The month of October sent shockwaves through the tennis community in the wake of Rafael Nadal announcing his upcoming retirement. He returned to action earlier this year after a year-long hiatus and tasted modest success. Following the conclusion of his campaign at the Paris Olympics, he withdrew from his scheduled tournaments and eventually revealed his decision to call it quits after the Davis Cup Finals.
November has a few high-profile events lined up to wrap up tennis season. The year’s best players will duke it out in the WTA and ATP Finals, following which players will don their national colors for the Davis Cup Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup.
On that note, here’s a prediction of what could possibly transpire in the coming month that could shake up the tennis world:
Novak Djokovic to potentially walk off into the sunset after a triumph at the ATP Finals
As of now, Novak Djokovic has no confirmed plans to hang up his racquet for good. However, things change quickly in the world of tennis. He finally bagged the gold medal at this year’s Olympics and ticked off a long overdue accomplishment off his bucket list. It was the only thing missing from his stellar resume, and it effectively sealed his status as one of the best to ever play the sport.
While Djokovic hasn’t officially qualified for the ATP Finals, he has a good shot at making the cut. Winning the year-end championships for the record eighth time, and claiming his 100th career title in the process as well as beating one of the best, would be the perfect sendoff for the legend. Having achieved all major milestones, he could feel that the time is right for him to walk away.
However, Djokovic has yet to confirm whether or not he will participate in the ATP Finals even if he qualifies. Should he back out from competing, it is quite likely that we will see him on the tour next year. He’s still level with Margaret Court at 24 Major titles and could make one last push to break the tie and hold the outright record.
Rafael Nadal has a fairytale ending to his career with a Davis Cup triumph
The countdown is on for Rafael Nadal’s sendoff as he’s set to retire after the Davis Cup Finals, which will be held from November 19-24, in Malaga, Spain. The Spanish squad will take on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on the first day of the tournament, and a win will pit them against either Canada or Germany in the semifinals.
Along with Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Marcel Granollers will also represent Spain. The line-up is pretty strong, and the home favorites will be extra motivated to make this a memorable tournament for the 22-time Major champion.
Nadal himself has a 29-1 record in singles while representing Spain in the Davis Cup. He is always at his best while playing for his country, and with this being the final tournament of his career, lifting the winner’s trophy in front of his home crowd would be the ideal scenario for him to end his career.
Iga Swiatek defies the odds to win the WTA Finals and reclaim the World No. 1 ranking
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are locked in a battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking at this year’s WTA Finals, in a repeat of last year’s showdown. The former went undefeated in the tournament last year to snatch the top spot from her rival and finish the year atop the summit.
Sabalenka has a 1,046-point lead over Swiatek this time, and even if the Pole wins the title, it wouldn’t be enough as her rival could seal her year-end No. 1 spot by winning all three of her group stage matches.
Swiatek hasn’t competed since her quarterfinal exit from the US Open. However, she will be motivated to send a message that her dominance hasn’t ceded despite losing the top ranking to Sabalenka. She has it in her to defend her WTA Finals crown, and perhaps even end the year as the top-ranked player for the third year in a row, provided the Belarusian crashes out in the group stage.
