Andy Murray will win
his third grand slam title: Murray
has accomplished nearly everything a tennis pro could ask for (grand slam
champion, Olympic gold medal, Davis Cup title), but the knock on him is that as
good as he's been he "only" has two grand slam titles. Look for Murray to capture his third major in 2016, though he may need a slip up by Djokovic along the way to make
it happen. Murray has worked his way up to number two in
the world, and will benefit from avoiding Djokovic until the finals at every
big event. While Murray
will be a threat at every major he plays, Wimbledon
stands out as his best bet to get it done. Australia should also present a good opportunity if he can ride the momentum from leading Great Britain to the 2015 Davis Cup title.
Dominic Thiem will
reach the next level: Thiem has been
on everyone's radar for a while now even though he's just 22. He finished
2015 at number 20 in the world, and won multiple
250 level tournaments. However, he wasn't much of a factor at the bigger events. This isn't particularly unusual for a younger
player, but Thiem should be ready to step up his results at Masters and grand
slams in 2016. With a powerful game that
resembles Stan Wawrinka's, Thiem has the point ending power and versatility
that seems necessary to challenge for slams in today's game. With all the physical tools he needs, Thiem's
mental toughness and focus will determine how far he goes in 2016. Expect Thiem to be more comfortable on tour
and in the bigger events after his experiences over the last couple years, and a
spot in the top 10 seems ascertainable for the talented Austrian.
Alexander Zverev will
become the game's top young player:
The 18 year old ended 2015 just outside the top 80 in the world, but he
was a bit overshadowed by fellow teen Borna Coric who finished nearly 40
spots ahead of him in the rankings.
Don't be fooled by the current rankings discrepancy, as Zverev seems
better suited to reach the game's top level.
While it's hard to see Coric not becoming a perennial top 10-15 player,
his lack of a weapon and average forehand are potentially worrisome. Zverev has no such weaknesses, and has world
class power. Further, he moves well for
his height, and his ground strokes should only become heavier as he bulks up. While there's several talented young players
on the ATP Tour, Zverev seems like the best bet to win a grand slam title. He may already be known by serious tennis
fans, but it won't be long until he's more of a household name.
Young American men
will surge up the rankings: 2015 was
a promising year for the young Americans, notably Taylor Fritz, Frances
Tiafoe, Jared Donaldson and Tommy Paul.
Others such as Noah Rubin, Ernesto Escobedo, Stefan Kozlov and a few
others also showed some positive signs.
Now that this group has some exposure to what life is like on the pro
tour, many of them should be ready to take the next step. That will mean different things to each of
them based on their varying talent levels, but Fritz, Tiafoe, Paul and
Donaldson should all have their sights set on a spot in the top 100. After a full off-season to train following a
year in which many of them just turned pro, expect big things from this
talented group in 2016.
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