Prime Tennis moments from 2022: Half I - Federer retires; Nadal, Barty win Australian Open titles, Djokovic deportation saga

The 2022 tennis season had all the pieces. From epic battles to emotional farewells of among the largest names, it was a yr like no different.

PART TWO

Earlier than the 2023 season begins with the United Cup in Australia, here's a fast take a look at half one of many high 40 tennis moments of 2022:

Federer retires

In one of the vital emotional moments throughout sports activities in 2022, Swiss maestro Roger Federer retired from tennis after a 24-year-long profession through which he received 20 Majors. The 41-year-old’s ultimate match had Djokovic and Andy Murray cheering him up as he partnered long-time rival Nadal in a 6-4, 6-7 (2), [11-9] doubles loss to Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock on the Laver Cup in London. Federer delivered an unforgettable speech after the match. The image of him holding arms with Nadal whereas the 2 sat on the participant’s bench and sobbed inconsolably summarised the respect each of them had for one another. Federer later revealed that Nadal was one of many first few folks to find out about his resolution to name it a day.

Nadal wins Australian Open in essentially the most EPIC method

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal broke the then three-way tie between Djokovic, Roger Federer and him for essentially the most Majors received by a person when he got here again from 2-6, 6-7 (5), 2-3 (0-40) right down to beat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in nearly five-and-a-half hours and clinched his twenty first Main. Nadal additionally turned solely the second man within the Open Period to win each Slam no less than twice. His title-winning run was much more unimaginable contemplating the truth that he had missed the second half of the 2021 season as a result of an incurable persistent foot harm and COVID-19.

Barty ends Australia’s wait....after which says goodbye

Native favorite and the then World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty ended Australia’s 44-year wait and have become the primary house participant since Chris O’Neil in 1978 to change into the Australian Open singles champion by defeating American Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6 (2) within the ultimate. The 25-year-old shocked the world when in March, she introduced her retirement from the game. “I understand how a lot work it takes to carry the very best out of your self ... I don’t have that in me anymore,” she stated in a video posted on her Instagram account.

Djokovic’s deportation saga

Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia after failing to fulfill the situations for participation within the Australian Open. | Photograph Credit score: REUTERS

Months earlier than the precise match started, the 2022 Australian Open was the discuss of the tennis world with one easy query - Will Novak Djokovic play? Melbourne had one of many strictest lockdowns on the earth to curb the unfold of COVID-19 and the match organisers had earlier made vaccination towards the virus obligatory for the taking part gamers. Nevertheless, they later launched the gray space of a medical exemption,paving the way in which for the entry of the unvaccinated Djokovic. Because it turned out, an error in Djokovic’s visa utility and the politicisation of the difficulty by the Scott Morrison authorities ultimately led to the nine-time Australian Open champion being deported from the host nation on the eve of the match. In July, Australia scrapped a rule that required worldwide travellers to declare their COVID vaccination standing and the Serbian, who was initially barred from the nation till 2025, lately confirmed that he had been granted a visa to journey and play on the 2023 version.

Cornet FINALLY reaches Grand Slam quarterfinal

France’s Alize Cornet, 32, lastly reached the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam in her 63rd try when she upset two-time main winner Simona Halep of Romania 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 within the fourth spherical. Cornet dropped right down to her knees and clasped her arms, placing them over her face after the match-point. “It’s by no means too late to attempt once more!” stated Cornet in her post-match on-court interview with Jelena Dokic. 13 years in the past, Cornet had two match factors towards Dinara Safina in fourth spherical of the Australian Open and would have confronted Dokic within the quarterfinals had she received. The duo’s on-court interview and the embrace, ultimately, is without doubt one of the most memorable moments of Australian Open 2022.

“Particular Ks” Kyrgios and Kokkinakis win Australian Open doubles crown

Nick Kyrgios is lastly a Grand Slam champion….in doubles. Together with compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis, Kyrgios had a dream run at his house Slam, the Australian Open. The pair, nicknamed the “Particular Ks” as juniors, was awarded a wildcard and made full use of it because it entertained the gang whereas upsetting the extra established duos on the way in which. Within the ultimate, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis beat one other all-Australian pair of Max Purcell and Matt Ebden 7-5, 6-4 to raise the title. The “Particular Ks” additionally received an ATP250 occasion in Atlanta and even performed on the year-end ATP Tour Finals. Kyrgios had a memorable yr in singles too as he reached the Wimbledon ultimate and US Open quarterfinals.

Activists with #WhereisPengShuai t-shirts stopped at Australian Open

Spectators sporting "The place is Peng Shuai?" t-shirts pose exterior Melbourne Park forward of the ladies's singles ultimate. | Photograph Credit score: REUTERS

Virtually two-and-a-half months after former girls’s world primary double participant Peng Shuai of China alleged {that a} former Chinese language vice premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her prior to now, which led to issues about her whereabouts, the #WhereisPengShuai marketing campaign continued on the Australian Open. After a video posted on social media of safety officers instructing followers to take away shirts with the slogan on them went viral, Tennis Australia stated the followers have been free to put on them so long as they don’t change into “disruptive”. 

ACE King Isner

John Isner, 6’10”, broke Croatian Ivo Karlovic’s all-time file of essentially the most aces in males’s tennis throughout his third-round loss towards Italian Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon. The American who turned 37 in April, surpassed Karlovic’s tally of 13,728 aces together with his fifth ace within the match. He served 24 aces in all towards Sinner.

Off-court teaching

At one level in the course of the Australian Open semifinal between Medvedev and Tsitsipas, the Russian misplaced his cool and exploded on the chair umpire for not stopping the Greek’s father from off-court teaching. 5 months later, in one of many largest surprises, the ATP introduced that ‘off-court’ teaching might be on trial for the second half of the season, together with the US Open.

The ‘Siuing’

Whereas the Australian Open is a tennis match, soccer by some means discovered its approach to make its presence felt at Melbourne Park this yr. ‘Siu’, the phrase Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo makes use of throughout his goal-scoring celebration, was broadly utilized by the gang in Melbourne. At first, it was confused with booing however as soon as it turned clear what it truly was, not many gamers favored it. Andy Murray, who beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5) within the first spherical, discovered it “extremely irritating”.