The Big Four and the Next Four: Who will win the Slams in 2013?

Post 2003, Tennis fans had been majorly divided into two groups – the Puritans and the Modernists. The Puritans preferred to be besotted with Federer’s boyish charms and gentlemanly game, while the Modernists preferred the the bullish Spaniard, Rafael Nadal.

During this time, Federer went on to become the greatest Tennis player ever, though the Spanish brat managed to frustrate the big daddy, by keeping the French Open for his own, from 2005 till 2008. Vice-versa, the Wimbledon, the most coveted title of them all, remained with the Swiss-man. The Federer-Nadal rivalry will undoubtedly go down as the most competitive love-hate relationship in the history of the sport. A typical blood-brother saga, where the two behemoths have looked out for each other to keep the ferocity of their competitive relationship intact.

Then came the Serbian joker, who broke on to the bipartite scene with his capture of the Australian Open in 2008. And since then, Tennis has never been the same again.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the four most coveted titles in tennis are being held by four different players, as we head into the 2013 season. With Andy Murray’s victory at Flushing Meadows last year, Tennis now officially has a big four to boast of. With Rafael Nadal pulling out of the Oz Open due to injury, it has been reduced to a three way race for the time being.

Federer is fading.

The Wimbledon win in 2012, was probably his last hurrah, as the capture came nearly 30 months after Roger had won any Grand Slam title. It came against a Briton who had a nation’s hopes breathing down his neck and was toting the monkey of a fourth failed Slam final appearance on his career record.

He’s been there, done that and now he may take a few steps back. The intelligence is there, but it remains to be seen if the Swiss master still has the strength to compete in the five or seven set slug fests, the tennis finals have become.

Nadal is a long way from coming back to the game and may miss the French Open as well. Long term injuries take time and even when he returns, it will be some time before he can get back to his swashbuckling self. If Juan Martin del Potro’s wrist woes are anything to go by, the 2013 season might just see Nadal put in some decent performances and try to grasp for inlets into the top 4 again.

Barring the two previously mentioned, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray remain firm contenders to clean out the Slams in 2013.

Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific

Djokovic is an assured winner at the Oz Open, given his love for the Slam of the Asia Pacific, where he has collected the honors thrice over the last five years. The way might not be without surprises and niggles, but there is hardly anyone else who can play pretender to the throne at the moment.

Juan Martin del Potro is another firm contender for the Oz Open, who has made his way back with near-to-the-top performances, despite major fitness concerns. Last year’s QF-ist, DelPo might just be the prick in the Joker’s foot, as he looks forward to nail his fourth title at Melbourne Park.

Coupe des Mousquetaires

The next trophy in sight, brings us to the clay quarter of the season.

If Rafa is back, it has to be Rafa. But will he return? If not, the trophy can Djokovic’s, thus ending his chase for the Career Slam feat.

The dark horse here would David Ferrer, who is irrefutably the best clay player on the circuit after Nadal. Ferrer cruised through to the quarters dropping just 21 games, before ousting fourth-seed Andy Murray.

Frenchman, Richard Gasquet will undoubtedly try to better his performance in 2013 and make a serious bid for the French Open title, after seeing a near-perfect year in 2012, where he made it to the fourth round or better of every major tournament.

Strawberries and cream

Great Britain has been patiently waiting since 1936 to see a homegrown player lift the title at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Andy Murray is undoubtedly the favorite here for three reasons. The US Open win, the redemption in the Olympic finals and the home support.

Djokovic will re-affirm himself as one of Tennis’s greatest ever, if he were to repeat his success of 2011, on the hostile greens of England.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will want to better his performances at the British Open, after being a semi-finalist for the last two years. 2011 was a case of tough luck, as the Frenchman was ousted in four very tight sets by Djokovic, while last year he was defeated in a similar way, by home boy Andy Murray.

The US Open

Djokovic is again a firm favorite here, under the bright lights at Flushing Meadows. Murray may have prevented him from retaining his title in 2012, but Djokovic, remains to be the best hard-court player on the tour and will be most likely to capture the US Open again in 2013. Of course, another run-in with Murray, could again tip the scales out of his favor.

Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic could be the dark-horses on American shores this year. Berdych did hold off well against Murray in the SFs last year in a 4-setter and would very well like to advance to the finals this year.

The giant Canadian, Raonic, was brilliant on the hard surfaces last year, and provided stiff resistance to Murray in the fourth round. 21 and with a cool demeanor, Raonic might just pull off another stellar performance, late into the season.