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2016 Tennis Predictions

It’s June 2015, which is as good as time as any for some 2016 tennis season predictions. I’ll have a go at the impossible, which is predicting the top 10 for the next season. Let’s get cracking. 1. Novak Djokovic It’s hard for me to imagine Novak not being no. 1 in 2016. Who would bet against the man not winning a few more slams next year and keeping the spot he currently holds so firmly? I certainly would not. I predict Novak winning two or more Grand Slam titles and being number one at the end of 2016. Although unlikely, if anyone can win all four slams in a single year, it is him. 2. Kei Nishikori If anyone can step up and beat Novak on a regular basis, I think that is Kei. He already has a good h2h at two wins in four matches. I can see him winning a slam soon, maybe even this year at Flushing Meadows, which could catapult him towards the very top. In 2016, I’d bet he would win at least one slam and make himself a true contender for the top spot. Hopefully he can stay injury free. 3. Andy Murray We all know Andy has enormous potential and could have become number one. Having said that, I don’t think he has the mental strength or determination to make it to no. 1 in the future. Still, he is a tremendous competitor and as good of a defensive player as the best of them. I hope and predict Andy will have a great year and finish number three. 4. Milos Raonic Raonic has improved a lot over the past couple of seasons and could cause a few upsets for the top seeds. He could grab a slam on the hardcourts of Australia and the US or the grass courts at Wimbledon. 5. Roger Federer Roger is not getting any younger, but it’s not the physical part of the game that is letting him down that much. When have you seen him out of breath? I think he has found it difficult to motivate himself and is content having a good tournament without lifting the trophy. As much as I would love him to win a slam in 2016, at the age of 34 or 35, I don’t think it’s possible. Wimbledon will remain his best shot at a slam in his veteran years, but I predict a semi at the very best. 6. Rafael Nadal It remains to be seen whether Rafa will recover fully to have a good 2015, but I predict he will not move back to the top three in 2016. Somewhat similar to Roger, I think Rafa has lost a bit of the edge and can’t hit the top gear. Years or gruelling matches could result in a dip of form, and I don’t think Rafa will become no. 1 again. Just don’t count him out at Roland Garros. 7. Grigor Dimitrov Dimitrov is an awesome shot maker and a player we’ve been waiting to make an impact. He’s currently in bad form but still ranked just outside the top ten. A good start to the 2016. season could move him several places up. He has not shown us he is close to winning a major, but he certainly has the potential to do so. 8. Tomas Berdych It could be hard for Tomas to repeat the good first half of 2015, which could make him go down the order. Once a potential future no. 1, it seems like Tomas can’t find that extra gear to drive him further. It is very hard to imagine him win a slam without seriously improving his defensive game. I can see him upsetting one of the top seeds at major tournaments, but that’s about it. 9. Nick Kyrgios A new name in the top ten is Australia’s Nick Kyrgios. We all know he is a huge potential, I am just not sure how big. He is still just 20, so he has time to climb up, but I predict he will upset the top guns in 2016 on a regular basis. 10. Stanislas Wawrinka I’m a big fan of Stan’s attacking game and hope to see him do well and win another slam or two. However, I’m having a tough time imagining him keeping the much needed consistency throughout the year. For me, the mental aspect has become critical in today’s tennis, and Stan has way too many ups and downs to fight with the likes of Novak. Still, he might show us flashes of his brilliant self in a big tournament or two.

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Future Tennis No. 1′s: Kei Nishikori

At 25, Kei is by no means a newcomer. His best result is the final of the US Open last year, losing to an unstoppable Marin Cilic. Tennis today is a game of movement, and Kei is a trumendeous mover. He has weapons on both sides and a great mental strength. If he stays injury free, I predict him becoming the next no. 1, probably some time in 2016.

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Day 8 Roland Garros Predictions

Here is our tennis forecast for the men's top matches in Paris today: Federer [2] vs. Monfils [13] As I mentioned in the previous post, I predict Roger coming out as a winner here. Although Monfils has won their last couple of matches, Roger has never lost against him in Paris and he won't lose today (or on Monday, if the rain delays their match). I don't think Roger likes seeing Monfils on the other side on the net, and might have a very tough match, but I predict a tight four set win for the Swiss maestro. Berdych [4] vs. Tsonga [14] If he had the comittment of a Nadal or a Djokovic, I believe Tsonga would have pretty much all that it takes to be a top three player. His best ranking was #5 some three years ago, and today he is outside the top 10, ranked #15. He's not in top form and even with the crowd on his side, I can't see Berdych losing this one. The Czech is having a solid year and I believe he will win this one in four. Wawrinka [8] vs. Simon [12] This is a tough call. Simon never looks tired, will surely have the crowd behind him and will give it his all. With Stan, you never know, but hope he can play the sublime tennis he is capable of. As much as I would like to see him go through, I predict a topsy-turvy match going the distance and an upset with Simon winning in five. I even predict this one being the best match of day 8 in Paris.

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Roland Garros 2015 Predictions

Roland Garros is here and so are our predictions for it. Will Nadal be crowned king once more? Or can Novak take the crown away? Has Roger still got what it takes? Or is someone else going to rise up to the occasion? I’ll cut right to the chase and choose the semifinalists. Top half: Djokovic vs. Murray Bottom half: Nishikori vs. Federer No Nadal? No Nadal. I predict Djokovic will dispose of Nadal in the quarters. Many think Nadal is out of form and Novak will not have a tough time beating him, but it is never easy against the Spaniard, especially not on the red clay of Roland Garros. Nadal may not be at his best, but he does have a shout. Still, I think Novak will win in four or five sets. After that, he might have another tough one against Murray, but will come through again and make the finals. In the bottom half, I see Kei disposing of Berdych easily and Roger disposing of Monfils. I don’t think Roger will allow Monfils to steal the show this time. However, Kei will be dominant against Federer in the semi and make it to the finals for the first time. In the championship match, I predict Kei to win a set or perhaps even two, but Novak will come out on top and lift his second Grand Slam trophy of the year. His focus and execution are second to none this year and he wants his first French Open title bad. Probably more than anyone else. It will be his first and I would not bet it will be his last.

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Future Tennis Number Ones: Borna Coric

In our first post predicting future tennis number one players, we are going for Borna Coric from Croatia. Borna is just 18 years old and has already entered the top 50. He is currently the youngest player inside the top 50 and could go as high as 41 next week. While he does not posess big weapons on either the forehand or the backhand side, he has a great feel for the ball and is a true fighter. Mentally, he already seems very mature and that mental strength wil see him rise to the top. I'd say he is not unlike Djokovic in some aspects of his game and reminds me of a young Novak. Borna's coach is Sweden's Thomas Johansson, a former Grand Slam winner from 2002 in Australia. Coric is playing his Roland Garros 3rd round match while I am writing this against Jack Sock. It could be a very close match that could go either way, Coric being tired from his epic five set marathon against Robredo. At 18 years and 195 days, the Croat is the youngest player to reach the 3rd round since 1998 and Marat Safin. While he may not go far in slams this year, he is destined for greatness in the future. Watch out for him, because Borna Coric is bound to become a tennis number one. I can see him reaching the number one spot in 4 to 5 years.