As 2015 draws to a close, the tennis world is reflecting on a year of fantastic drama and looking forward to plenty more in 2016.
Photo by y.caradec
The New Year will see rivalries renewed across both the men’s game and the women’s game, and much attention will be on Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams as they look to hold on to their world number one rankings.
High on the list of New Year’s resolutions for Djokovic will be the shaking off of a monkey that has clung to his back for the last 11 years – his failure to win the French Open.
It the last five years, Djokovic has made the last four of the tournament at Roland Garros without fail, but defeats in three finals – in 2012, 2013 and 2015 – are as close as he has come to lifting the trophy.
Djokovic has vowed to ramp up his hunt for glory in Paris, and his fans will need to find Roland Garros tickets early if they are to stand a chance of seeing their man clinch a title that eluded him in a shock defeat to Stan Wawrinka June of 2015.
Despite being two years Djokovic’s senior, and seeded only eighth in the tournament, Wawrinka turned on the Swiss style and gave a thrilling performance to beat the Serb 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
The result denied Djokovic the chance to become only the eighth player in men’s tennis history to win all four Grand Slam titles, and we now know that the result prevented Djokovic from becoming the champion of all for majors in the same year.
Should he achieve his dream in 2016, he will join the likes of Andre Agassi, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Rafael Nadal and Fred Perry in that elite class of players who have claimed all four major titles in the men’s game.
But there will be plenty to distract him from his goal along the course of a year that includes all the regular ATP Men’s Tour competitions, as well as the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In the last Olympic year back in 2012, Djokovic proved to the world that a congested calendar was no barrier to his ability to play some of his best tennis, winning the Australian Open, the US Open, the Rogers Cup, the China Open, the Shanghai Masters and the ATP World Tour Finals.
The fact that Roland Garros remains such a thorn in the 28-year-old’s side is a reflection of his personality as a consummate perfectionist, who will not be satisfied until he has won everything the game can offer him.
Djokovic has made great leaps towards becoming the greatest player in men’s tennis history, winning 82 of his 88 matches, reaching a record 15 consecutive finals, and winning Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open.
His prize money in 2015 toppled the $17 million mark, but money will not be his motivation as he goes for glory in Paris next May.
