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What a fantastic year 2019 turned out to be for tennis! The fans were lucky to witness some scintillating matches throughout the year, including the very last match of the season between Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek won the final set tie-break to earn the ATP World Tour Finals crown on his debut.
It was an amazing end to a year and decade of fabulous tennis. 2019 was full of everything: controversies, injuries, returns, retirements and what not.
The two best players of the decade, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, finished the year as the top two ranked players and split the four Grand Slams between them. The tennis world had to say goodbye to some great players like David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Nicolas Almagro, who announced their retirement from the sport.
Grand Slam winners Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic had to end their seasons early. Andy Murray had to undergo surgery but made a return to the sport despite rumours of retirement.
Nick Kyrgios continued to stay in the limelight with his contoversies. New faces like Daniil Medvedev emerged to provide even more competition to the top players.
Even though the 2019 season has just ended, most of us cannot wait for the 2020 season to begin. The biggest question on everybody's mind is whether the Big 3 will continue to dominate the Grand Slams, or if the NextGen, stronger than ever, will finally rise up to the challenge.
Having enjoyed a successful 2019, will Nadal finally equal or surpass Roger Federer's record for most Grand Slam titles won? Will Murray be able to compete with the top players and challenge for the big titles again?
Here are five predictions for the 2020 ATP season:
5. More new stars will emerge
In 2018, it was Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev who made their breakthrough. This year, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev announced themselves on the big stage with some brilliant performances. It is safe to say that there will be at least a couple of more players who will have a huge impact on the tour next season.
I'm particularly expecting big things from Jannik Sinner in the next couple of years. Or it could be Andrey Rublev or Alex De Minaur. It might even be Felix Auger-Aliassime or Karen Khachanov, or somebody else entirely, who starts troubling the top players or has runs to finals and semifinals of Masters 1000 events. Perhaps someone defeating any of the Big 3 players en route to a Grand Slam semifinal?
It is always exciting to see new players rise to the occasion, and I am predicting there will be a handful of those in 2020.
4. Juan Martin del Potro will not have a good season
Having been a huge supporter of Juan Martin del Potro for so many years, I would love to be proven wrong with this one. However, looking at the seriousness of his latest injury and his fitness struggles throughout his career, it is difficult to see Del Potro returning to the tour and having a consistent, successful, injury-less season.
The Argentine has showed tremendous spirit and will power to make several successful comebacks to the tour in the past few years. But right since his first hiatus in 2009, he hasn't quite been the same player.
Career-threatening injuries and surgeries have prevented Del Potro from being able to play consistently at the top level. He had to withdraw from the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Acapulco in 2019, and then had to end his season even before Wimbledon.
When he is playing, there is no question about the talent of the big-serving gentle giant - as seen from his match against Novak Djokovic in Rome this year, where he almost beat the then World No. 1. But his constant struggles with injuries may make it difficult for him to have a successful season in 2020.
3. Andy Murray will be back to the big leagues
2019 has been a weird year for Andy Murray and his fans. It started with an early loss at the Australian Open and an announcement of a possible retirement. The Scot was in a lot of pain back then, and he wasn't sure if he would return to tennis.
However, after undergoing Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) in January, he confirmed that he was pain-free. Murray made a successful return, winning the doubles title at the Queen's Club and reaching the third round of the Wimbledon's mixed doubles with Serena Williams.
Despite struggling in singles matches initially, he soon started to improve his performances there too. He registered a win against Matteo Berretini, then ranked 13th in the world, and won his first tournament since returning at the European Open in October.
Murray is looking to return to playing singles at the Grand Slams in 2020. And while expecting him to win Slams might be too much, we can at least expect him to have a strong season and get back to the level he used to perform at.
Winning a Masters 1000 or reaching Grand Slam semifinals wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for Sir Murray.
2. Somebody other than the Big 3 will win a Slam
The Big 3 - Federer, Nadal and Djokovic - have dominated the sport for the past decade and a half. Since the 2005 French Open, only 8 out of 59 Slams have seen someone other than the Big 3 winning the ultimate prize in tennis.
The last one to do so was Stan Wawrinka, back in 2016 when he won the US Open. Wawrinka, along with Marin Cilic, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro, are the only active members outside the Big 3 to have won a Slam.
The NextGen have never been stronger than they are now, and perhaps 2020 could finally be the year we have a first-time Slam winner. Some major possibilities could be Dominic Thiem finally winning Roland Garros, or either of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev winning on the hardcourts of Melbourne or New York.
It will be interesting to see if anyone can end the dominance of the Big 3 at the Slams in 2020. My bet is that someone will.
1. Rafael Nadal will surpass Roger Federer's record
As of this moment, Roger Federer holds the record for winning the most Grand Slams - 20. But he is being chased by his greatest rival Rafael Nadal, who is just one Major short of equaling the record.
While Federer last won a Slam in 2018, Nadal won two Majors in 2019 and is currently the top ranked player in the world. His dominance at the French Open is so absolute that it is almost a given he will win the trophy in 2020 as well, despite his age and the rise of challengers.
While Federer is still a top contender, it does not look like he will win another Slam in 2020. That means Nadal could finally equal and even break the record that he has been chasing throughout his career.
The 2020 season surely seems to the beginning of an amazing decade for us tennis fans!
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
