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
After a surprising loss to Ivan Ljubicic in the Indian Wells final, Roddick rebounded and won the following week’s Miami Masters. Before defeating Tomas Berdych in the final, Roddick rallied from a set down to topple Rafael Nadal in the semis.
Worst of 2010
Roddick didn’t perform like a Top 10 player at this year’s Slams. Aside from a respectable run to the quarterfinals in Melbourne, Roddick departed every other major sooner than he should have. The American did well to reach the third round of Roland Garros, never his stronghold, but nevertheless lost to Teymuraz Gabashvili in straight sets. He followed that off with an unsightly loss to Yen-Hsun Lu in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Roddick capped off his subpar Slam season with a second-round loss to Janko Tipsarevic in Queens.
Year in Review
By his (and our) high standards, Roddick didn’t have a stellar campaign, but there were still highlights. He didn’t play like an elite player at the Slams, but you can’t dispel his terrific performances in Indian Wells and Miami. Those back-to-back showings prove that when he’s on, Roddick still has the game to beat the best in the world.
On the negative side, Roddick often looked tired and frustrated in 2010. (We excuse him for the bout of mononucleosis.) Simply put, the man hates to lose. Roddick once said that he would consider retirement if he dropped out of the Top 15, which makes you wonder how he might cope—or not—with a drop-off in ability. If the 28-year-old’s game begins suffer sooner than later, you’ll have to question whether his heart will be in it for much longer.
See for Yourself
This clip goes out to all those who still cling to the hope that Roddick will win a second Grand Slam title. It’s vintage Roddick: Lightning-fast serving and electric forehands. His improved backhand and volley, as you’ll see here, was another reason he took home the Miami title.
The Last Word
Roddick will continue to win plenty of matches, but he’ll also have some head-scratching losses. The Austin, TX native fell out of the Top 10 this year for the first time since 2006, and with plenty of wear and tear from last season, expect the top American to have a more elongated stay outside the single digits in 2011.
—Brad Kallet