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more talent than the vast majority of his opponents yet, temperamentally, seems destined not to fulfil that potential. He has a variety of shot and touch that most of us can only dream of, making him a champion-beater on any given day. But he is just as likely to collapse into an also-ran, and that’s a real pity.
Fitness has been a constant question-mark—maybe stamina is a more accurate word. One feels that if he went all-out on his endurance and conditioning, he really could hit the top five again. Maybe he should take a leaf out of Andy Roddick’s book.
It’s now nearly six years since Roddick held the top ranking spot, yet at 27 he is throwing himself with renewed energy into improving both his fitness and his tactical game.
A new coach and physical regime have already taken him from ninth to fifth in the rankings, and he’s bidding for another 500 points in Memphis. He’ll need those to defend the 500 he will lose by missing Dubai, where he won last year. But you have to be impressed by the commitment and sweat he is willing to expend after so many years in the top 10.
With that sort of application—and his bucket-load of natural talent—Nalbandian could still challenge for the top six places, too.
That age of 27 seems to be working its magic on several other players who have also been around the block a few times.
Mardy Fish suddenly broke through at Melbourne last year and is on the verge of a top-20 spot.
Feliciano Lopez is also 27 and well within striking distance of his top-ever ranking of 20.
Further down the table, the likes of Albert Montanes, Julien Benneteau and Marc Gicquel have all made substantial upward progress, and all are the “mature” side of 27. Meanwhile, the elegant and creative game of Michael Llodra has taken him, at the age of 29, to the Marseille final and a few more places up the ranks.
Of course, best and highest of all, the 27-year-old Roger Federer will hope to claim the top spot back this year—back-injury permitting.
It’s been remarked on many times before, but for someone with so many years at the top—and the huge number of matches that entails—he has sustained remarkably few injuries. Even compared with the others in that “27 or more” bracket, his injury record is exceptional: a credit to the regime and the team he has stuck with throughout his career.
Most of these men matured a little later than the current rising stars—in their 20s rather than their teens. Many have a varied game that sits comfortably with a variety of different surfaces, so they can win points across a whole season.
It will be interesting to see whether the slow-maturing style of the likes of Andy Murray, Giles Simon and Fernando Verdasco allows them to continue to challenge for the top when they approach their late 20s.
If their focus and desire stay as strong as Federer’s, Roddick’s and Stepanek’s, I think it will.
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