Tennis went through somewhat of a roller coaster in 2022. From surprise winners to emotional farewells for some of the biggest names in world tennis, this year has proven to be special for some, tough for others, but an interesting and exciting one in general. From Novak Djokovic's tantrums to the end of the eras of Roger Federer and Serena Williams, we take a look at some of the biggest events in the sport of Tennis from the year gone by.
January: Djokovic and his fight with Australia, Sania's big announcement
Anti-vaccine believer Novak Djokovic was barred from participating in the Australia Open during the peak of the third wave of Covid, with the Serbian Tennis star initially banned from the country for three years after losing a high-stakes legal battle in January over his vaccine status.
He missed out on a chance of defending his crown, with rival Rafael Nadal winning the ultimate trophy after he beat Daniil Medvedev in the final. Djokovic's ban has ultimately been lifted, and the star will return to the competition in 2023.
In the same month, Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza also announced that the 2022 season would be her last on the WTA tour. Mirza has finished her career with six Grand Slam doubles titles and was ranked No 1 in doubles.
May-June: Double delight for Rafael Nadal
2021 was not kind to an ageing Nadal, but the Spaniard proved that he is far from done, winning the French Open title for a record 14th time after beating Casper Ruud in a hotly-contested final. Just two days after his 36th birthday, Nadal created history in his favourite tournament, winning two more majors than Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after taking his astonishing haul to 22 with a 6-3 6-3 6-0 defeat of Ruud at Roland Garros.
June-July: Djokovic back to winning ways, history for Rybakina
After his disappointment in Australia, losing the no.1 ranking to Daniil Medvedev, and getting eliminated in the Quarterfinals of the Roland Garros, Djokovic made up with a roaring victory in Wimbledon. The Serbian star was in his best form yet again but faced the tough challenge of Australian Nick Kyrgios in the final, eventually overcoming it in style.
In Women's singles, tennis maestro Elena Rybakina created history after becoming the first Kazakhstani player to win a title at a major grand slam. In the absence of the injured Iga Swiatek, Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur to secure a historic title.
September: US Open winner marks the future of tennis as a legend calls time on an illustrious career
The US Open was won by 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, and in doing so, became the youngest champion in the grand slam's history. He beat defending champion and world No. 3 Alexander Zverev and in doing so, also created history by becoming the youngest ever men's world No. 1 and the first teenager in the Open Era to top the men's rankings.
This was followed by the much-awaited Laver Cup, which was the final tournament of Swiss Tennis Legend Roger Federer. Winner of 103 ATP singles titles, 20 Grand Slam singles titles, a record eight men's singles Wimbledon titles, an Open Era record-tying five men's singles US Open titles, and record-tying six-year-end championships, Federer was joined by long-time rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
It was the end of one of the best sporting careers ever, and despite not winning the tournament with Team Europe, it was one of most emotional moments in tennis' history.
