This time last year it was full steam ahead to the first Grand Slam of the 2020 Tennis season, but that was before the scale of the impending pandemic was really clear to see. Back then many must have felt Covid-19 was going to go the same way as some of the other viruses that have popped over the last twenty years in not being able to spread in the manner it has and Tennis, like many other sports, was severely pushed to the limit.
Unlike some other sports, this really is a global one and the manner of the Tour meant in an inevitable suspension and then a host of tournaments looking to try and fill the gaps that were left on the calendar. Wimbledon was the sole Grand Slam that was not played, but the US Open and French Open being played within a month of one another was strange to see as well as the fact that the latter was played at a time of the year when conditions are vastly different to the usual May/June spot on the calendar.
Everyone's life is still being affected by the pandemic and the Tennis Tour is no different going into 2021 which has seen both the ATP and WTA Tour having to make big changes to the schedule. Usually January is a busy month leading into the Australian Open, but that tournament has been pushed back to early February and quarantine requirements in Australia means the vast majority of events have been cancelled this month.
This week we have a big WTA tournament in Abu Dhabi and the ATP Tour have put a one-off tournament in Antalya and moved Delray Beach forward for players to take part. The big names are largely missing as they prepare to travel to Australia where we are going to get a couple of tournaments in Melbourne and the ATP Cup before the Australian Open is due to begin on February 8th.
Both Tours have set out how they are going to schedule events through to the clay court season in early April, but at this stage there is no guarantee to know how anything will shake up in the weeks and months ahead.
There is a hope the Grand Slams will all be played in their traditional spots outside of the Australian Open, but I think the situation is going to be a fluid one for all the organisers to deal with.
The Tennis Picks were obviously not as common in 2020 as they had been previously and that was largely down to the uncertainty that was created by the Covid-19 outbreak. I actually went to the Dubai Final last year, but I would have been stunned if anyone was to have told me that would be the last Tennis match for months on end.
It was a difficult year for the Tennis Picks having had a number of winning seasons and I do think this will be a relatively slow month for selections despite the strong tournament being run by the WTA in Abu Dhabi. After that we have some time before the first of the Melbourne events take place and then the focus will quickly shift to the Australian Open when I will be expecting to have daily Picks.
While the men's tournaments are still expected to be dominated by the Big Three, the likes of Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev may consider themselves genuine Grand Slam challengers. The Austrian won his first Slam at the US Open and was a Finalist at the Australian Open and I think he can push the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, although I expect both of those to be favourites in all of the Grand Slams barring injury.
The WTA Tour has long been very competitive and I am still quite convinced that Serena Williams may have missed her best chance to overtake Margaret Court in number of Singles Slams won- she may still have one more big effort in her, but Williams has lost her aura and there are some very good players on the Tour who can beat her on any given day, but consistency is lacking which means we could get a number of different Slam Champions yet again.
Talented youngsters will be looking to make a mark alongside some veterans who will feel they can add to the Grand Slams won, while Naomi Osaka is a three time Slam Champion that can only keep improving at 23 years old.
I am looking forward to what should be a stronger year back on the Tour for the Tennis players with positive news about a vaccine for Covid-19 that likely will begin to heal the world, albeit slowly.
I do think the next couple of months will be very difficult for the players, but it is something they will have begun to understand and plan for better than they could have done back in March when the Tour was suspended. They will still have to face a difficult two week quarantine when arriving in Australia and I am not sure what the conditions will be for the players when they are leaving Melbourne and heading off to other tournaments which have been scheduled to be played later in February and early March.
These are ever changing factors at the moment and something that will only be revealed closer to the time of those events once we have an idea as to the direction this pandemic is going to be taking around the world.
The First Round matches are beginning in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and my opening two selections of the 2021 season are below.
MY PICKS: Anett Kontaveit - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Laura Siegemund - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
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