If you're a Djokovic, Medvedev or Zverev fan, how can you not rate it at least 8/10? It was an exceptionnal season for these 3, no doubt they would have immediately signed with both hands at the start of the year.
No slam for Zverev, but this Olympics gold medal was worthy of 2 slams for him. His tears and reaction said it all. It really moved me and he hasn't been the same player since Tokyo. With the exception of Fritz in Indian-Wells, he was very consistent and only Djokovic/Medvedev stopped him. Will they be able to stop him in slams in 2022, that's the question.
Djokovic failed to win the CYGS but let's be real. He finished his Fritz match in agony in AO. At this stage of the season anyone would have laughed in my face if I said he was gonna win more than 1 slam in 2021. His end of 2020 season was catastrophic and his level in Australia was very average until the QF. There were every reasons to think 2021 would look like 2017. And even before that RG SF against Nadal, how many people thought 2021 would turn out the way it did? Nadal beat him 3-0 in 2020, he won the Rome final in 2021. In most minds, it was going to be 21-18 after RG without a doubt. Even his fans know it deep down. It could have been 21-18, or worse. Now instead it's 20-20, with Djokovic finishing the year stronger than ever in Paris/WTF and a future that looks more and more doubtful for his injured rival.
Medvedev is the first of the "next gen" to win a slam and beat one of the Big-3 at the same time. Thanks to USO, his season is a success. He's beaten his main rival in a slam final and beat his other rival 3 times in 4 matches. Could he have done better? Yes, especially in Masters and in Wimbledon, but it remains a positive year for him.
If you're a Berrettini, a Sinner, Auger-Aliassime or Alcaraz fan I think it's a pretty good year too.
I honeslty didn't think Sinner would finish 2021 in the top-10. Top-20 was a realistic goal at the start of the season.
Berrettini had an incredible year in slams. Only 1 player beat him.
Same for FAA. 4th round in AO, QF in Wimbledo, SF in USO... ranked #11, it's better than expected. Only hole, still 0 title.
Alcaraz had potential, we all knew that but I didn't expect him to show up in a slam QF, win his first title and beat Tsitsipas, Berrettini, Sinner or Ruud. I foresee great things for him in 2022 and 2023... WTF next year and top-5 in 2023 is my prediction.
If you're a Nadal, Federer, Thiem, Delpotro, Wawrinka or Murray fan, I think it'd be hard to put more than 3/10.
Federer and Delpotro are most likely done, 2021 reinforced this feeling. They will still win matches but it's over in Majors.
The future doesn't look positive for Murray and Wawrinka ...Murray can get back into the top100, maybe top50 but it'll be his limit. Wawrinka hasn't touched a racket for too long. I honestly don't believe in some epic come back.
For Thiem is was nightmarish. He wins a slam and not even on his favorite surface, there was reasons to be hopeful. Wrist injuries are the worst. I hope he'll be back at the top soon but the future looks uncertain for him.
And for Nadal it's clearly a negative year too. After the blood bath in that French Open final last year, he was the HUGE favorite to win the slam race and put an end to the goat debate in 2021. Seeing how he ridiculed Djokovic in that final, there were even reasons to think he had chances to win slams off clay this year. If things turned out in a positive way for him, he would have currently 3 or 4 more slams than Djokovic. Everything was perfect until that 3rd set tie-break against Tsitsipas in AO. Everything went awry afterwards, even if he won 2 clay titles. The foot injury was not expected. He skipped the OG and Wimbledon but I still thought he'd come back for the US tournaments and in good form.
Regarding the WTA:
My Disappointments: Halep, S. Williams, Andreescu, Svitolina, Osaka
Halep started the year ranked #2 and she is basically at the top of women's tennis since 2014. She is now #20 with 0 title and her best result in slams is a QF in Australia.
For Willimas sadly it looks like she is done in slams, she will never tie Court and get the 24th slam she desperately wanted. She may have missed her very last chance in Australia this year. Her fall in Wimbledon against Sasnovic gave me chills. She hasn't showed up on a tennis court since then.
Osaka won her 4th slam in Australia and then it was just one bad thing after another for her. Mental breakdowns, polemics with the press conferences in RG, disastrous OG. She and Barty were supposed to dominate the Tour in 2021, but it became quickly one-sided.
Svitolina fell out of the top-10 for the first time since 2017. Only 1 WTA 250, poor results in slams again. It's getting harder and harder to believe she will ever win a slam.
And Andreescu: after seeing her in IW/Toronto/USO 2019, I expected a lot better from her. She was injured for most of 2020 but I thought we'd see her more in 2021. Her Miami final was the highlight of her season but the rest was mediocre.
My best surprises : Krejcikova, Kontaveit, Raducanu, Bencic, Badosa... and Barty
Barty for her consistency at the top. She finishes the year #1 for the 3rd consecutive time and except a few surprising defeats, it was an incredible year again.
Krejcikova because she was not even ranked #200 before RG 2020, she finished the year in the top-5 with 3 titles and a 1 slam. Most unpexted progression of the year without a doubt. And I really, really like her tennis.
Raducanu for obvious reasons... winning 10 consecutive matches and 20 consecutive sets in s slam at 18... Pretty sure we will NEVER see that again.
Badosa probably the 2nd best progression after Krejcikova. Great clay season, and highlight of the year in IW, she won the tournament with a brutal draw. I expect to see a lot more in 2022... maybe a slam?
Bencic for her gold medal in singles and silver in doubles. She was the least one I expected. She won almost all her single matches in difficult, long 3 sets, and her tears also moved be. And imo she played a good tennis even after Tokyo. I foresee a great season in 2022. She has everything to go deep in all the slams.
7/10 overall.