10 ATP Players Who May Steal Grand Slams from Nadal and Federer in 2011
It's no secret who ruled tennis in 2010.
Together, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal won all four Grand Slam events. Along the way, they added more fuel to the Federer vs. Nadal debate and really made you wonder how long it will be before someone else wins a Grand Slam event.
On one hand, you have to figure that Federer is closing in on the end of his dominance and that Nadal's violent playing style will keep the injuries piling up. On the other hand, the duo looked as unbeatable as ever in 2010.
Let's take a look at some top contenders who could pull Grand Slams out from under their noses. That is, if these two allow it.
Andy Murray
1 of 10
It feels like tennis fans have been waiting decades for Andy Murray to take the next step and become a Grand Slam winner. In reality, the young man from Scotland is merely 23-years-of-age and may have his best tennis in front of him.
Murray put together a strong finish to 2010, including a win in the Shanghai Rolex Masters. He began working with Alex Corretja late in 2010 and plans to keep Corretja at least through the early part of the 2011 season. I don't think it's a coincidence that Murray's best tennis was played after bringing in the new coach.
Murray's best chance to grab a Grand Slam is likely the season-opening Australian Open. He logged his second Grand Slam final last season at the Aussie, and his best surface is hard court. On top of all that, both Federer and Nadal played very long seasons. Exhibition matches for the both of them dragged their seasons on into late December.
Novak Djokovic
2 of 10
A solid, consistent 2010 season firmly placed Djokovic as the No. 3 player behind Federer and Nadal. He won two singles titles in 2010, but it was his performance in the US Open that really turned heads. Not only did he reach the finals of that Grand Slam, but he did it by defeating Federer in a thrilling semifinal match.
Like Murray, he'll have a good shot at the Australian Open. His best surface is hard courts. His history of wearing down as the season rolls on is an issue later in the Grand Slam calendar. In 2010, his lengthy Davis Cup run probably kept him from winning more tournaments. There were several instances where he simply looked exhausted during particularly bad losses.
If he avoids the wear and tear in the summer months, we might see Novak take the next step at the US Open. By that point, Djokovic might actually be looking to win his second major of the season.
Robin Soderling
3 of 10
Soderling is one of a few players that continually puts together solid, consistent seasons, but yet leave you wanting more. Case in point, Soderling finished the 2010 season ranked fifth in the ATP rankings. He won two singles events and was in the finals of three other events. He plays well on all surfaces, giving him at least a puncher's chance at winning any tournament he enters.
It's one of those three runner-up finishes in 2010 that will stick with Soderling and tennis fans, for better or worse. Soderling was the runner-up at Roland Garros at the French Open.
Playing well on clay is a big advantage when looking to win tournaments. Outside of Rafael Nadal, there are few players that could be described as clay court aces. If Nadal were to somehow falter early in the French Open or if he were to miss the tournament altogether, it would leave the tournament largely wide open.
The fact that we are dealing with such intricate hypothetical situations gives you an idea of how likely this scenario is, though.
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Tomas Berdych
4 of 10
If I had seen Berdych on any list like this prior to the end of the 2010 season, I would have laughed it off and took it as some kind of joke. Berdych was a serial underachiever who specialized in letting you down just as soon as you thought he was ready to take off.
In a way, you could say that Berdych still hasn't taken the next step. He didn't take home any singles tournament titles in the 2010 season. To the fan that really follows the game closely, though, you could see a difference in Berdych's game.
In 2010, he reached his first Grand Slam final, with a runner-up finish at Wimbledon. He also finished with his highest season-end ranking by far by finishing sixth in points. He also plays reasonably well on all surfaces.
In short, Berdych has many of the signs of a late-bloomer. He made a big jump in 2010 after an extended plateau in his career. Not only did he reach more finals in 2010, but they were in major tournaments such as Wimbledon and the Masters 1000 Series event in Miami. If Berdych continues this climb, he could find himself as a first-time Grand Slam winner in 2011.
Fernando Verdasco
5 of 10
There's no doubting the raw talent in Fernando Verdasco. By all accounts, the lefty from Spain is one of the most talented players on the tour. It's always been his style that has kept him from winning on the grandest stages. Verdasco plays an all or nothing game that allows him to win scintillating points, but it's also that excitable style that loses him matches. Any disciplined player knows that to beat Verdasco, you play a conservative style and wait for Fernando to beat himself.
The question then becomes whether or not Verdasco is willing to alter his playing style to give himself a better chance to win major tournaments. One would assume that eventually he would put it all together and play a more complete game. If he hasn't done it by now, though, will he ever?
