I didn't do the updates throughout the year as usual but thought I would recap 2017!
My expectations for Raonic are too depressing to type out! He clearly didn't meet any of my hopes for him as he had a brutal injury plagued year.
My hopes for him next year are simply to return to the top 8 and make the WTF. His window is fast closing if has any hopes to finish number 1 or win a slam! The young guys are coming and this year at Wimbledon might be his best bet!
Shapo:
unreal 2nd half of the year! Crazy to read El Dude's post above....he really did come out of nowhere! He smashed my hopes for him for 2017(top 100, win a challenger title, win 5 atp matches) by ending the year ranked 51st with deep runs in a Masters and Slam tournaments.
My hopes for Shapo in 2018 are tougher to peg down considering his fast rise! I think maintaining top 50 would be a good place to start. There is a lot of top tier talent returning this year which will make deep runs that much harder and he has a lot of points to defend. I think he will be able to break into the top 40 earlier in the year, but I think it will take some time as he adjusts to playing at the tour level full time. If he can make a couple 3rd round appearances at slams I'll be happy.
Felix:
Smashed my goals as well!(top 200, multiple futures titles, 5 challenger wins) by ending the year at 162 with two challenger titles to his name!
My hopes for him in 2018 are: Break into the top 100, win 5 atp matches, win multiple challenger titles, win a 1st round at a major(likely the French).
Ben Sigouin:
really quiet year, I hoped top 600 he ended 794. No expectations for next year until I see him playing more regularly,
Also, with Peliwo and Schnur getting inside the top 200 this past year they are on my radar although if either of them break into the top 100 during their career I'll be happy. Not good enough to take seriously at this point for me.
I really enjoyed 2017 as a fan, and yet 2018 has me even more excited! The future is now as we will see more and more just what Shapo and FAA can be! Also, Raonic is still young enough to hope for a comeback and slam success as well! Fun to see both era's of Canadian tennis converge for a season or two! I wonder how long Raonic will stay top dog?
Also as a Fed fan I am curious to see if he can ever regain world #1 again, or win more slams! I'm also super intrigued to see how Andy and Nole come back as well and how much inroads the young guys will make this year! For some we are at the end of a golden era for men's tennis but for me it's going to be the most interesting season in awhile! So many story lines too follow, so much unpredictability as one era ends and another begins!
I think I'll try to bump this thread after every major just to see how the guys are all doing.
