2020 Grand Slam predictions

The 2020 tennis season is quickly approaching, which means it is time to make predictions for the year’s four Grand Slams. Will the Big 3 continue to dominate, or is a changing of the guard in store?

Australian Open – Rafael Nadal. Outside of the French Open, the Aussie should be Nadal’s best Grand Slam. It’s actually his worst. He has won it only once (2009) and his winning percentage of 82 percent is tied with Wimbledon for his lowest of the four majors. But there is no reason why Nadal cannot complete the double-career Grand Slam. This event comes on the heels of the offseason (albeit a short one), meaning Nadal should be healthy. Moreover, the world No. 1 finally ended in season in outstanding form–going 2-1 at the Nitto ATP Finals and then leading Spain to the Davis Cup title. All signs point to major success Down Under for the 2019 runner-up.

Runner-up (if on opposite side) – Alexander Zverev
_________________________________________________

French Open – Rafael Nadal. Well, there’s not much to say about this. The only question is how many more of these will Nadal win. One is probably the smart answer, and even two or three is not out of the question. Dominic Thiem is knocking on the door, but he has not come close in either of his two final appearances. Although both Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka have lifted the trophy within the past five years, Nadal was a shadow of his real self in 2015 and he withdrew prior to the third round in 2016. Unless the Spaniard gets hit with the injury bug, which basically never happens on clay, he should once again roll at Roland Garros.

Runner-up (if on opposite side) – Dominic Thiem
_________________________________________________

Wimbledon – Roger Federer. Does Federer have one more left in him? Ummm…. Weren’t we asking this same question back in 2014? Well, the Swiss has won three since then (two Australians and one Wimbledon). Sure, being 38 years old is different from early to mid-30s; but even at 37 he came within one point–twice–of lifting the Wimbledon trophy for the ninth time in his career. It is true that Federer will be inconsistent given his age, as we saw at the Nitto ATP Finals (destroyed Djokovic, lost to both Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas). But he doesn’t exactly have to be consistent in order to win Wimbledon. He can sleepwalk through three or four matches before finding his ‘A’ game toward the end of the fortnight. On grass, Federer can still get it done.

Runner-up (if on opposite side) – Stefanos Tsitsipas
_________________________________________________

U.S. Open – Novak Djokovic. Djokovic was the best player in the world through three slams in 2019, winning the Aussie Open and Wimbledon while reaching the semis at Roland Garros. The second-ranked Serb wore out down the stretch, perhaps both mentally and physically. If he goes into the 2020 U.S. Open with no slam titles for the season, motivation won’t be an issue. In 2018, Djokovic failed to win the Aussie (and the French, of course) and then triumphed back-to-back at Wimbledon and the U.S. If he starts slow in 2020, which is possible given his arm/shoulder problems toward the end of this past season, Djokovic will likely come on strong in the second half. A fourth title in New York would not be surprising.

Runner-up (if on opposite side) – Denis Shapovalov

The Big 3 splitting the four Grand Slams with four different runner-ups from the younger generation? Who wouldn’t sign up for that? Sooner or later, the torch will be passed. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals set the stage for that passing and I think the entire 2020 season will do the same…without quite passing it altogether. Zverev concluded this past year in fine form and the offseason exhibition tour with Federer should only inspire him to make a fast start in 2020. Thiem is a no-brainer choice for the French Open final if he can once again avoid Nadal in his half of the draw. Tsitsipas, whose game can work on all surfaces, is due for his first slam final. Shapovalov is coming–and coming fast–and by the time the U.S. Open rolls around I expect him to be in the top 10 and ready for a real breakthrough.

[crowdsignal poll=10479835]
[crowdsignal poll=10479836]
[crowdsignal poll=10479838]
[crowdsignal poll=10479839]