However, the two did not excel when it came to the Grand Slam tournaments, where, for the first time since 1998, the eight Grand Slam titles, awarded in the men’s and women’s competitions, were won by eight different players.
Wawrinka came out of Federer’s shadow
Stanislas Wawrinka produced the first surprise of the year in the men’s circuit after his victory at the Australian Open . After watching his friend Federer triumph in 17 major finals, Stan got his hands on the trophy in Melbourne after defeating Djokovic and Rafa Nadal .
Roger won five titles, but none major. The 33-year-old Swiss was the closest in the last act at Wimbledon, one pushed in five sets, but lost to rival Nole.
Even though he had a fragmented year of injuries, Rafael Nadal remained with only one defeat in his career at Roland Garros, after winning his ninth title in Paris.
US Open, the tournament of outsiders
In New York, Kei Nishikori was the first athlete from Asia to reach the last act of a Grand Slam, but lost to Goran Ivanisevic’s student, Marin Cilic. It was the first final in the last nine years in which none of the four favorites (Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray) were present.
Halep, the player with the biggest increase
Simona Halep did not win any major trophy, losing the final at Roland Garros to Maria Sharapova , but also in the semi-finals at the All England Club.
Even so, the Romanian started the year ranked 11th in the WTA, reached a career high when she took advantage of Na Li’s retirement and reached world number two. Halep ended the season on three , after losing the final of the Tournament of Champions to Serena , the representative of the United States who claimed her sixth title at Flushing Meadows.
Na Li and Petra Kvitova are the other two names that prevailed this season, the first at the Australian Open, the second on the London grass, after a final with Eugenie Bouchard.
