2022 year in review: Djokovic bests Gretzky, McDavid in top 15 most-searched athletes on Yahoo Canada

Written by Compose.ly Staff

The past year produced memorable moments from the Beijing Olympics to a World Cup full of surprising upsets and exciting action. In 2022, we said goodbye to some GOATs as they packed up their gear, moved on and welcomed bright up-and-comers looking to cement their places in history. These top athletes of 2022 had Canada buzzing, ranking as the 15 most searched in 2022 by Yahoo Canada users.

1. Novak Djokovic

With 21 Grand Slam titles, second only to Rafael Nadal, Serbian tennis pro Novak Djokovic frequently creates headlines. In 2022, he continued to make them, but not for his prowess on the court. In January, Djokovic was barred from the Australian Open for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. After getting a late start to the season, he won his 21st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. However, Djokovic was also barred from the U.S. Open in September for not getting the COVID-19 shot.

2. Tiger Woods

Following a horrific car accident in 2021 that almost cost him his leg, Tiger Woods made it back to the golf course in 2022. Though he only finished one tournament – the Masters – his return drew support from fans. Woods limped his way to his 22nd straight cut at Augusta National, one shy of the record held by Fred Couples and Gary Player, but ended up finishing in 47th place. But his comeback highlighted his determination when it seemed like he could never play again.

3. Tom Brady

Some consider Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady to be the best of all time. At the end of the 2021 season, the veteran announced his retirement, only to walk it back less than two months later. His season has been up and down, peppered with sideline outbursts and some classic Brady comebacks. He also became the first quarterback to throw for 100,000 yards. Brady’s personal life was front and centre off the field as his divorce from his wife Gisele Bundchen played out publicly.

4. Serena Williams

Tennis champion Serena Williams is another GOAT who announced her retirement from the sport in 2022. In a Vogue essay published in September, Williams cited a desire to focus on other endeavours, namely the venture capital firm she started before her daughter was born. She played her final Canadian match in August, losing in the second round of the National Bank Open. Although she exited her final Grand Slam in the third round of the U.S. Open, she gave viewers a show in a match that lasted more than three hours.

5. Denis Shapovalov

As greats like Williams and Roger Federer departed from tennis in 2022, other young players began to emerge, including Canada’s own Denis Shapovalov. The 23-year-old won the ATP Cup in January and made a strong showing weeks later at the Australian Open. He was also on the Canadian team that won the nation's first Davis Cup title. Shapovalov broke into the top 10 in 2020, but he ultimately ended the 2022 season ranked No.18.

6. Rafael Nadal

Another tennis player making the list of the top athletes of 2022 is Rafael Nadal. The ever-popular Spaniard won his 22nd Grand Slam title at the French Open in the spring. This came on the heels of a win at the Australian Open. However, his season ended on a low note as he withdrew from Wimbledon after an abdominal muscle tear and suffered a stunning U.S. Open upset at the hands of American Francis Tiafoe.

7. Brooke Henderson

Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson draws in Canadian crowds with her prowess on the course. In 2022, she won two titles and placed in the top 10 in 10 tournaments. While her year went well, she played through a back injury late in the season. That didn’t stop her from competing for player of the year, as she finished third behind Minjee Lee and winner Lydia Ko.

8. Bianca Andreescu

After winning the U.S. Open in 2019, Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu tore her meniscus and had to sit out most of the following year. After struggling through the 2021 season, Andreescu revealed that she considered quitting. But she made her way back to the court in 2022 and managed to make it to the third round of the U.S. Open. She changed coaches for the 2023 season in an attempt to regain her standing in the field.

9. Wayne Gretzky

Even though he is long retired, Wayne Gretzky remains one of Canada’s most popular athletes. In 2022, he continued his foray into the media world as a studio analyst for NHL on TNT. As a result, 2022 marked the first time Gretzky was eligible to officially vote on NHL awards. He notably chose Auston Matthews for the Hart Trophy over Connor McDavid and Cale Makar. The Great One also made headlines for the wrong reasons, being sued for $10 million in a bizarre weight loss chewing gum lawsuit.

10. Sidney Crosby

Another NHL favourite, Sidney Crosby remained on Canadians’ minds in 2022. While the 2022-23 season is his 18th in the league, he started it in top form, scoring two goals and four assists in his first two games. The 35-year-old hasn’t slowed down either, sitting within the top 10 in league scoring as of the holiday break. Crosby is one of the game’s top scorers, with 1,452 points and counting. He scored his 500th career goal in February.

11. Evander Kane

The Edmonton Oilers had a good showing in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, making it to the Western Conference final. Evander Kane played a large part in the team’s success, scoring 17 points and a whopping 13 goals in the team’s playoff run. But after the start of the 2022-23 season, Kane appeared more frequently in internet searches after suffering a gruesome injury in a game against Tampa Bay that has him sitting on the sidelines into next year.

12. Connor McDavid

The top contributor to the Oilers’ great season, Connor McDavid has had another electrifying year filled with jaw-dropping highlights. Being the best player on the planet and playing for a Canadian team, it’s not a surprise to see McDavid on this list. Despite once again leading the league in scoring, McDavid finished behind Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews for the Hart Trophy, which was a big topic of conversation among hockey fans leading up to the announcement in June. McDavid has been on fire to start the 2022-23 season, leading the league in goals (30) and points (66) in only 35 games.

13. Phil Mickelson

While golfer Phil Mickelson usually makes the news for his game, in 2022, he took a break after some controversy. He made disparaging remarks about Saudis, although he supported the LIV Golf International Series, a Saudi-funded golf league that rivals the PGA. Mickelson spent much of 2022 battling the PGA for banning him and other LIV Golf members.

14. Felix Auger Aliassime

This Canadian tennis player is part of a new crop to break out in the sport in 2022. He won multiple ATP matches at the end of the 2022 season, notably beating newly minted world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in Basel in October. He got his shot against some of the sport’s all-time greats in September, participating in the Laver Cup for Team North America. In that tournament, he beat Novak Djokovic as part of the team’s overall win. Not long after that, he won eight sets at the Davis Cup to lead Canada to its first ever win. The 22-year-old finished the season ranked a career-best No. 6 in the world.

15. Carey Price

After his memorable playoff performance in 2021 which helped lead Montreal to the Stanley Cup Final, Carey Price entered treatment for substance abuse, returning to the team in April of 2022. But his return hasn’t been a triumph. In August 2022, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes stated that the star would likely be out for most of the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury. He has been treating his knee but may be unlikely to recover without surgery. Price is facing a decision that could impact his career, although he doesn’t plan to have surgery now. He also made waves over a pro-gun Instagram post days before the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique shooting.

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