With each passing year, new tennis rivalries have emerged and 2015 promises the same. Here is the list of five new rivalries that might intensify the game of tennis starting Australian Open in January.
Tennis is a gruelling sport; the matches are long, yet close enough to keep us coming back for more.
Over the years, it has given us some of the most intensifying rivalries and the modern generation promises to keep that trend going.
If you have enjoyed rivalries such as Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal, the Williams sisters and Sharapova-Azarenka, wait till you watch the young guns of the game up the ante with their play.
January 2015 marks the beginning of the Australian Open followed by three other Grand Slams and several ATP tours spread around the year.
You can definitely expect some new rivalries to set the tennis court on fire –
Kei Nishikori – Milos Raonic
Nishikori of Japan and Raonic of Canada are both young players and have so far met six times in their career. The former holds an advantage over the latter with four victories to two. Both individuals have played long matches against one another. In 2014 alone, they faced off four times with Nishikori winning the combat thrice.
Caroline Wozniacki – Maria Sharapova
Caroline Wozniacki had a tough 2014, majorly because of the events transpired in her personal life. Though she initially struggled after her broken engagement to golfer Rory McIlroy, she came back strong at US Open where she lost in the final to her best pal Serena Williams. Maria Sharapova, on the other hand, ended the year as World #2 in the WTA ranking, in the process winning the French Open.
Roger Federer – Gael Monfils
We have seen Federer play some of his best matches against top seeds Nadal and Djokovic time and again. Gaël Monfils is known to be athletic and his on-court antics have impressed many players and the audience alike. Though the Swiss leads head-to-head against his French adversary, Monfils is indeed a force to be reckoned with. In 2014 US Open, Monfils let Federer take charge of the match after winning the first two sets comfortably which resulted in his defeat.
Simona Halep – Eugenie Bouchard
Halep and Bouchard were the two breakout stars in tennis last year. Both individuals had their share of wins and losses and even combated one another thrice where Halep emerged triumphant on two occasions. Bouchard, however, did not have a bad year. She became the first Canadian player to reach the final of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships and finishing the year ranked 7. If these two manage to meet multiple times in 2015, audiences would definitely get their money’s worth.
Grigor Dimitrov – Andy Murray
Andy Murray is currently sixth in the ATP rankings and Dimitrov is not low in the ranking either. The latter entered the top ten ranking in August last year, but slipped to eleven by the end. The Scot Andy Murray holds a lead over the Bulgarian with four victories against the latter’s two. Nevertheless, their matches have been highly competitive and promise to be the same should the two meet again in 2015.
