Grades for Tennis' Top Stars Through the 1st 3 Majors of 2015
Another tennis season is zooming by at a supersonic pace, courtesy of some scintillating play that has manifested across the globe.
From Australia to the western shores of the United States and everywhere in between, weāve been treated to a jam-packed collection of the biggest events in the game. With the passage of Wimbledon, however, the year is nearing its climax on the hard courts in New York.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have asserted their oligarchic dominance and stolen the spotlight, but a few of their peers are not without their own success. Others, like Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep, are on the other end of the spectrum and have seen their fortunes slip away.
After three Grand Slam tournaments have come and gone, now is the time to assess where these ATP and WTA stars stand. The following slides will evaluate them based on their results in 2015 and assign a grade.
Which players are at the head of the class?
Rafael Nadal
1 of 10
Grade: D+
Rafael Nadal is in the apex of a demise reaching Shakespearean proportions.
Fans of the Spaniard must certainly be hoping a new dawn will follow this darkness, because it would be a tragedy to not see him rebound.
For years, Nadal wreaked havoc on the court, his rippling muscles, vicious topspin and relentless competitive will the foundation of his fierce persona. But countless injuries have taken a toll on him, and heās taken a massive step backward.
Heās yet to truly recover in form after a series of physical maladies sidelined him for nearly half of 2014. To say Nadal has been off wouldnāt even begin to tell the story.
Itās shocking to look in the rankings and see Nadal at No. 10. That slide, due to a lackluster 34-12 record, has him at a crossroads.
The "King of Clay" looked anything but regal on his preferred surface this season, losing six matches and failing to win any significant dirt titles. At the French Open, the nine-time champion was unceremoniously dethroned in a quarterfinal route by Novak Djokovic. His hopes for a storybook finish to an otherwise nightmare clay-court run were for naught.
His struggles on grass reared their head yet again when he was bounced in the second round of Wimbledon by the serve-and-volley wizardry of qualifier Dustin Brown. That defeat marked his fourth straight exit before the quarterfinals at the All England Club. How long ago that 2008 final now seems.
Nadalās only titles this season, in Rio de Janeiro and Stuttgart, came at relatively low-profile events. Heās struggled not only with his level of play but also an admitted lack of confidence, a shocking development for a player renowned for his mental toughness.
At age 29, Nadal has time to turn things around. It would be foolish to consider a player of such immense talent done. But thereās no denying the massive climb he now faces to get back to the top.
Caroline Wozniacki
2 of 10
Grade: C-
Nicknamed Sunshine, Caroline Wozniacki's forecast has been perpetually gloomy the past few seasons.
While she's one of the most recognizable faces in women's tennis because of her modeling and endorsements, Wozniacki's on-court results have been fairly hit-or-miss. But there she is, still ranked at No. 4.
The Dane hasn't made the quarterfinals at any of the Grand Slams this year, losing in the second round at the Australian Open and French Open and leaving Wimbledon in the fourth round. It's a negative development after her inspiring run to last year's U.S. Open final. Her 30-13 mark showcases her ability to compile wins against lesser players and struggle against better competition.
Known as a counterpuncher who lacks juice on her shots, Wozniacki has always been vulnerable against power hitters. Nearly all of her defeats in 2015 have come to stronger, more aggressive women. What a surprise.
Her sole title this year came in Kuala Lumpur, a small event where she didn't face anyone ranked inside the Top 80. Until she beats her elite rivals, an asterisk absolutely should remain next to her ranking.
Wozniacki has performed well during the summer U.S. Open series in her career, so there's hope the next few months will spark another turnaround. In the meantime, she's left to ruminate on more disappointment.
Simona Halep
3 of 10
Grade: C
When she made her first Grand Slam final at last year's French Open and followed it with a semifinal berth at Wimbledon, Simona Halep's stock rose tremendously fast. She was pegged as a soon-to-be major champion.
As she's found out in 2015, it's much harder to be the hunted instead of the hunter.
Halep has played well, evidenced by her 32-9 record and titles in Shenzhen, Dubai and Indian Wells. But since that victory in the California desert, the pocket-sized Romanian hasn't made a single final. Most surprisingly, she actually seemed to take a step back on the dirt.
A loss in her opening match at the Madrid Open foreshadowed her equally stunning second-round exit at Roland Garros. Considered a top contender entering the latter tournament, she bowed out meekly to veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
Her refuge didn't come on grass, and she was bounced in the first round of Wimbledon by 106th seed Jana Cepelova. With that loss, her tailspin hit overdrive.
