The Australian Open 2020 was full of drama, heartache, passion, pride, tears, and above all some fantastic display of tennis. This year's tournament was a little extra special, given the emotional build-up and chaos that Australia had suffered in the bush fires during the build-up to the event.
This really pulled the tennis world together, and the Australian Open provided a little bit of light in what has been a very stormy period for the country. Now that the dust has settled, and the Australian nation has started to recover, we thought that we would identify some interesting trends resulting from the event.
Djokovic Looking Better Than Ever
It goes without saying that Novak Djokovic is a phenomenal tennis player, but there was something a little different in this tournament. To start with, he managed to come back from two sets to one down in a Grand Slam final for the first time. He managed to do this without playing his best tennis as well, once again displaying the trademark Djokovic heart that has brought him so much success over the years.
Even throughout previous rounds, the confidence that he displayed in his abilities seemed better than it has ever been. Given that this was his 17th Grand Slam title, it would take a brave person to bet against Djokovic for overtaking both Federer and Nadal for total grand slam wins.
The next Grand Slam on the tennis calendar is the French Open, which isn't one of Djokovic’s favorite tournaments, but with the way that he is playing he is sure to be a contender.
The Rise Of A New King
Dominic Thiem has been hailed the ‘prince of clay’ for a few years now, and he's always been there or thereabouts amongst some of the top players in the men's game. Given that he managed to make the final of the Australian Open, and even held a two sets to one lead in the final, we definitely think that this could signify a new challenge to the throne.
It's clear to see why Dominic Thiem is such a great threat on the tennis court. He has remarkable power on his groundstrokes, great mental strength, and he's able to switch things up constantly during matches. Thiem’s greatest obstacle of recent years has always been taking out any of the big guys during a major, but when he dispatched Rafael Nadal in four sets, this was a major statement.
He has shown that he now believes he can win these events, and it is certainly a possibility that he could be lifting the French Open title above his head in a few month’s time.
A New WTA Star - CoCo Gauff
The women's game has definitely been slightly more open recently, with Serena Williams not being quite as dominant as she used to be. We are seeing players like Naomi Osaka, Garbine Muguruza, and Sofia Kenin making their plays to reach the top of the tree. The most talked-about star of the Australian Open this year was the 16 years old CoCo Gauff. The expectations have been high on this young player since she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019. She reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, losing to Sofia Kenin who took home the Australian Open title this year. Both Gauff and Kenin shows such mental strength and talent that we expect them to win many more Grand Slams in the coming years.
It's an exciting time in women's tennis right now, no doubt about it. The game has almost been crying out for a player with the attitude of Kenin, as she poses a formidable threat to anybody and she is sure to bring in the crowds.
The Natural Decline of a Legend
Roger Federer has been a legend of the men's game for years, and he has inspired tennis players from all over the world. It's already incredible that he's still playing at the very top of the men's game, but after wriggling through a couple of very close rounds in this event, we saw for the first time that his body may now be struggling to keep up.
After picking up a niggling groin injury, Federer went out there to face the beast of Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. Djokovic managed to deal with the match and wrap it up in just three sets, which was quite hard to watch at times seeing Federer struggle.
With Federer turning 39 years old this year, he surely cannot continue to be at the top, as much as we would all love him to be.
Australian Open is the first out of 4 Grand Slams during the tennis season and is regarded as one of the most important events for both male and female competitors. You can read more about important events, players and get some betting tips in our Tennis Bet Online.
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