Starting on December 7—the 25th day left in 2010—TENNIS.com will countdown from the year-end No. 25 on both tours with "The Last Word," a look back at the year that was and a look ahead at the season to come. Here's who we've looked at so far.
Best of 2010
Ferrer beat Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Verdasco in Rome to reach his first Masters final (which he lost to Rafael Nadal). But the Spaniard was elated with his late-season title in Valencia, where he resides. "This is one of the happiest days of my career, if not the most," Ferrer said afterward.
Worst of 2010
Ferrer's fine fall play secured him a spot in the World Tour Finals. Then his round-robin results quickly sent him home. He finished the season-ending championships 0-3, without winning a set.
Year in Review
New Yorkers call a submarine sandwich a hero; New Englanders call it a grinder. Both would agree that Ferrer is most certainly the latter. Mr. Five Sets lived up to his name at the Slams, losing at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the final frame, most notably to Verdasco in Queens, 5-7, 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4). But while his indefatigable style can be taxing at the majors, it makes Ferrer a week-to-week threat—he reached 11 semifinals this season, winning Valencia and Acapulco. He finished the year 60-24 and with his highest ranking since 2007, when Ferrer ended the year No. 5.
See for Yourself
In an all-Spanish final, Ferrer defeated Marcel Granollers to win the Valencia Open:
The Last Word
Ferrer may never be viewed as a hero by fans and the media, but his hit-another-shot mentality should be an inspiration to amateur hackers around the world. Recreational players try in vain to play like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Justine Henin—their heroes—but maybe they should take a page from Ferrer's game. It's one we can all learn from.
—Ed McGrogan