What Verdasco has going for him is that he is so supremely talented that he might be able to win a Grand Slam event without changing his style. It's entirely possible that he has the best two tennis weeks of his life and hits every ball square and wins a Grand Slam.
Andy Roddick
6 of 10
What list of possible surprise Grand Slam winners would be complete without the inclusion of Andy Roddick? This one certainly wouldn't be.
The gritty warrior from Omaha, Nebraska is coming off another frustrating year. To many, 2010 was to be the year that Roddick got that elusive second Grand Slam victory. He had rededicated himself to getting into top shape and was working hard with coach Larry Stefanki on becoming a more complete player.
Roddick grabbed an early tournament victory in Brisbane and played well in his quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open. Then came a shoulder injury. He recovered to show well in the two Masters 1000 Series events in the US during the spring with a win and a runner-up finish. As it turned out, that was really the last time we saw Roddick in top form. The injuries continued to pile up and so did disappointing Grand Slam finishes.
Roddick is nearing the end of his career. Roddick has said as much in recent interviews he has done. He can certainly hear the clock ticking. Nothing proved this more than Roddick committing to play for the US Davis Cup team in 2011. He clearly wants to make the most of his last years in tennis. What better way than to pick up another Grand Slam title?
Marin Cilic
7 of 10
Cilic is likely the best example of the model tennis player of today and in the future. By that I mean he is a jack of all trades and a master of none. He plays on all surfaces pretty well, doesn't have any huge holes in his game and is a consistent performer all throughout the season.
His biggest asset, his consistent and well-rounded game, may well end up being his biggest flaw when trying to win a Grand Slam event. In each tournament, you run into certain players that are playing on their best surface or in their optimal conditions. With Cilic, it's tough for him to overcome those types of players.
That being said, he is still a very talented player. He won two singles events in 2010 and made his first Grand Slam semifinal in the Australian Open. He was ranked as high as ninth in the ATP rankings. His best game may not be good enough to beat every player, but his game is certainly good enough to beat just about anyone if his opponent overlooks or isn't on his game.
Juan Martin Del Potro
8 of 10
It's easy to forget about Juan Martin Del Potro. After all, his 2010 was a wash, and he ended the season ranked 258. His injured wrist bothered him all season and kept him out of action until he entered some smaller tournaments after the US Open.
Let's not forget that prior to the 2010 season, it was all but assumed that Del Potro was the heir apparent to the tennis throne thanks to Federer's signs of aging and Nadal's extensive injury history. He had just come off winning the US Open and was looking to win more in 2010.
Surely, there will still be a lot of rust when Del Potro returns full time in 2011. I would imagine that he will be well into his 2011 schedule before he really feels comfortable on the court again.
Players would be foolish to overlook him, though. Del Potro is still a physical specimen, and he will be hungry to prove that he is still an elite player.
Nikolay Davydenko
9 of 10
Like Soderling, Davydenko is a solid veteran who has struggled to take the step into tennis' elite. In 2009, Davydenko won five ATP events, including the Shanghai Masters and the ATP World Finals. He also had a way of winning tournaments when he was given the chance. Davydenko won every singles final that he was in during that 2009 season. Choke was not a word in his vocabulary.
Entering 2010, Davydenko was a sleeper favorite for the Australian Open. He didn't come through in Melbourne, and in hindsight, that was a pretty good harbinger of things to come.
The good news was that Davydenko again won every singles final match he was in. The problem was that he was only involved in one.
Tennis scribes and fans alike would love to see Nikolay come through. As a scrapper who is generously listed at 5'10", Davydenko is someone who is easy to root for. The question going into 2011 is whether 2010 was an aberration or if it is a sign of things to come.
If he returns to his 2009 form, he has as good a chance as any to unseat Federer and Nadal. If he is in his 2010 form, you can all but remove him from this list.
David Ferrer
10 of 10
David Ferrer quietly put up one of the best years of any player on the tour in 2010. He finished the season ranked seventh in the ATP rankings, won two singles events and was runner-up in three other events.
He probably holds the title of the player most likely to unseat Nadal on the clay at Roland Garros. As Nadal's countryman, he knows Rafa's game well. He is also one of the top clay court players on the tour in his own right.
Even though he is now 28-years-of-age, Ferrer's career is trending the right way. He has won seven singles events over the last three years, and he set a personal best with three runner-up finishes in 2010. He seems like a guy who is learning more and more how to play smart, winning tennis. He isn't a flashy name or someone who comes to mind when you think of top players on the tour. However, he is a guy that opposing players can't overlook, particularly when playing on clay.
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