10 Questions For 2016: Part 2

6. Will a Frenchman win Roland Garros?

It’s been more than three decades since a Frenchman last raised La Coupe des Mousquetaires on the burnt-orange terre battue of Roland Garros. Not since Yannick Noah, all dreadlocks and a smile as wide as the Seine, downed Mats Wilander 6-2, 7-5, 7-6(3) in 1983, has a Frenchman triumphed there. It’s mystifying, considering all the homegrown talent that has since come and gone (think: Pioline, Grosjean, Clement, Santoro, etc.). But as Jeremy Chardy recently said, “Roland Garros remains mythical for French players.” If ever there were a time to end that dry spell, it’s now. With Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Benoit Paire, Gael Monfils, Adrian Mannarino and Chardy all inside the Top 50 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, there’s no time like the present.

“There are many positive things for the various French players,” said Cedric Pioline, a runner-up at the US Open in 1993 and Wimbledon in 1997. “Gilles has been very consistent. Maybe we would have expected a bit from Gael Monfils in terms of results. But we had good surprises, like the good results of Benoit, who started the year at No. 140. Chardy is very consistent. Globally, it is very positive.”

Whether or not they can perform under pressure in seven matches over two weeks in front of the French fans is another question. That big-stage pressure at home-country Slams is very real. No Aussie has won the Australian Open since 1976. When Andy Murray triumphed at the All England Club in 2013, it broke a lengthy dry spell of some 77 years for British men. An American hasn’t prevailed at the US Open since 2003. But wouldn’t it be magnifique to see France once again celebrate one of its own in the Bois de Boulogne?

7. Will we see more legends follow the likes of Becker, Edberg and Chang into the coaching ranks?

Ever since Jimmy Connors stepped out of retirement to coach Andy Roddick in 2006, it’s become downright de rigueur for former champions to share their expertise with today’s elite performers.  In 2012, Andy Murray took many of us by surprise when he hired Ivan Lendl. The Scot later aligned with Amelie Mauresmo and, until recently, Jonas Bjorkman. In 2013, German legend Boris Becker began a more-than-productive relationship with Novak Djokovic. As if in response, Roger Federer for two years hired one of Becker’s old foes, Swede Stefan Edberg, and this year adds former World No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic to his team. Kei Nishikori reached the 2014 US Open final under the guidance of Michael Chang.

“Let’s say it’s nothing that I thought that I ever would do,” said Edberg, who will step away from coaching duties this year.

As we saw in 2015, when 17 Grand Slams into a surefire Hall of Fame career Federer added a chip-and-charge attack to his arsenal (aka the “SABR,” as in Sneak Attack By Roger), it’s never too late to add to your game.

And while neither Federer nor Djokovic will become full-time serve-and-volleyers anytime soon, as they get older, who better to consult for ways to shorten points than champions like Edberg and Becker? The old guard still has something to say. All of which makes one wonder, when will John McEnroe begin a mentorship of his own?   

8. Will the Bryan Bros. return to their winning ways at the majors?

The most successful doubles team in the Open Era — Mike and Bob Bryan — saw its streak of 143 consecutive weeks at No. 1 come to an end in 2015, a year that saw the Bryans fail to win a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2004. All that being said, it was hardly an unproductive year for the twin terrors, who captured six ATP World Tour titles, including three at the Masters 1000 level. They also qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the 14th successive season, staying in the race for the year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings right up until the semi-finals. Bryan/Bryan is the only team in the Open Era to win at least five titles for 14 straight years.

“It was bound to happen at some point,” said Bob. “Unfortunately, the stars didn’t align at the majors this year.”

At the age of 37 and now 17 years into their pro careers, no one would fault the Bryans if they eased off the pedal a bit, marriage and (in Bob’s case) parenthood demanding more and more of their time. With 16 Slams and more than 950 wins, they certainly have nothing left to prove. But the former Stanford stars are talking like they’ve still got some unfinished business.

“We’re going to go back to the drawing board, work even harder,” said Mike at the year-end finale in London. “We’re going to work extra hard. Obviously, next year is an important year with the Olympics. We want to try to win another Slam, be here again trying to get No. 1.”

