What's Next? ATP No. 9, Janko Tipsarevic

Throughout the next four weeks, our What's Next? series will look at every player who finished in the ATP or WTA Top 10 this season, and consider their future in three different ways.

Although his title production dropped by 50 percent this year (from two to one), Tipsarevic did a terrific job demonstrating that he’s capable of playing Top 10 quality tennis over an extended period. This guy is thoroughly professional when it comes to the most fundamental task of all: Getting the most out of your talent.

Tipsarevic can be an electric shotmaker who hits a clean, relatively flat ball. And he’s benefitted enormously from the example set by his Serbian countryman, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. In fact, Tipsarevic has said that the success of Djokovic more-or-less shamed him into performing due diligence, and recognizing that he wasn’t working hard enough to get the most out of his game.  

The challenge for Tipsarevic is that, were he a prize fighter, he’d be a middleweight battling into the top, heavyweight division. His serve is vulnerable to the good returner and he has no big weapon with which to dominate and overrun an opponent.  

Best Case Scenario: Tisparevic gets a little more aggressive on his service returns, and improves his ability to hit outright winners based on clever use of the court space if not outright power. His mental discipline enables him to stay with and eventually wear down some of the bigger, stronger guys ranked ahead of him (e.g. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych).

Worst Case Scenario: It’s tough to keep playing at the outer edge of your comfort zone, especially if you’re trying to raise your game to the next level. There’s a definite mental and emotional strain that comes with that territory. If Tipsarevic chooses to be more aggressive and/or begins to play with less patience, he could pay a heavy price.

Australian Open Outlook: Tipsarevic has never reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, and it’s not like he’s had terrible draws. He has a good game for that outdoor hard-court surface, and his level of fitness is an asset in the heat. In 2008, Tisparevic played Roger Federer in the third round and lost 10-8 in the fifth set. This may be his year to play up to his potential in Melbourne.

More What's Next?

**- ATP No. 10, Richard Gasquet

- WTA No. 10, Caroline Wozniacki<em>*  

- ATP No. 9, Janko Tipsarevic
- WTA No. 9, Sam Stosur
*- ATP No. 8, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

- WTA No. 8, Petra Kvitova**  

- ATP No. 7, Juan Martin del Potro
- WTA No. 7, Li Na
- ATP No. 6, Tomas Berdych
- WTA No. 6, Sara Errani