Nadal, Barty, Djokovic and Gauff: Tennis’ 2019 wrap
The year in tennis came and went with familiar faces such as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic adding to their grand slam hauls and newcomers such as Ashleigh Barty and Bianca Andreescu breaking through.
Here we look back at the 2019 season, beginning with the Spaniard who is moving ever closer to tying Roger Federer’s grand slam mark.
Men’s player of the season: Rafael Nadal
Not for the first time — or second, or third — Nadal entered a season under an injury cloud. This time it came courtesy of yet more knee issues and an abdominal complaint.
He has often lamented how much time he has missed over the years but always seems to rally, and impressively. Indeed, “I’ll be back” seems like a line tailor made for Nadal, not just for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the “Terminator.”
For the first time since 2008, the now 33-year-old reached at least the semifinals at all four grand slams, winning the French Open for a mind boggling 12th time and US Open for a fourth time.
The left-handed spin master also became the oldest men’s year-end No. 1 and capped his 2019 by leading Spain to the Davis Cup crown in the competition’s new look. He went 8-0 in singles and doubles, clinching the final against Canada in Madrid after Roberto Bautista Agut’s gutsy victory with a heavy heart.
Seemingly over another abdominal injury that threatened his participation at the ATP Finals, Nadal ends the year in good health so he’ll be hoping to pick up where he left off when the Australian Open rolls around in January.
A title in Melbourne and Nadal would match his pal Federer atop the men’s grand slam ladder with 20.
Women’s player of the season: Ashleigh Barty
Given that Nadal and Novak Djokovic shared the haul of men’s majors in 2019, male contenders for standout player realistically whittled down to two.
On the women’s tour — where four different grand slam winners surfaced for the third straight season — the options were greater.
Naomi Osaka endured a topsy-turvy campaign but the Japanese superstar became the first player since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to claim her first two majors back-to-back when she triumphed at the Australian Open.
Simona Halep collected her second grand slam title by playing one of the most flawless matches ever. That it came in a Wimbledon final against one of tennis’ best ever players, Serena Williams, added to the already incredible accomplishment.
Andreescu emerged to become Canada’s first grand slam singles winner, while Williams — even if she lost a pair of grand slam finals to remain one major shy of matching Margaret Court’s all-time record — was the lone female player to feature in two grand slam finals.
But Barty just edges it.
The talented all-rounder — in tennis terms, even if she played cricket at a high level during her time away from tennis — made steady, eye-catching progress.
There was a maiden grand slam quarterfinal at home in Melbourne and moving inside the top 10 — before opening her grand slam account on the clay surface that wasn’t her favorite.
Barty’s title in Paris a day before Nadal’s triumph made the 23-year-old the first Australian to win the French Open since Court in 1973. Barty concluded 2019 by winning the WTA Finals and is the first Australian women to end a season at No. 1.
Top men’s match: Roger Federer-Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon
Nadal’s five-set win over Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final had just about everything. From leading by two sets and a break, a rare volley miscue by Nadal paved the way for the Russian’s rally. Before you knew it, Medvedev forced a fifth set and almost stole it.
They combined for 137 winners, won 101 net points and served and volleyed 49 times in four hours, 51 minutes at tennis’ largest regularly used stadium — Arthur Ashe — as late afternoon turned to night in New York.
But Djokovic’s clash with Federer in the Wimbledon final in the battle of players who had amassed 35 majors ever so slightly trumps the US Open classic.
While not matching the quality, for sheer drama it made for nail-biting stuff.
It’s no stretch to say that Federer had opportunities to win in straight sets, a result that would have pleased the overwhelming majority on the grandest court in tennis.
As it turned out, Federer was the first to hold match points at 8-7 in the fifth set. Some of those fans held up index fingers and yelled, “one more” point.
But for the third time in grand slam meetings, Djokovic saved match points on the Federer serve and went on to win.
The Serb’s 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 13-12 (7-3) win in four hours, 57 minutes marked the longest Wimbledon singles final — and first that featured a final set tiebreak after a rule change.
Perhaps the key statistic? In the three tiebreaks, Djokovic didn’t make a single unforced error.
Best women’s match: Naomi Osaka-Bianca Andreescu, Beijing
The Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have long dominated the men’s game. But could a women’s Big Three emerge?
With their ability and ages — all 23 or under — how about Barty, Osaka and Andreescu?
Osaka and Andreescu met for the first time in the quarterfinals of the China Open in October and the contest between the last two US Open winners lived up to the hype. Andreescu came in with a 17-match winning streak, while Osaka had won seven in a row.
The varied game of Andreescu flummoxed the power-hitting Osaka in the first set, as the 19-year-old built a 5-1 lead.
Andreescu would actually hold break leads in all three sets, only to see Osaka rebound in the second and third sets for a 5-7 6-3 6-4 victory in two hours, 17 minutes.
They hugged at the net before Andreescu uttered: “We’re going to have so many more matches like this. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Later in her briefing with reporters, Osaka, reflecting on the scrap, joked: “I don’t want to play her anymore. I’m good. One and done.”
Osaka would beat Barty in the finale in another three-setter and finish the season on an 11-match winning streak before withdrawing from the WTA Finals in the group stage due to a shoulder injury.
Top newcomer: Coco Gauff
Aside from Andreescu, that is.
As the world’s top-ranked junior, tennis insiders knew who Coco Gauff was before she stepped foot at Wimbledon. But the entire world got to know the poised teen as she collected win after win at what is likely tennis’ most prestigious grand slam.
The 15-year-old had to go through qualifying, then proceeded to knock off one of her idols — and one of Wimbledon’s most prolific players — Venus Williams.
But her most dramatic win came in the third round, when the American saved two match points to the crowd’s delight against Polona Hercog.
“A star has been born,” Martina Navratilova told the BBC. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone arrive in a greater flash at their first major. I have a feeling she will transcend the game. She wants it, she lives it already. She was born to do this.”
Gauff landed a wildcard at the US Open — reaching the third round prior to losing to Osaka — and captured her first title in Linz, Austria, as a lucky loser in October to become the youngest WTA winner since Nicole Vaidisova in 2004.
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That result sent Gauff’s ranking inside the top 100, meaning she won’t need a wildcard or have to go through qualifying at the Australian Open.
