2015 Australian Open: Players with the Most to Prove
Andy Murray should have no problem handling the pro-Aussie crowd when he faces local Marinko Matosevic in the second round of the 2015 Australian Open.
That's because Murray's ears must be burning from the noise coming from all the haters, doubters, detractors and naysayers.
The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam and major test of the season, presents players with a chance to set the tone for the year ahead. Every player has something to prove. Some, like Murray, have more to prove than others.
Roger Federer and Serena Williams probably put more pressure on themselves than anyone. However, these tennis icons have little to prove. They've established themselves in debates about the greatest of all time. Anything they do from now on is about jockeying for position among the greats.
Those with the most to prove are players who are trying to rebound, rebuild or establish their stature on the WTA and ATP Tours.
Some players, such as Grigor Dimitrov, need to prove they belong among the elite. Others, such as Eugenie Bouchard, wish to dismiss talk of a freshman fluke.
With the Australian Open underway and some big names already done, the following are the players still in it but with the most to prove.
Eugenie Bouchard
1 of 6
Eugenie Bouchard climbed from No. 32 to the top five in 2014. However, she finished the year in a slump, losing all three of her WTA Finals matches and failing to win a set.
Last year she did most of her damage in the Grand Slams. She reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and the French Open. She reached the final at Wimbledon.
Bouchard told CTV News: "I try to see it as just a new year. I'm not concerned about defending points from last year...To me it's 2015. I start at zero and try to do as well as I can."
She can tell herself that, but the pressure is on to build on last year.
Grigor Dimitrov
2 of 6
Grigor Dimitrov has already shed the "Baby Fed" nickname. Now he's working on ridding himself of the up-and-coming tag.
Instead, Dimitrov hopes to plant himself firmly among the "already arrived" young guns, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori.
Dimitrov is only 23, a year younger than Raonic and two years younger than Nishikori. But Dimitrov turned pro in 2008, the same year as Raonic and just a year before Nishikori. Dimitrov's run at Wimbledon got him in the conversation. However, Raonic and Nishikori have played bigger in the big moments.
Dimitrov is no longer a newcomer. He's beyond up-and-coming. He needs to prove he's in that next generation of superstars.
Simona Halep
3 of 6
Simona Halep already proved she can win consistently on tour. Now she has to prove she can conquer her nerves and close out matches against top players.
Her blow-out win against Serena Williams at the 2014 WTA Finals was a start.
Halep is not under the type of pressure that hounded Caroline Wozniacki, a former No. 1, for years. Not yet. However, like Bouchard, Halep needs to defend points and back up her break-out year.
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Stan Wawrinka
4 of 6
Stan Wawrinka's status on the tour falls short of those in the big four but rises above other one-time Slam winners Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic. That's because Wawrinka managed to maintain his place in the top five all year.
His singles win against Jo-Wilfried at the Davis Cup helped the Swiss make history.
Wawrinka has to prove he's no one-Slam wonder. A late-round loss won't diminish his stature. However, defending his title would keep him in the top five and put him right there with Murray, who also has two Slam wins. A repeat performance would change the entire narrative of Wawrinka's career.
Agnieszka Radwanska
5 of 6
When No. 6 Agnieszka Radwanska hired Martina Navratilova as coach, it signaled the player's desire to rethink her approach to winning a Grand Slam title.
Radwanska reached the finals at Wimbledon in 2012. She lost to Serena Williams in three sets. That year Radwanska peaked at a career-high No. 2. Since then, the closest Radwanska has gotten to winning a Slam is a semifinal finish at Wimbledon in 2013 and at the 2014 Australian Open.
Radwanska had been a constant in the top four. However, Petra Kvitova and Halep—both younger than Radwanska—have surged past her. Bouchard, five years younger, is ranked No. 7.
Radwanska seeks to avoid slipping any further. She needs to prove that her best tennis is in front and not behind her.
Andy Murray
6 of 6
Andy Murray probably has heard the doubters who question his place among the big four. More like the big three, his detractors like to say.
Murray has more to prove than any player in the Australian Open. He has yet to defeat a member of the big four since returning from his back surgery. He also hasn't won a Grand Slam since teaming up with Amelie Mauresmo.
Murray needs a solid showing at the Australian Open to quiet the critics.
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