-Will Rafa Nadal surpass Roger Federer?
-The Balearic (34 years old) is clearly in a position to do so. The first opportunity will be at the Australian Open (February 8-21), where the Swiss will no longer be there. Federer led Nadal by four 'bigs' in January 2018. The Swiss's count stopped there and the Spaniard has won four since then. His almost infallibility at Roland Garros (13 titles in 16 appearances chaining the last four) are a point in his favor. Behind, Novak Djokovic still has to add three (he has 17) to equal them).
-Will Roger Federer play his last professional match?
-The Swiss will turn 40 on August 8, and everyone has an expiration date. He signed an almost blank 2020 season (only Australia played and Federer stopped him in the semifinals) and then underwent surgery in February for an injury to his right knee. Recovery was unsuccessful and she had to undergo another arthroscopy in June. He will not return to Melbourne. His joint does not quite work and the required 14-day quarantine (he travels the world with his wife and four children) threw him back. His goals are Wimbledon (June 28-July 11) and an Olympic individual gold that resists him … then anything can happen.
-Will Novak Djokovic beat the number of weeks as number one?
-He has it in his hand. If nothing goes wrong, Monday March 8 will exceed 310 weeks on top of Federer. The Serbian (33 years old) has exceeded 300. He has Rafa Nadal at 2,180 points and Dominic Thiem at 2,095 and although between the ATP Cup and Australia he defends 2,665 (champion in both), Nadal could add a maximum of 1,890 between them ( defends 610). A cushion that seems sufficient even with subsequent tournaments. The tennis players, with the ranking frozen until June 7, do not lose points and add only if they improve the result.
“Will Thiem reach number one?”
– Sooner or later, the Austrian (27 years old) seems destined to achieve it, but 2021 is not predicted the most propitious year with Nadal and Djokovic in full swing and fighting with Federer for being the best ever. Thiem must defend many points: champion of the US Open (2,000) and finalist in Australia 2020 (1,200) and Roland Garros 2019 (1,200).
-How far will Carlos Alcaraz go?
– “Our goal is to get into the top 50”. That is how clear it is Juan Carlos Ferrero, coach of the 17-year-old from Murcia (he will turn 18 in May). Toni Nadal has already said that Alcaraz is “Rafael's natural replacement.” He is endorsed by his three challenger titles in 2019, his first ATP victory at the age of 16, his fighting ability. In Doha, he shone in the previous one and got the ticket to debut in Australia in the final table of a big one.
-Will Garbiñe Muguruza be among the best?
-At 27 years old, he can already boast of having Roland Garros (2016) and Wimbledon (2017) on his record, but he lacks consistency. Last year she played the final in Australia and in a recent interview with AS she was ambitious: “I want to win all four Grand Slams, an Olympic medal and play mixed doubles with Nadal at the Games.” After a 2019 to forget, he has resumed the path together with Conchita Martínez. It is 15th in the world, but its site is among the best because in 2017 it was number one.
Robert Deutsch (USA TODAY Sports)
-Will Serena equal Margaret Court's record of 24 ‘greats’?
-Every time it is more difficult. On the verge of 40, he has not won a Grand Slam since Australia 2017 and has already lost four finals, between Wimbledon and US Open, without winning a set. Last year, his best performance was the semifinals in New York. Physical problems affect his mobility and speed and his punches are not as devastating.
-Will Naomi Osaka win a Grand Slam for the fourth year in a row?
-In a crazy WTA circuit and with Serena in retreat, the 23-year-old Japanese is the most consistent. He has conquered 'greats' in the last three courses: US Open 2018 and 2020 and Australia 2019. In New York, he showed personality and leadership wood by stopping tennis amid the protests of the Black Lives Matter movement.
-Will a 'normal' calendar be played?
-The pandemic has already caused a three-week delay of the Australian Open. Indian Wells has been dropped from the calendar and attempts are being made to relocate. The ATP has published dates until the end of the year and the WTA until June. The third wave of the pandemic in Europe puts an asterisk on the ground tour. Last year he took all the tournaments ahead and Rome and Roland Garros repositioned in the autumn. Everything dances on the wire.
-Will Spain win medals in Tokyo?
-If the pandemic does not prevent it, from July 23 to August 8 there will be Games in Tokyo. On the fast track. Spain, which sports 11 medals since Barcelona 1992, relies on Nadal, Bautista and Carreño (four tennis players can go) and on possible doubles combinations (Nadal was gold with Marc López in Rio). Muguruza also counts, and has shown his desire to form a mixed doubles with the Balearic.
CHEMA DIAZ (DAILY AS)
-Will Spain be able to defend its Davis Cup title?
-The end of 2020 at the Caja Mágica was suspended. And in 2021 they will experience a change: they go from seven to eleven days (November 25-December 5) and Madrid will not host the entire competition (it will have two groups, two quarters, semifinals and final) because two other European cities will enter. The 18 countries that were already classified remain: Spain, Canada, Great Britain and Russia (2019 semifinalists), the guests Serbia and France and the 12 countries that won a place in March 2020. The extension of the vaccination from now to 11 months gives hope.
-Will the Federation Cup finals be played?
-In 2020, the 12-team format, similar to Davis, gathered in a single venue for which Spain has a seat, could not be released. In 2021, it maintains dates from April 13 to 18 in Budapest. Too soon … Spain would have the loss of Carla Suárez, who is fighting cancer, but with Muguruza and the young Paula Badosa and Sara Sorribes he could set up a team with options.