September was a month to remember for tennis fans. While Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek stumbled at the US Open, the eventual winners were the usual suspects. Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka doubled up as the champions in New York following their triumphs at the Australian Open at the start of the season.

Carlos Alcaraz made a memorable debut at the Laver Cup and helped Team Europe clinch the title for the first time since 2021. October has quite a few storylines to keep up with as well. The Asian swing will come to an end this month, and the race for the ATP and WTA Finals also heats up.

On that note, here are four predictions that could make October one of the standout months of the tennis season:

#4 Naomi Osaka wins first title of post-motherhood comeback at home

Osaka’s comeback has been full of positives for her. While her results are not where she wants them to be, she has shown plenty of promise. She started the year ranked outside the top 800 and is projected to be in the top 60 next week.

While Osaka didn’t advance beyond the second round of any Major this year, she did reach a WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the Qatar Open. She also progressed to the fourth round of the Italian Open.

The former World No. 1 looked to be in good form at the ongoing China Open. Her partnership with her new coach Patrick Mouratoglou was off to a solid start as she reached the fourth round. However, an injury forced her to retire after the second set during her showdown against Coco Gauff.

Osaka is set to compete in next week’s Wuhan Open. A title there seems unlikely given the stacked field, but she could lay her hands on the winner’s trophy at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo after that.

She won the title here back in 2019 and was the runner-up in 2018 and 2016. She loves playing in front of her home crowd, and if she maintains her form from the China Open, then a title is well within her grasp.

#3 Elena Rybakina ends her season for good

Rybakina had a solid first half of the season, winning three titles at the WTA 500 level, and reaching another two finals at the WTA 1000 level. She underperformed at the Majors, with a semifinal at Wimbledon her best showing. While she did miss a few tournaments due to health reasons, the frequency increased with every passing month.

Rybakina split with long-time coach Stefano Vukov days before the start of the US Open. She then pulled out of the tournament before her second-round match. A month later, the Kazakh announced that she would skip the Asian swing completely due to an injury.

However, Rybakina’s health issues aren’t merely physical. Speculation is rife that her time with Vukov wasn’t entirely pleasant, and that she’s experiencing the fallout from the unhealthy pressure put on her by her former coach.

While she hasn’t officially qualified for the WTA Finals just yet, her place seems rather secure and she should eventually make the cut. However, it’s more likely that Rybakina will call time on her season completely. She has played only a couple of matches since the start of August, and competing against the very best with minimal match play is far from ideal.

#2 Rafael Nadal returns to Tour at Stockholm Open

Nadal hasn’t competed since the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, where he lost in the second round of singles, and the quarterfinals in doubles. He then pulled out of the US Open and the Laver Cup. He’s now set to partake in the Six Kings Slam, an upcoming exhibition event in Saudi Arabia from October 16-19.

Nadal was also named as a part of the Spanish squad for the Davis Cup Finals in November. Rumors are swirling that it could be his potential last dance. Regardless of whether that is true or not, it’s unlikely that he will participate in it without some matches under his belt.

The Davis Cup Finals begin on November 18, and he could try to enter one of the tournaments in the lead-up to it. Nadal participated in the Swedish Open in Bastad before the Paris Olympics. It marked his first appearance there since 2005.

Based on that, the Spaniard could make an appearance at this month’s Stockholm Open in order to prepare for the Davis Cup. He previously competed there way back in 2006 and could return there once again. There’s also enough gap between the two tournaments for him to not overexert himself either, so it is the ideal time for him to make a comeback.

#1 Novak Djokovic captures his milestone 100th career title at Shanghai Masters

Djokovic has smashed almost every conceivable record in men’s tennis throughout his stellar career. He has record 24 Major titles, 40 Masters titles, seven ATP Finals titles, and 428 weeks as the World No. 1, among other accomplishments.

Djokovic even claimed the elusive gold medal at this year’s Paris Olympics. It also marked his 99th career title. With the US Open debacle in the rearview mirror, he’s now gunning to complete a century of titles, and the Shanghai Masters seems like a good place for him to do so. He has won the tournament four times in the past.

The Paris Olympics saw Djokovic at his best this year. He was a man on a mission, and if he continues to play with a similar focus, it would be quite difficult to stop him.