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2021 has given us some magnificent moments in tennis. Over the months, we have seen some dazzling matches and records being set.
Like any other year, 2021 has had more than its fair share of shocks and upsets, from Novak Djokovic missing out on a Calendar Slam to unseeded players winning Grand Slams.
Given the number of stunning and unique results, it is very hard to choose one over the other. Nonetheless, here are seven matches that stood out from the rest:
#7 Rybakina vs Williams, 2021 Roland Garros
Serena Williams was the seventh seed at this year's French Open. By the time she reached the fourth round of the competition, all but one of the top six seeds had been eliminated. The 40-year-old seemed to have a good chance of winning her fourth title at Roland Garros and equalling Margaret Court's record of 24 Majors.
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In the fourth round, Williams faced Elena Rybakina and this was the Russian-born Kazakhstani player's first seeded opponent in the tournament. However, the 22-year-old started the match brilliantly and took the first set 6-3.
Williams however, was not willing to throw in the towel and fought back in the second set. She was serving when the score was 5-5, but Rybakina broke her to love before winning the next game and in turn, the match.
The Kazakh reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal but was defeated by eventual runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
#6 Osaka's Olympics elimination
Naomi Osaka withdrew from a few competitions after the French Open but was back in action at the Olympics in her home country Japan. She lit the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony, thus becoming the first tennis player to do so.
Osaka was seeded second in the competition and was among the favorites to win the gold medal.
After Ashleigh Barty's shock defeat in the first round, Osaka's chances of winning an Olympic gold were high. Osaka had little trouble defeating Zheng Saisai and Viktorija Golubic and was up against 2019 Roland Garros runner-up Marketa Vondrousova in the third round.
However, the pressure of expectations took its toll on Osaka and she struggled to keep up with the Czech. Vondrousova was absolutely dominant throughout the match and defeated Osaka 6-1, 6-4.
The 22-year-old eventually reached the final, where she was defeated by Belinda Bencic.
#5 Tsitsipas losing to Alcaraz at the US Open
After reaching his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, Stefanos Tsitsipas's performances declined as he lost in the opening round of Wimbledon and the third round of the Olympics.
However, he reached successive semifinals at the National Bank Open and Cincinnati Masters and had high hopes entering the US Open.
Tsitsipas survived a first-round scare from Andy Murray before defeating Adrian Mannarino in four sets in the second. In the third round, he was up against 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz who was ranked 55 in the world at the time.
The teenager was leading two sets to one but Tsitsipas bageled him in the fourth set to level the match. The decider was very tightly contested and it came down to a tiebreaker.
Alcaraz eventually claimed the final set to record the biggest win of his career thus far and Tsitsipas's US Open journey was over.
The 18-year-old eventually reached the quarterfinals but was forced to retire against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
#4 Raducanu defeating Bencic at the US Open
Emma Raducanu's journey in the US Open has given us arguably one of the greatest fairytales in tennis history.
The Brit had to go through the qualifying stages to reach the main draw and victories over Stefanie Vogele and Zhang Shuai saw her reach the third round.
After dropping just one game against Sara Sorribes Tormo, Raducanu was up against Shelby Rogers, who had upset top seed Ashleigh Barty in the previous round.
Raducanu won 6-2, 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal clash against Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic. The teenager was in scintillating form but many tipped the Swiss to reach the semifinals.
However, the 19-year-old defeated Bencic in straight sets to reach the last four. Raducanu subsequently defeated Maria Sakkari in the semifinals and Leylah Fernandez in the final to become the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era.
#3 Hurkacz defeating Federer at Wimbledon
It won't be long before Roger Federer calls it a day on an extraordinary career but as long as the Swiss maestro is there, he is among the contenders for almost any tournament in which he participates.
The 40-year-old went through some tough matches to reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2021. His opponent in the last eight was Poland's Hubert Hurkacz who had caused a major upset by defeating second seed Daniil Medvedev in the previous round.
Most people tipped Federer to defeat the 14th seed and qualify for the semifinals. However, Hurkacz had other plans. The Pole put in a dominant display to win the first set 6-3. Federer fought back hard and took the second set to a tiebreaker. However, Hurkacz won it 7-4 to be 2-0 up in the match.
In the third set, the 24-year-old became only the second player to bagel Federer in the 21st century to make his first Grand Slam semifinal, where he lost to Italy's Matteo Berrettini in four sets.
#2 Medvedev defeating Djokovic at the US Open
Novak Djokovic's 2021 is among the best individual seasons we will ever see in the sport.
After winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, the Serb looked well on course to win the US Open and become the first male player since Rod Laver to achieve the Calendar Slam.
Djokovic reached the quarterfinals of the competition, where he defeated Berrettini in a rematch of the Wimbledon final. The 34-year-old won a five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals to set up a title clash against Medvedev, who had dropped only one set on his way to the final.
While the Russian was a formidable opponent, many expected Djokovic to win the match and a record 21st Grand Slam title.
However, Medvedev defeated the Serb, that too in straight sets, to win his first Major.
While the Russian is a top competitor, defeating someone as mentally strong as Djokovic in a Grand Slam final in straight sets is a massive feat. Hence, Medvedev's win is No.2 on the list of biggest upsets in 2021.
#1 Djokovic defeating Nadal at Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal is the undisputed King of Clay and has proven this with years of dominance at the French Open, a tournament where even the best of tennis players have struggled to perform.
The Spaniard was the favorite heading into the tournament and had little trouble reaching the quarterfinals. Here, Nadal dropped his first set of the competition against Diego Schwartzmann but was able to defeat him and advance to the last four.
In the semifinals, the Spaniard was up against Djokovic who had dropped three sets in his previous two matches. Nadal won the first set 6-3 but the Serb bounced back brilliantly to win the next three and advance to the final. The match was a lot more tightly contested than the scoreline suggests, as both players produced some sensational tennis.
Djokovic eventually defeated Tsitsipas in the final to win his second French Open title.
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