“I think doubles improves every year,” Mike asserted. “I think we had [6,770] points. To our standards, that is a pretty low point number, but there were a lot of teams around that. A lot of teams had a crack at No. 1. Next year, we would like to do what we’ve done in the past, put up 10,000 plus points and win some big majors and make it really tough for anyone to catch us. If they want to catch us, they’re going to have to hit the big number of titles and points…We’re going to come back next year stronger, healthier and hungrier to do this again because we know what the feeling feels like. It’s a great feeling. We’ll do all we can to get back on top.”

9. What impact will Juan Martin del Potro have on the Tour this year?

It’s hard to believe a half-dozen years have gone by since Juan Martin del Potro’s towering, 6-foot-6 presence stalked the hard courts of Flushing Meadows on the final Monday at the US Open, when the popular Argentine took down the seemingly unconquerable Roger Federer and his 41-match winning streak in five sets 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 for the lone Slam title of his career.

Now 27, the ‘Tower of Tandil’ has played only sparingly since. After reaching a career-high of No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and inserting himself in the conversation with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, del Potro was limited to 10 matches or fewer in 2010, 2014 and 2015 due to injuries to both wrists. He underwent surgery on his left wrist in March 2014, missing the remainder of the year. But he wasn’t out of the woods just yet: Due to complications, he would undergo the knife again in both January and June of 2015, all the while never giving up hope of a return to the ATP World Tour.

If you follow del Potro on Twitter (@delpotrojuan) — and some two million fans do — you’re familiar with his eagerness to get back. He regularly posts selfies: in hospital beds, in casts, rehabbing, always with a thumbs up and usually accompanied by a motivational message.

“If you think I’m down and out, I want you to know I’m still fighting for it.”

“Here I am recovering after the surgery. I’m really thankful to you for being there.”

Perhaps the most encouraging Tweet came in late August just as the final Slam of the year was getting underway.

“The @usopen, my favourite tournament, just started. I’ll be there next year.”

There’s ample reason to believe del Potro will make good on his promise. In November, he took the courts for the first time in seven months in Florida, practising at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park, home to the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami. Although he said at first “I felt I was holding a hammer instead of a racquet,” the Argentine has gained confidence as the training sessions have progressed. “There’s no doubt I will play again,” he said.

The only question is when.

10. Can Roger Federer remain a Top-5 force at age 34?

In a word, yes. If 2015 were any indication, age doesn’t seem to apply to the tricenarian the way it does we mere mortals.

En route to the Brisbane title, Roger Federer crossed the 1,000-win mark, becoming one of only three players in the Open Era to do so (joining Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl). He defeated Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic en route to his seventh Cincinnati title and 24th ATP Masters 1000 crown overall, the first time he had ever defeated the Nos. 1-2 at the same event. At the US Open, he became the oldest Grand Slam finalist since 35-year-old Andre Agassi at Flushing Meadows in 2005. He also claimed titles in Dubai, Istanbul, Halle and Basel. Overall, he went 6-5 in finals, with all five losses coming to World No. 1 Djokovic, including Wimbledon, the US Open and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. But his greatest achievement might just have been staying injury-free, something he’s developed an uncanny knack for over his 17-year pro career.

These days, Federer often fields questions about retirement; about how long he can see himself playing this game. Unvaryingly, he tells us he can’t yet see the finish line, and that’s just fine with him.

“As long as I don’t know when the end is, that’s how you plan,” said Federer in November. “Into infinity, if you like.”

Though the 17-time Grand Slam champion has been shut out at the majors the past three years, a look at his records over the past five years reveals that his level remains an elite one.

He most definitely remains a Top-5 force, and should remain so through 2016.

“I’m playing good tennis,” he said. “I’m happy with where my level is at. I’m able to be very consistent. I’m able to beat the best players regularly. Cincinnati was a great feeling, beating the World No. 1 and World No. 2 in the same week. I don’t think I’ve done that before. Then, of course, there’s also disappointment. I lost too many times in finals. But at the same time, I’m just happy that the last one-and-a-half years I have been again very consistent. I’m playing the right way, and also in a way that’s fun for me. If I decide to have long rallies and stay back, I can do that. If I decide to move forward and step it up, I can do that, too.”

10 Questions For 2016: Part 1