It was my original intention to write an article about who else but Roger Federer. But after some browsing, the realization hit me that he is probably the most written-about player in tennis history (though I don't have the stats to back it up). What I have instead settled on writing about is the plethora of talent that is right behind (and ahead of) Roger.
The remainder of this article is going to focus on predictions for 2009, and a prediction of how many Grand Slam titles each of these young stars might win. Hard to not talk about Roger when we talk about tennis, so there will be a few lines about him as well. So without much ado, here we go.
2009: There are three things that I am fairly confident about this year. Roger Federer will reclaim Wimbledon (his one challenge will come not from Nadal, but from Richard Gasquet), Rafael Nadal will continue his dominance in Paris and Andy Murray will win his first Grand Slam title.
Given that Murray himself has proclaimed his love for the hard courts of Flushing Meadows and backed that up with a fine showing at the 2008 edition, the U.S. Open seems to be the most obvious Grand Slam for him. That leaves the Australian Open, well, open. This one is easier said than done.
It is going to be very hard for Djokovic to repeat, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the talented Frenchman, seems to be much too inconsistent to yet win his first Grand Slam. While this may not be much of a prediction, I believe the Australian Open will be won by either of the other three - Nadal, Federer or Murray, or simply be someone that isn't really on the radar. Here are some other predictions by player:
The Forerunners
Rafael Nadal: Surely, there isn't anyone close to the Spaniard on the red dirt, and he should win at least three more French Open titles, much to the frustration of one Mr. Federer. Besides that, Rafa will get maybe another couple of Grand Slam titles purely because of his grit and determination. An Australian Open title is probable and another Wimbledon is possible while a U.S. Open seems quite unlikely.
You have to wonder how long his body will withstand the immense physical stress his style of play demands, but if there is one thing we should know about Rafa by now, it is that this kid just does not quit. All said and done, Rafa should finish a great career with about ten Grand Slam titles, highlighted by seven Roland Garros titles and no U.S. Opens.
Roger Federer: Will he beat Pete Sampras' record 14 Grand Slam titles? Absolutely! Roger definitely has two more Wimbledons in him, and a couple of other Slams.
Unfortunately for him, barring a miraculous early round loss by Rafael Nadal in the 2009 French Open, Roger's trophy cabinet will not include one from Paris, the same title that has eluded former greats such as John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and most recently, Pete Sampras.
His fluid style of play will keep him healthy and competitive for three to four more years. All said and done, arguably the most illustrious career in modern tennis history will end with 17 Grand Slam titles—seven from Wimbledon, four from Melbourne, and six from the Big Apple.
Novak Djokovic: The talent is there. Unfortunately, so is the arrogance. More than half of the tennis world proclaimed Djokovic as the heir apparent to Roger Federer after Novak's title run in Australia e
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