US Open 2020 is history. The widely expected tournament after such a long break without any tennis finished by spectacular five sets men finals. US Open 2020 was really special due to circumstances and will never be forgotten.
My predictions? Not great at all.
First of all, I will grade my pre-season and pre-tournament winners’ predictions.
| Pre-season prediction | Pre-tournament prediction | Actual Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men Singles | Thiem | ||
| Ladies Singles | Osaka | Osaka |
My pre-season predictions were just wrong. Medvedev made it all way to the semifinals, where he lost with Thiem.
Sofie Kenin lost in round 4 with Elise Mertens. When I picked Kenin as US Open winner back in December 2019 it was more about giving an opinion about her and 2020.
This year should be her break-through. However, she did it already in January in Melbourne at the Australian Open 2020.
That was the reason I did not see her win US Open before the tournament. I went with Osaka, and that was quite a good pick.
Djokovic was different story and I will come back to him later.
Ladies Singles – Naomi
Ladies first, so I will share my thoughts about their brackets before the men.
Naomi Osaka deserved the win without doubts. It was not an easy road to the trophy, but she was able to go over any hurdle.
Azarenka, Serena Williams (and also Pironkova) made the “mother theme” a headline, but in the end, the youth prevailed.
Naomi Osaka already clinched three Grand Slam trophies (AO 2019, USO 2018, and 2020), and I believe it is just a start. She will be here for years, and the next decade of tennis will be all about her.
Men Singles – The Next Gen is here, finally.
A bit later than we expected, but it is here. Dominic Thiem, 27 years old, is the oldest from all players in the “Next Gen” group, and it seems just right that he is the one who breaks the “Djokovic, Federer, Nadal” right for all trophies.
His journey on the tournament was as smooth as possible. And then the finals started and it looked like a pure disaster.
And then he recovered and clinched the title in a heart-breaking tie-break in the fifth set.
What a story, what a birth of a new champion. Can you imagine better finish of a tournament?
Did we miss players who did not come?
There was a lot of talk before the tournament about players who skipped the US Open this year. Barty, Nadal, Federer, or Halep are just a few names of many.
But frankly, did you miss them during the tournament?
I did not.
The tennis was great at the courts. The quality was at the highest possible level.
I did not think about Nadal or Barty for a second during the US Open.
What about line referees?
Line referees were present just at the two main courts. “Hawk-Eye” did the job on other courts.
I think that is the future of tennis. The technology worked, the game flow was faster, and we did not see so many player challenges.
That is it. Who would argue with the computer.
I am all in for introducing hawk-eye everywhere. It is better for the game, it makes matches a bit shorter without disruptions.
On other hand, I feel sorry for tens or hundreds of line referees who will lose their jobs. But that is the evolution.
Djokovic
One of the last thoughts belongs to my pre-tournament winner pick – Novak Djokovic.
I had no doubt he will win the US Open till that crucial moment. A lot was told and written about it.
For me, it is so simple. Rules are rules and should be applied for everyone.
Novak Djokovic unintentionally did what he did and was sentenced. The intent is not important for the decision, so disqualification was right.
Every player is responsible for his act and so is Novak Djokovic.
French Open Next
In two weeks, French Open 2020 will start. Several questions come to my mind at the moment.
First of all, can Dominic Thiem make two in a row?
I have him as my pre-season French Open 2020 winner pick, but now I am not sure. He loves clay, but so do Nadal.
Djokovic will be there too full of energy to prove that he is the best no matter the surface.
Thiem can be tired and satisfied that he reached what he was dreaming of. It would be very interesting to watch him in Paris.
Check what our readers think and visit our French Open 2020 winners poll.
On the Ladies side, we will have Simone Halep and Kiki Bertens. And the other 20 players who can win it and cause no surprise.
And finally, there is still a slim possibility of fans at the stands.
It can hardly be much better than it is now. It is a good time to be a tennis fan right now.
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