It's tough to tell what exactly has been the cause of her issues lately. Maybe she's played too many matches and needs to scale back her schedule. Perhaps she's simply dealing with a crisis of confidence. Whatever the answer is, she needs to quickly find it or risk losing more ground to her peers.
Petra Kvitova
4 of 10
Grade: C
There have been plenty of highs and lows for Petra Kvitova in 2015, but the bad has outweighed the good.
The undeniable highlights of her season came in Madrid when she won the title and handed Serena Williams her only loss of the year. That victory gave Kvitova a second tournament win to pair with her earlier triumph in Sydney.
Yet she hasn't advanced past the fourth round at any of the majors, failing to defend her Wimbledon title after an early loss to Jelena Jankovic. After slugging her way through the field on grass last season, more was expected of the Czech. Instead, she fell flat.
This spring, Kvitova skipped Indian Wells and Miami altogether due to mental exhaustion. That's a worrisome sign for someone so young, and it certainly appears she's still carrying some fatigue. Whether due to mental or physical problems, Kvitova clearly hasn't come close to playing as well as she's capable.
Entrenched in the Top 5, Kvitova isn't far away from overtaking Simona Halep for No. 3. Reaching that point will be tricky. The summer swing on the American hard courts has never done her many favors, so the odds may be stacked against Kvitova. She'll just have to hope some of that Madrid mojo can return to her racket.
Andy Murray
5 of 10
Grade: B
After a down year by his standards, Andy Murray has begun to make amends.
The Scot is back to No. 3 in the rankings, compiling a 46-7 mark with titles at Munich, Madrid and Queenās Club. But it hasnāt all been rosy.
Another trip to the Australian Open final ended in defeat to Novak Djokovic, and his poor performance at the end of that match seemed to linger through the hard-court swing.
His rejuvenation came this spring, which included a destruction of Rafael Nadal for the Madrid crown. That win provided an antidote for his up-and-down start to the season.
Never known as the most adept clay-court player in the past, Murray actually soared to a 15-0 record on the dirt before bowing out in the French Open semifinals to whom else but Djokovic.
The Serb has been the biggest thorn in his side, beating Murray all four times theyāve played in 2015. Then again, no one can really hang with Djokovic these days.
At Wimbledon, Murray played phenomenally well and found himself in the semifinals for the sixth time in seven years. Unfortunately for him, he ran into an A-plus effort from Roger Federer and came up short in three tight sets.
Despite that loss, Murray is clearly producing the best tennis he has since capturing Wimbledon in 2013. With the help of new coaches Amelie Mauresmo and Jonas Bjorkman, heās tightened upĀ his game and should be counted as a top favorite again at Grand Slams.
Should he build on his recent form, it may not be long before Murray adds another piece of major hardware.
Maria Sharapova
6 of 10
Grade: B
Maria Sharapova may not be a boxer, but she's turned into the most famous sparring partner in the world.
Her tormentor? The unassailable Serena Williams, who has continued using Sharapova as her own punching bag in 2015. Their head-to-head rivalry (if you can even call it that) is a lopsided 18-2 in favor of the American.
Both of their meetings this year came at Grand Slam tournaments, and Williams thoroughly outplayed her foe each time. From their anticlimactic Australian Open final to their even more straightforward Wimbledon semifinal, Sharapova has remained several steps behind Williams.
Granted, she's a solid 34-7 with titles in Brisbane and Rome. But the No. 2's inability to make any sort of impact against Williams is her downfall. The Russian has played solid tennis at times, no doubt. It just hasn't translated into many meaningful victories.
A leg injury this spring didn't help her cause, and Sharapova came up short in her Roland Garros title defense. She's been a frequent bystander as Williams steals away all the glory.
Her archenemy doesn't appear to be diminishing in power at all, so the pressure remains firmly on Sharapova's shoulders to find solutions. Ā
Roger Federer
7 of 10
Grade: B+
Roger Federerās Grand Slam drought continues after another heartbreaking loss in the Wimbledon final. Just donāt write him off yet.
Defying odds is one of Federerās favorite hobbies. For the past few years, heās had to listen to the growing talk of his impending demise. Sure, the victories donāt come as easily for him as they once did, and he may be prone to more off days. But at age 33, heās still No. 2 in the world after posting a 40-7 record with four titles (Brisbane, Dubai, Istanbul and Halle) so far this season.
If that qualifies as a decline, itās only because of the incredible heights he reached earlier in his career.
Consistency has been the only issue for the Swiss legend. Despite capturing several tournament wins, he also has a few puzzling losses. At the Australian Open, for instance, he fell to journeyman Andreas Seppi in the third round. Early losses in Madrid and Monte Carlo were bad omens for his eventual quarterfinal exit at the French Open to his Davis Cup teammate, Stan Wawrinka.
