The highly respected French sports daily L’Equipe ventured an experiment five years ago and predicted the top ten positions in the ATP world rankings for 2018.
To err is human. All the more so when a five-year prognosis involves flesh and blood protagonists. The human component is often unpredictable. In addition: For athletes it becomes even more complicated with predictions, since other uninfluenceable factors such as injuries etc. can also play a major role.
In 2013, the L’Equipe, with the help of its tennis journalists, dared the experiment of betting on the top ten places in the ATP ranking for the 2018 financial year.
The result: Two goals (Novak Djokovic, Kei Nishikori) – and a few mistakes, which have to do however in individual cases also with unfortunate circumstances. For example, Andy Murray, whom the French had assumed to be third. But after a hip operation, the two-time Wimbledon winner from Scotland is currently only 260th.
The former Polish Wimbledon semi-finalist Jerzy Janowicz, 14th in 2013 and ranked number nine by the newspaper, is no longer even listed in the ATP ranking. At the top the L’Equipe had bet on Grigor Dimitrov. A really good tip actually, the Bulgarian won the ATP finals in 2017 and went third in the just finished season. Currently Dimitrov is “only” 19.
The Frenchman Benoit Paire (ATP No. 52) should be second in the world ranking according to the Gazette. The Australian Bernard Tomic (ATP No 83) and the Latvian Ernests Gulbis (ATP No 95) were designated for seventh and eighth place respectively.
The expectations of the sports bible were exceeded by industry leader Djokovic – at least a little bit: The regained Serbian Wimbledon and US Open champion of 2018 had been predicted on fifth place. The Japanese Nishikori (ATP no. 9) is the second French goal in the top ten. They suspected him at position six.