Tennis Players Facing a Turning Point in Their Careers
Tennis players firing and hiring coaches is as traditional during November and December as turkey and stuffing. It's usually a sign that a player wants to shake things up.
It means players have reached an impasse physically, strategically or psychologically. They've come to a turning point in their career.
Last year, when Roger Federer hired Stefan Edberg, that wasn't a turning point. That was more like a punctuation mark. Federer, whose legacy is solid gold, seeks to finish his career with a bang, instead of a thud.
Players on this list have reached that fork in the road. They seek to change the narrative on how they are perceived and on the way they play.
Gael Monfils and Sabine Lisicki made the list. Incredibly talented, these two are predictably inconsistent. Will 2015 be the year they finally pull it together?
Canada's finest, Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard, are not on this list. Even if they falter this season, they are young and on a steady trajectory up.
The 2015 Australian Open is a month away. Players have goals and plans in place. The following players, facing a turning point in their careers, could take a turn for the better or the worse.
Victoria Azarenka
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Victoria Azarenka began 2014 ranked No. 2 and two-time defending champion of the Australian Open. She heads into the 2015 season ranked No. 31.
Azarenka could be the comeback story of the year. However, the former No. 1 player has a tough task ahead of her. Her diminished ranking means facing top-ranked players in earlier rounds.
If healthy, Azarenka is far too talented to fade out of the top 50. Injuries, however, are the primary reason she fell out of the top 10.
Azarenka could regain her health but struggle to maintain her fight.
Gael Monfils
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Gael Monfils is looking for a coach. He played most of 2014 without one. Always entertaining, Monfils is getting up there in age and injuries.
He played perhaps his best in a losing effort against Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. It was a stunning comeback for Federer and an epic collapse for Monfils.
He redeemed himself at the Davis Cup, defeating Federer. It was the only match win for France in the 3-1 loss to Switzerland.
Monfils will remain the showman. But he's reached a point in his career where he can reshape his legacy. If he or a coach can find a way to harness his energy into intense focus, Monfils could catapult his way into the top 10.
Or he could go down as the most exciting player never to reach a Grand Slam final.
Agnieszka Radwanska
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Agnieszka Radwanska hit a wall last year. A perennial top-four player, Radwanska dropped out of the top five. She reached No. 2 in 2012 and was a set away from reaching No. 1. She is ranked No. 6.
In an attempt to stop the downward slide, Radwanska hired 18-time Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova.
At age, 25, Radwanska faces the challenge of breaking through the heavy hitters like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Azarenka. Meanwhile, Simona Halep, who has a similar skill set to Radwanska, is younger and ranked higher.
Radwanska turns 26 in March. Navratilova knows how to win titles. Can she teach that to Radwanska?
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Kei Nishikori
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Kei Nishikori broke into the top five in 2014. His run to the U.S. Open final propelled him into the conversation of "Next Big Thing."
However, for every big step forward Nishikori took, he hobbled a few steps back. His durability is the biggest question mark. He turns 25 in a few days and can no longer be considered an up-and-comer.
Nishikori has reached a pivotal time in his career. He will either find a way to toughen up and survive the grind or stumble right out of the top 10.
Sabine Lisicki
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Sabine Lisicki holds the record for the fastest serve, 131 mph, in the history of women's tennis. She upset Serena Williams at Wimbledon to reach her first Grand Slam final last year. With a killer serve and powerful groundstrokes, it's puzzling that she ranked No. 26.
Given the eye test, Lisicki looks like she could win a Slam. She turned 25 in September, so there is time to turn things around. She brought on Martina Hingis as consultant/coach last year. They split right before Wimbledon.
Lisicki has to get it together now or just be content with playing occasional spoiler.
Andy Murray
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Andy Murray looked impressive in his late-season surge. After a disappointing return from minor back surgery, Murray found himself parked outside the top five and on the verge of missing the ATP World Tour Championships.
He mounted a charge to make it to the tournament and then tanked faster than the Titanic.
After an up-and-down year, Murray has to steady the ship. He deserves credit for standing up to critics who called for him to ditch his coach Amelie Mauresmo.
However, the pressure will be on. This will test his resolve and relationship with his coach. Another sluggish season and Mauresmo is history.
If Murray fails to reestablish himself in the big four, his Grand Slam-winning days could be finished as well.
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