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The first week of the new tennis season was full of action and exciting matches as five tournaments took place simultaneously.
Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka made their comebacks while Ashleigh Barty further cemented herself as the best player on the women's tour.
Let's take a look at the tennis results and who the five champions were after the conclusion of the first week of action.
Melbourne Summer Set 1 (ATP) - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal played in his first official tournament since last August as he ended his 2021 season early to recover from a foot injury. It was a successful comeback for the Spaniard who won his 89th career title at the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set.
En route to the final, Nadal defeated Ricardas Berankis in the second round before receiving a walkover from Tallon Griekspoor in the quarterfinals. The 35-year-old then defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in the semifinals before besting Maxime Cressy 7-6(6), 6-3 in the final to win the title.
This is the 19th consecutive season in which Nadal has won a title.
Melbourne Summer Set 1 (WTA) - Simona Halep
Injuries wreaked havoc on Simona Halep's 2021 season, forcing her to to miss the French Open and Wimbledon. She also dropped out of the top 10 due to her absence from several tournaments. But the former World No. 1 began her comeback in the second half of the season.
It took some time, but towards the end of the year, Halep began playing quite well. The 30-year-old reached the final at the Transylvania Open, losing to Anett Kontaveit. She also reached the semifinals of the Linz Open the following week, but withdrew from the tournament due to an injury.
Starting the new season at the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set, Halep was back to her best. The Romanian notched wins over Destanee Aiava, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Viktorija Golubic and Zheng Qinwen to reach the final. She then defeated third seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-3 in the summit clash to win her 23rd career title.
Melbourne Summer Set 2 (WTA) - Amanda Anisimova
Much was expected of Amanda Anisimova following her run to the semifinals at the 2019 French Open. But she spent the next two years struggling with form while also having to deal with the untimely demise of her father in 2020.
But the American is once again making her way back to the top. At the Melbourne Summer Set 2, Anisimova survived a couple of tough three-set battles. The first was against Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round and the second came against Irina-Camelia Begu in the quarterfinals. She then handed Daria Kastakina a 6-2 6-0 beatdown in the semifinals.
In the final, Anisimova had to dig deep yet again to overcome Aliaksandra Sasnovich 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 to win her second title.
Adelaide International 1 (WTA) - Ashleigh Barty
Ashleigh Barty's dominance on the women's tour has continued in 2022 as well. The World No. 1 looked unstoppable after returning from the brink of defeat in her opening round match against Coco Gauff, where she won 4-6, 7-5, 6-1,.
Barty defeated fellow Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. In the final, she won 6-3, 6-2 against Elena Rybakina for her 14th career title.
She was also victorious in the doubles, winning the title with Storm Sanders. It was the 12th doubles title of her fantastic career.
Adelaide International 1 (ATP) - Gael Monfils
Top seed Gael Monfils was in fine form throughout the week as he won his 11th career title at the Adelaide International without dropping a set. He defeated Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-4 in the final. The Frenchman endured a rough patch that began towards the end of 2020 which lasted until the middle of 2021.
But Monfils started playing much better towards the second half of 2021 and has continued his good run of form to win the title in Adelaide.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
