Ranking the 10 Best Tennis Players of 2012

The year 2012 was a golden year for tennis. There's an incredible amount of interest and attention in the sport, especially on the stars. And the stars delivered with some incredible performances. 

While there were many great players this year, only 10 could make the list. Which were the 10 best players of 2012?

Read on to find out. 

10. David Ferrer

David Ferrer had a nice year. He won seven ATP titles, which is the most of anyone on tour this year. 

He finished the year ranked fifth in the world. He reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open, and any of his losses were usually to some of the higher-ranked players.

He's not a household name, but Ferrer had a solid season and could be poised for a big 2013. 

9. Juan Martin Del Potro

Juan Martin del Potro finished the year ranked seventh overall, and it's easy to see why. He won four titles and capped it off with a bronze medal at the Olympics, where he beat Novak Djokovic, despite being seeded eighth. 

Del Potro went 65-17 for the year. 

8. Bob and Mike Bryan

The Bryan Brothers had another successful year in 2012. They won gold at the 2012 Olympics and the U.S. Open, as well. The wins gave them a career Grand Slam.

In addition, Mike Bryan won mixed doubles at Wimbledon and won bronze in mixed doubles at the Olympics.

The Bryan Brothers are one of the most successful doubles teams of all time, and this year was no different. At only 34 years of age, there's no reason why the Bryan Brothers can't be successful for the next few years to come. 

7.Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal had a year plagued by injury, but it was still a good one. He finished ranked fourth in the world. 

Nadal won the French Open, as well as the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters over Novak Djokovic. He went 42-6 on the year.

Nadal missed the Olympics and U.S. Open, and could have added more big wins. Still, even with the injuries, it was a pretty good year for the Spaniard. 

6. Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova had another outstanding year in what has been an outstanding career. She won the French Open, which gave her the career Grand Slam. This made her the sixth woman to do so in history.

In addition to the win at Roland Garros, Sharapova won silver at the London Olympics. 

Sharapova continues to put herself into the discussion for one of the best female tennis players of all time. 

5. Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka burst onto the scene with a huge year. She won the Australian Open and lost in the finals in the U.S. Open.

She also had quite the Olympics. She won a bronze medal in Women's singles and won a gold in mixed doubles. 

She became the first player from Belarus to win a Grand Slam in singles. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the world. 

4. Andy Murray

Andy Murray finally burst out from the huge expectations placed on him when he won gold at the Olympics, playing for the host country. He followed that up with a win at the U.S. Open, making him the only person to win the Olympics and U.S. Open back to back.

He also win a silver medal in the mixed doubles at the Olympics. In addition, he was the runner-up at Wimbledon.

All of this led to a ranking of No. 3 and his name entering into the discussion of the best players out there today. 

3. Roger Federer

Roger Federer may be the greatest tennis player of all time, and this year he did nothing to disprove that.

The Swiss star won silver at the Olympics and won big at Wimbledon. He finished the season ranked second in the world. 

Federer shows no signs of slowing down and seems willing to continue to dazzle us all with his exploits. 

2. Serena Williams

Serena Williams had an absolutely fantastic year. She won at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. She won gold in Women's singles and Women's doubles. She also won in the Wimbledon doubles. 

She finished the year ranked third, but that seems a bit low after all the big wins she had this year. What may serve as consolation is that she was voted as the WTA Player of the Year as well as International Tennis world champion.

Not bad for someone who many had written off. 

1.Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic had the best year of any tennis player out there. He is the world No. 1 and had some big wins. He won the Australian Open and the ATP world tour. He was the runner up in the French and US Open and finished the year 75-12.

Djokovic was named the ATP World Tour Player of the Year, as well as the International Tennis Federation World Champion.

It's a golden age for tennis, with an incredible number of stars. Right now, Djokovic sits above all of them.