This year’s Australian Open in Melbourne took place from January 16 through January 29, and was full of early upsets, twists, and turns. The tournament was also a resurgence for players over 30, and a rebirth of tennis’s Golden Age of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Serena and Venus Williams.
This Australian Open gave Federer his 18th Grand Slam title in a spectacular turn of events, despite the Open being Federer’s first tournament appearance in six months. The 35-year-old had very limited match play and practice this season prior to the tournament. Nevertheless, Federer defeated many experienced, highly ranked players throughout his rounds in the tournament, including Tomáš Berdych (ranked 10th), Kei Nishikori (5), fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka (4), and eventually Nadal (9) in the finals. On the women’s side, Serena Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam title, cementing her unrivalled position in history and returning to her position of dominance as the number one women’s tennis player in the world.
On the men’s side, the number one player in the world, Andy Murray, lost to Mischa Zverev in the round of 16. Zverev defeated Murray in five sets by using a variety of old-school tactics, including serve and volley, as well as rushing the net at every opportunity. Meanwhile, the world’s number two player, Novak Djokovic, lost in the second round to Denis Istomin, who was then ranked 117th. At the beginning of the match, Djokovic seemed shaky and dropped the first set in a tiebreak. Throughout the match, Djokovic failed to convert key break points and was outplayed by Istomin’s serves and powerful ground strokes. Boris Becker, Djokovic’s former coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion, said, “I’m as astounded as anyone else. Novak was a bit too defensive; he never took the initiative and stayed too far behind the baseline.” After losing his number one ranking to Andy Murray, Djokovic has had a clear decline in his level of play and is no longer seen as the undefeatable force that had previously dominated the tour for the past few years.
Rafael Nadal, a fan favorite and tennis idol throughout the world, recently had come back from numerous injuries, and played spectacularly well throughout this tournament, reaching his 21st Grand Slam final. He is the obvious favorite for the upcoming French Open in May and is on a quest to gain his 15th Grand Slam title.
The Australian Open final was a match that tennis fans dream of: a return to the classic “Fedal” finals of the early 2000s. Personally, I am an avid fan of Nadal, but I was not disappointed whatsoever when Federer claimed his 18th Grand Slam title. Federer played with a youthful effervescence that was hard not to applaud and celebrate once he won. In addition, Federer, like Nadal, is a fan favorite and is known for his humility and wise words. After he won the tournament, he commented that he would have gladly shared his victory with Nadal, and was just happy to reach the finals of another Grand Slam. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have both achieved the status of best in the game, and have set new standards for upcoming generations of tennis players in terms of sportsmanship and class on the court.
On the women’s side, 35-year-old Serena Williams defeated her older sister, 36-year-old Venus Williams, in the final to return to her number-one position. The women’s side of the tournament was also coupled with a string of early losses for top-ranked players, including Angelique Kerber, formerly number one in the world, who lost to Coco Vandeweghe (ranked 20th) in the round of 16. In addition, Vandeweghe defeated numerous top-ranked players besides Kerber, including Garbiñe Muguruza (7), before her eventual loss to Venus Williams in the semifinals.
Overall, the 2017 Australian Open in Melbourne reaffirmed the stature of the tennis greats Roger Federer and Serena Williams. The tournament also foreshadowed the end of Djokovic’s reign and a bright future for young, upcoming stars in both the men’s and women’s sides. The 2017 Australian Open will be remembered for its five-set classic final between Federer and Nadal. Additionally, Serena Williams’s 23 Grand Slam titles have set a new standard of excellence and will remain such for years to come.