Novak Djokovic and 10 Men's Tennis Players Who Are Still Getting Better

A tennis player can always improve, regardless age or level, so long as he or she is committed to it.

Although it is easier to see players improving at earlier stages of their careers, there have been examples lately of players getting better in their late 20s or even 30s.

Players like Pete Sampras and especially Andre Agassi, may have set examples of how important it is to work even harder when one is in the second half of his or her career, in order to make up for the inevitable natural decline, particularly on the physical side.

The following list is an attempt to analyze who, among the men, is still getting better as a tennis player, no matter how high he is ranked or how old he is.

10. Ryan Harrison

Ryan Harrison is only 19 years old and is No. 79 in the world.

He has the edge among the next American players expected to step up as great ones.

Harrison has been publicly complimented by Patrick McEnroe and Jim Courier on his work ethics and his strong personality on the court, which should be the springboard to his success.

9. Bernard Tomic

The 18-year-old Australian currently holds his best ranking as No. 44 in the world.

The highlight of his career is reaching the quarterfinal on the grass of Wimbledon in 2011—his favorite surface.

Tomic’s style of play is unique, in the sense that it goes against the major trend in the modern game of hitting hard and finishing points with big forehands. Bernard would rather work the ball around, change speed and go for angles—much like Andy Murray’s cat-and-mouse type of game.

Regardless of a few controversies due to his cocky attitude, which could be either good or bad for him, Bernard is considered a promising young player and can make tennis more interesting if he really breaks through.

8. Thomaz Bellucci

Thomaz Bellucci didn’t have a good second half of 2011 after reaching the semifinal in the Masters 1000 of Madrid where he beat And Murray and Tomas Berdych, and came close to taking Novak Djokovic out.

He consistently improved his year-end ranking for six consecutive seasons until 2010. In 2011, he started inside the top 40, where he is also finishing.

Bellucci is young, talented and takes his profession very seriously and this should take him a long way.

7. Kevin Anderson

Kevin Anderson is another big serving player who can also play consistently from the baseline.

This underrated South African is 25 years old and has been improving his ranking since 2009.

Anderson had a successful tennis college career and is currently No. 32 in the ATP and has the type of game that can take anyone out in a given day.

6. Milos Raonic

Milos Raonic's performance in 2011 guaranteed him the Rookie Of the Year award.

The young and big-serving Canadian started the year in top form, reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, following it up by capturing the title in San Diego and by going all the way to the final in Memphis.

He is only 20 years old and should become a great player.

5. Kei Nishikori

Nishikori is only 21 years old and finishes 2011 as No. 25 in the world.

He was named the newcomer of the year in 2008, when he won Del Rey Beach.

The highlight of his career was in Basel this year, where he beat Novak Djokovic and reached the final, losing to Roger Federer.

The Japanese player is a very versatile, as he has reached finals on clay, hard and indoor hard courts.

His best years are definitely still ahead of him.

4. John Isner

John Isner is getting better each year ever since he joined the ATP tour after leaving college.

He is a big-serving player, who developed a consistent baseline game that is not usual on tall guys like himself, due to their higher center of gravity.

As he matures even more as a player, he will get better and could finish next season among the top 10 tennis players in the world.

3. Juan Martin del Potro

Del Potro is one of the greatest ball strikers of the game, hitting the ball flat and deep as no one else.

After having to miss most of the 2010 season due to wrist injury, right after establishing himself as one of the greatest by winning the US Open in 2009, the Argentine is back and finished 2011 as the 11th best tennis player in the world.

He is young and committed, in addition to having the fighting spirit peculiar to players from his country. Del Potro will only get better and is a candidate to break through the top four next year.

2. Mardy Fish

Mardy Fish is the perfect example of how sacrifice and hard work can pay off.

The American reached a point in his career, in his late 20s, in which he had to choose between putting in extra yards or retirement.

He went with the first option, lost weight and committed to taking his game to the next level.

In addition, he is showing signs of motivation that can only lead us to believe he will continue to improve and has at least two more years of performing at the top level.

1. Novak Djokovic

Obviously, Novak Djokovic showed great improvement in 2011 by taking over the top spot in the ranking and dethroning Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who had dominated the sport in the past decade.

No one demonstrated willingness and competence to improve as the Serbian did.

If he keeps himself injury free, he can definitely get even better and increase his dominance in 2012.