welcome back to my podcast, which is all about tennis, fitness training, and much more. One grand slam in, and we have seen a glimpse of this year’s tour. With many surprises and other things that weren’t as new. Although the younger generations come increasingly closer to snatching the big titles, we still have the big two fighting for the record numbers of total grand slam titles.

This episode of bold predictions will talk about Djokovic’s grab at this year’s grand slam and Nadal’s state of career in 2023; Murray’s fight back to the top of the pack, Carlos Alcaraza’s way back to world number one, and, finally, Thiem’s long way back. So let’s get started:

If you haven’t watched this year’s Australian Open, then let me summarize it in five words:

Djokovic is still a machine! Although, it seemed like he was about to drop out a couple of times in the earlier rounds, his thigh worked incredibly well. Of all the matches played, he only gave away one set! Just incredible if you ask me. Especially in the finals, you could see a prime Djokovic, moving like a twenty-year-old. Tsitsipas came close to snatching away a set from Djoko, however, Nole’s iron will crushed the hopes of the Greek player. As expected, he used his finals aura and determination to overcome Tsitsipas in a clear match. The result was a record 10th title in Australia. The last time we have seen him this sharp and focused was the year he attempted the Golden Slam in 2021, where Zverev stopped him, and then it all crumbled. The Serbian Won Australian, French Open, and Wimbledon that year, even beating Rafa in his home grand slam. His run was disrupted by the young German player, so the dreams of a Golden Slam stopped there. However, Djokovic bounced back to the finals of the US Open, where Medvedev ended the other dream of a Grand Slam. The feeling I get from seeing Djokovic play this well is that he might actually be able to pull this off in 2023. However, there are, of course, many obstacles in the way: for example Rafael Nadal and the French Open. This brings me to my next point.

Nadal suffered a hip injury, which means 6–8 weeks recovery. This might compromise much of the needed preparation for the next Grand slam: French Open. It appears that the times between injuries get shorter and shorter for Nadal raising the dreaded question of how long can this run continue. Everybody is aware that there are many tournaments Rafa could not play in the past because of some nagging issues. Overall, the performance he showed in Australia is by far not at the level we are expecting from the all-time great. He had to play four grueling sets in the first round and lost in straight three sets in his second round match. Of all four grand slams, the Australian Open are, tied with Wimbledon, his worse prospects of winning. What Rafael is to Roland Garros, is Djokovic to the AO. Needless to say that he is one of the greatest of all time and achieved incredible in his career, but this took a giant toll on his body which might compromise his performance. I can’t stop wondering if we lose another one of the big four this year. 

Speaking of big four, Andy Murray really showed his old self at the Australian Open. Finally, he came through and won several rounds of the main event at a major. This was actually one of his biggest goals. The manner he did it in is actually stunning. Considering his metal hips and his age, one cannot deny that his performance was incredibly good. Apart from the fact that his opponents (Berrettini, Kokkinakis, and Batista-Agut) were difficult to deal with, he pulled two five-setters and turned them round, shows his fighting spirit. The question arises whether he can carry the moment to other tournaments and establish himself once again at the very top of the rankings. If he can move forward from this, then top 30 is a goal that might be actually achievable. Currently, he is on position 61 which means seriously hard draws in majors in the first rounds. It seems that after his exhausting run at the Australian Open with two matches that went the full distance, he is going to take some time off for the next big appearance at the Western and Southern Open in August. This was a message to all of us: You have to count Murray in!

We have two more topics to cover: first, Carlos Alcaraz. After his hamstring injury preparing for the 2023 season, he is now back in training and will attend the next tournament in mid-February. While he was recovering, Djokovic snatched world number on ranking and left Alcaraz in second. Considering his brilliant performance in the last season, we are up for some treats from him. Hopefully, he can fully recover and find his level again because if he does, we have us another champion on hands.  

About champions, let’s talk about Dominic Thiem and his long way back to glory. Now that his wrist has fully healed, and he is back in action and around the top 100 of the world, one question remains: will he be able to go any further than that? The Austrian showed good athletic performance in the last couple of tournaments, but he is lacking mental strength, it seems. After winning the US-Open, it might actually be really hard for Thiem to find the inner fire again. His last performance at the Davis Cup once again reinforced all the concerns about his current way. Something has to change and in my opinion it is his team. He really needs somebody to push him in the right direction! With a 0-3 Win Loss record this year, he is bound to bounce back soon. The next tournaments are part of the southern American run, starting in Buenos Aires. Apart from his on court struggles, there is also a lot going on with his management team that he replaced for his brother, meanwhile. His career could go either way this year, depending on what he changes about his team or mental state. As of now, he is stuck in a rut and really needs to spice things up. 

Well, here you heard it: I think Djokovic has a real chance of grabbing all the grand slams and Nadal might call it quits this year. Murray will go further into other major rounds, Alcaraz will come back stronger, and Thiem will change up his team. These are my predictions for 2023. Please comment, like, and share if you’re of the same opinion or if you disagree. Thank you for listening. Until next time.