How was your week?July 13, 2016

Rainfall influenced the outcome of the French Open, and it did the same thing at the All England Club. A retractable roof is expected to be in place on No. 1 Court on 2019, which will restore a bit of order. Right? Not exactly. The finals of the men's singles was a repeat of the finals of the Aegon Championships a few weeks ago. Andy Murray won his second Wimbledon title at the expense of Milos Raonic. This was the Canadian's first appearance in a Grand Slam finals, which could be one of the reasons behind his loss. But John McEnroe was part of his team. And the American was being questioned for conflict of interest. He was a commentator last Sunday.

It's not yet the end of the long summer season, as the top players will go to Aviva Centre (in Toronto) on July 25. It will be the venue of the next ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. The Summer Olympics will be staged two weeks later, followed by the Cincinnati Masters. Last but not the least, the US Open will begin on August 29. It will cap off the North American hardcourt season, but some players must prepare for the Davis Cup. At this point, some players could feel the effects of the gruelling summer. Let's be particular about it. Here are the possible scenarios:

Yannick Noah might steer France to a Davis Cup. After losing to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic begged off from the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup. Great Britain became the overwhelming favourite after Bogdan ObradoviÄ‡, the captain of the Serbian Davis Cup team, announced that Janko TipsareviÄ‡ would lead the Serbian squad. Alas, Murray hinted that he might not play in Belgrade. The result of the tie could be anyone's guess. On the other hand, Noah was shrewd to pick Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas Pouille for singles. Both men made it to the second week at the All England Club. As for the crucial doubles match, the 1983 French Open champion picked Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert. They won the men's doubles (at Wimbledon). Croatia's head-to-head matches with the US would favour them in the other quarterfinal tie, but this won't put them in a major advantage over France. The French could claim their first Davis Cup title since 2001.

Rafael Nadal may be getting fit for next season. Fans might have seen the last of Nadal at Roland Garros. He was included in the Spanish squad that would take part in Rio de Janeiro, but there were no words about his wrist injury. The Rogers Cup would be less than two weeks away, and Nadal, the 2013 champion, could pack up his bags after his opening match.

Bernard Tomic will break into the Top 10 before the end of the year. Some might be surprised that it's not a question mark, but the Aussie was in fine form at the All England Club. He was leading Pouille by two sets to one in the fourth round until the Frenchman made a remarkable turnaround. The fifth set went the distance (10-8). This won't be Tomic's best performance, as he reached the quarters five years ago. The Gold Coast native, whom observers couldn't figure out (if he was the real deal or not), might do well during the hardcourt season.

Juan MartÃn del Potro won't make it to the podium at Rio. The Argentinian sent Stan Wawrinka packing at the All England Club, but this doesn't guarantee a medal at the Summer Games. It would take months before he could play like the old days. Let's hope that he won't have another surgery soon. Delpo, who will turn 27 on September 23, may be a contender in Tokyo in 2020.

The golden age of men's tennis is turning into a battle of super coaches. The invitational doubles may not be enough for these former top-ranked players. Some fans may be bummed from not seeing Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker on Centre Court, but they could look forward to the US Open. Unless the elements favour Roger Federer.

As for Maria Sharapova, no one was surprised at the postponement of the doping appeal ruling. The verdict would be expected on September 19, which could mean that the Russian won't compete in the Olympics. She won't take part in the US Open as well. Politics had nothing to do with it. How was your week?

Read all articles→