Stephane Robert enjoys career best year at age 36

Stephane Robert is a name you may not have heard often. The Frenchman turned 36 this year, and after turning pro in 2001, he cracked the Top 50 for the first time in October.

Robert is the second oldest ATP player inside the Top 100 (behind 37-year-old Ivo Karlovic).

"I started to be a professional when I was 21," Robert said. "But I had a lot of things to change. It takes time." He added that he didn't feel entirely ready until he was 30.

He finishes 2016 at No. 54. His second-highest year-end ranking was No. 108 back in 2009.

Robert has bounced back and forth between the ATP Challenger circuit and the ATP Tour (winning 14 ITF Pro Circuit Futures titles, seven Challenger titles and reaching one ATP final in 2010).

He finally found some rhythm this season. He qualified and reached the third round of the Australian Open (where he lost to compatriot Gael Monfils), and also reached the semifinals in Hamburg and Moscow.

"He's playing very free, so it's always tough to find a good solution against him," Monfils said.

"If he has his A game on and its his day, he can basically beat probably 90 percent of the ATP tour," Janko Tipsarevic said.

Unlike plenty of pros who live entirely in airports, tennis courts and hotel rooms, Robert makes a point to explore the cities he's in and enjoy the traveling part of his job. His approach to the grind is as unique as his game.

"I'm so happy for him because he's been working so hard to produce some great tennis," former world No. 5 Henri Leconte said. "He deserves it."