The two questions that everyone asks in the world of tennis by 2020

The 2020 tennis season has already begun. He does it in style in the new ATP Cup and two of those who will be the protagonists of the course started with victory and good feelings. Nadal beat Basilashvili (6-3 and 7-5) to score a point in the triumph of Spain against Georgia, which was by a blunt 3-0 if the victories of Roberto Bautista against Metreveli (6-0 and 6 are also added) -0, it is 679 in the world) and the doubles formed by Carreño and Feliciano (6-3 and 6-4 to the Bakshi / Tsivadze duo). Djokovic, meanwhile, also contributed his grain of sand in Serbia's victory over South Africa beating the dangerous giant Anderson, who had not played since July, in two tie breaks (7-6 [7/5] and 7-6 [8/6]). The tournament returns to Spain tomorrow (10:30, Teledeporte) in the duel with Uruguay. If there is first group and Serbia too, they could only face in a hypothetical final.

Nadal and Djokovic are going to be two of the protagonists of the season if we attend to the two questions with which this information is titled. One, deep down, is new: Can Rafa beat Roger Federer in Grand Slams? The fight comes from afar, but the Spanish has never been so close. After his triumph in the United States Open, he stood at one: he is 19, 20 by the Swiss and 16 Djokovic. The first opportunity to match it is at the Australian Open (January 20 to February 2), Rafa's cursed "big", since "only" has conquered him once after much bad luck, especially in the form of injuries . Last year it was only stopped by Nole in the final and this season the previous feelings are not being better. Francis Roig himself, one of the Balearic coaches and the captain of Spain in the ATP Cup, has admitted that the world's number one has taken the quick form. The duel against Basilashvili was perfect to continue growing. He had everything, starting with a good rival that started with a "break." Nadal showed his most offensive tennis when he could, as he tries for years on these hard surfaces, and like last season he does not sometimes shy away from the service-network, which takes him out of trouble. Rafa and others had a good time to suffer, when the Georgian returned from a 5-2 in the second set to get 5-5. It seemed that he had done the most difficult, but the next game he suffered a new Rafa break ...

If the first question is new because of the "Big 3" situation, the second one is repeated over the last few years: Will the dominance of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic, already entered in the thirties, be really threatened by the players who come from behind, especially in the Grand Slams? The Swiss and the Spanish, above all, are taking care of their calendar in a millimeter way to be able to perform well wherever they go. Last year there was a threat of uprising of the Thiem, Tsitsipas, Medvedev and company, but it mainly affected the Masters 1000 tournaments or the Masters Cup. The four Grand Slams took them as usual, although there were some partial victories such as Tsitsipas against Federer in Australia or Thiem against Djokovic in Roland Garros. You have to go back to the 2016 US Open to see a winner of a "big" different from the usual ones. There Wawrinka prevailed, of the few that has managed to beat at this time (3 Grand Slams) with Murray (3), Cilic (1) and Del Potro (1).