Grass, like always, proved to be his dominion. After an eighth title in Halle, Federer glided through to his 10thĀ Wimbledon final. During that stretch, he held serve an astonishing 116 consecutive times and made quick work of an in-form Andy Murray in the semifinals.
Against the Scot, the vintage Federer resurfaced. It was like 2007 all over again with the way he flew around the court and rifled artful forehands.
There wouldnāt be a happy conclusion, and Novak Djokovic beat him in the final for the second year in a rowāa deflating end to an otherwise valiant fortnight.
How much longer Federer intends to play is anyoneās guess. Nor does it matter. He keeps going because of his unparalleled love of the game, and Federer proved at Wimbledon he is still a force to be reckoned with.
Not bad for an āoldā man.
Stan Wawrinka
8 of 10
Grade: A-
Itās the time of summer blockbusters, and Iron Stan has produced a smashing hit.
You never know which Stan Wawrinka will show up on any given dayāas proven by early losses at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Maridābut on the biggest stages, Stan the Man delivers more often than not these days.
He shocked the world last month by bullying Novak Djokovic in the French Open final for his second major title. So much for the prevailing notion that his Australian Open victory last year was just a fluke. No, the Stanimal is more than a one-Slam wonder: Heās a true contender.
Wawrinka is back at No. 4 in the rankings with the help of his 34-10 mark and titles at Chennai, Rotterdam and Roland Garros. Even though he lost in the semifinals Down Under and fell in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Wawrinka has reached the second week in six of the last seven majors.
Once an afterthought, the burly Swiss maestro is now a heavyweight on the court thanks to his stunning baseline power and determination to improve. Watch for him to make another deep run in New York.
Maybe he'll even bring the magic shorts out of retirement.
Serena Williams
9 of 10
Grade: A+
A second "Serena Slam" is in the books. Next on her agenda: the first calendar Grand Slam since 1988.
Serena Williams hasn't done much but win since last summer, sweeping each of the four majors and the WTA Championships. In 2015 alone, she's built an unseemly 39-1 record with titles at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
Now with 21 Grand Slam victories to her name, the 33-year-old is charging hard at the history books. A motivated Williams? That is truly a scary thought for her competitors.
Just three major wins away from tying record-holder Margaret Court Smith, Williams heads to the U.S. Open intent on becoming the first person to claim all four Grand Slams in the same season in 27 years.
Expect her to seal the deal.
What's most remarkable about this version of Williams isn't that she's mercilessly crushing opponents. No, she's had to scrap and claw for so many of those wins, and that factor makes them all the more impressive.Ā
At Roland Garros, five of her seven matches required her to go the distance. And at Wimbledon, sheĀ nearly fell in the third round to a hungry Heather Watson. But each time, she exerted her champion's will and saw off the challenge.Ā
We're witnessing something special whenever Serena Williams steps on the court these days. Her efforts deserve every bit of adulation and praise. Ā
Novak Djokovic
10 of 10
Grade: A+
If there were any doubts about Novak Djokovicās status as the king of tennis, he silenced them with another dominate performance at the All England Club.
By defending his Wimbledon title (the third of his career), Djokovic washed away some of the aftertaste left by that sour loss in the French Open final.
Along with his latest English triumph, the Serb secured his fifth championship at the Australian Open earlier this season. Heās built a staggering 48-3 total record, collecting Masters Series victories at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome. With eight finals appearances in the nine events heās played, Djokovic has been the bastion of consistency.
His current level of brilliance may only be matched by the run Roger Federer had from 2005 through 2007. Heās absolutely at the prime of his powers, demoralizing opponents with his machine-like perfection. And at age 28, heās only getting started.
When you watch Djokovic play, itās easy to be in awe of his incredible defensive skills, athleticism and poise. He makes the impossible look routine; the Serb is a player with virtually no weaknesses.
The only blemish on his season came at Roland Garros, where he fell in the final to the mighty shots of Stan Wawrinka. After finally vanquishing Rafael Nadal in Paris, the Djoker was expected to seal the deal and complete the career Grand Slam. But the last laugh was on him thanks to the heroic efforts of Wawrinka.
Still, you have to admire the way Djokovic picked himself up off the canvas and responded at Wimbledon. Down two-sets-to-love in the fourth round to Kevin Anderson, he hit another gear and lost only one set the rest of the tournament.Ā
Barring any sort of injury, Djokovic looks ready to extend his reign atop the game for a long time. Let the records fall.
All statistics are courtesy ofĀ ATPWorldTour.comĀ andĀ WTATennis.comĀ unless otherwise noted.Ā
JoeĀ KennardĀ is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.Ā
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