Seemingly endowed with a permanent seat at the Top 10 table, Berdych had a 2014 that was very Berdych-like. Consistent as they come, Berdych reached the quarterfinals or better at 13 tournaments, and he rode his big serve and straightforward, powerful groundstrokes to two titles on the indoor hard courts so friendly to his game.
But once again, the former Wimbledon finalist failed to break through at the Grand Slam level. He didn’t crash and burn—three of those quarterfinal-or-better runs came at the Slams—but he missed a golden opportunity at Roland Garros when, with a shot at the semis, he failed to figure out Ernests Gulbis, who had already taken Roger Federer out of the draw.
For all of Berdych’s physical gifts, the lanky Czech has developed a reputation as a headcase. His lopsided records against the game’s elite are telling, and, approaching 30, the time for Berdych’s breakthrough seems to be running short.