The ATP in 2013...so far

Three 2013 slams. Three singles champions. But who's the "ATP Player of the Year" so far? Ummm, none of the above?

While the WTA tour has mostly been dominated by Serena Williams, three different women have still been crowned slam singles champs this season. The same goes with the first half of the season on the men's tour, though no single force has dominated the headlines. We've still seen a "Big 3" leading the pack, though... but the name "Murray" has been substituted for "Federer" in the ATP's triumvirate of power.

All three of the Big 3, version 2.0, have won this year's grandest titles with the maximum of headline-grabbing panache. World #1 Novak Djokovic claimed his third straight Australian Open title in January, becoming the first to three-peat in Melbourne in forty-six years. Then Rafael Nadal re-emerged from a seven-month absence to sweep through the clay season and to his record eighth title at Roland Garros, his fourth straight title in Paris. Of course, then they were both trumped by Andy Murray's ending of Britain's 77-year drought of Wimbledon Gentlemen's champions.

But while any of the three could be ranked #1 at the end of the year, and it will be a spirited and interesting stretch run from now until autumn, none of the trio have had the best half-season in men's tennis so far in '13. No, there is another.

Well, actually there are two.

**HALF-WAY PLAYERS-OF-THE-YEAR**
1. Bob & Mike Bryan, USA
...not only are the twins the #1-ranked doubles team in the world, with a tour-best nine-titles in '13, including three Masters 1000 wins and all three grand slams, but they just became the first duo in the Open era to win four straight slams, completing a "Golden Bryans Slam," as the run began with an Olympic Gold last summer in London. The Bryans head to the Open with a shot at the first true single season Grand Slam since 1951.
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2. Andy Murray, GBR
...well, I guess that decision to skip Roland Garros worked out pretty well for Murray, huh? The Scot's four titles are second to only Nadal, and considering his recent slam success one has to wonder if his title in Miami quite possibly might not be the biggest he wins in the U.S. this season. After all, in the last four slams that Murray has played, he's won two ('12 US/'13 Wimb) and been runner-up ('12 Wimb/'13 AO) in both the others, the most consistent results in the Big 3 (or 4). If he can withstand the pressure and win at the All-England Club, why can't he defend at Flushing Meadows?
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3. Rafael Nadal, ESP
...it'd be easy to say that Rafa has only put together a remarkable season on clay. But, wait. Remember, he also won in Indian Wells on hard courts. Maybe more remarkable than how easily (save for that SF vs. Djokovic) Nadal completed the second four-peat at RG of his career was how he came back from his seven-month absence due to his knees and proceeded to reach the final (winning seven titles) in all nine events he played before his 1st Round upset at Wimbledon.
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4. Novak Djokovic, SRB
...he's still the world #1, as well as the Aussie Open champ for a third straight year. But the Serb has been topped on the big stage by Nadal in Paris while attempting to complete a Career Grand Slam, and then in London by Murray (and in NYC late last summer, as well). He may be on a collision course with the Scot in the Open final, as well, as the two men add another chapter to the latest two-to-tango-for-supremacy match-up on the ATP tour.
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5. David Ferrer, ESP
...at 31, Ferrer has been having the best stretch of her career over the past year or so, even if it has been somewhat lost in the shuffle in this loaded era of elite men's players. He's won two titles in '13, and reached the semifinals in Melbourne (he has five SF+ results in his last seven slams) and his first major final at Roland Garros. Of course, even while he's still ranked ahead of Nadal, his countryman's accomplishments have still outdistanced his own, as Ferrer saw Nadal end his 19-match win streak in the Acapulco final and came back from 6-4/4-2 (with Ferrer two points from a win) in a QF match-up in Madrid.
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6. Juan Martin del Potro, ARG
...Djokovic and Murray will the favorites at the U.S. Open, but both will be on the lookout for del Potro. At times in 2013, the Argentine has resembled the player with the thudding forehands that wiped out both Federer and Nadal en route to taking the '09 U.S. Open, the only slam not won by a member of the Big 4 over the thirty-four slams starting with RG in 2005. He's only won in Rotterdam this year, but del Potro dusted off both Djokovic and Murray before pushing Nadal to three sets in the final in Miami. In the Wimbledon semis, he went 4:43 in a five-setter vs. Djokovic, likely serving him up for the Scot in the final two days later. If he's healthy, JMDP could be play the role of Big 3/4 spoiler in NYC all over again.
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7. Tommy Haas, GER
...at 35, Haas embodies the notion that high-level tennis is no longer just a sport only for twentysomethings. The popular German has won a title on clay this season, reached a final on hard court and a semi on grass. After injuries saw him play just twenty-six tour matches in 2010-11, leaving his ranking in the #200's and #300's, Haas climbed back into the Top 10 this year and knocked off #1 Djokovic in Miami.
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8. Alexander Peya & Bruno Soares, AUT/BRA
...the most consistent doubles team without members named Bryan, Peya & Soares have claimed three titles, winning on red clay and grass. Soares also won a title in Auckland with Cory Fleming, and reached the Wimbledon Mixed final with Lisa Raymond.
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9. Roger Federer, SUI
...down to #5 in the rankings, losing uncomfortably easy to Nadal in the Rome final, seeing his 36-slam QF string snapped by Sergiy Stakhovsky in the 2nd Round of Wimbledon and staring at the possibility of his first season without a slam final since 2002, Federer hasn't encountered what he's facing now since, well, since he became "Roger Federer." He did open the season with a semi in Melbourne, and finally won a tournament in Halle right before Wimbledon, the deepest into a season it's ever taken him to win his first title. It's hard to believe that one year ago Federer was the reigning Wimbledon champion and was ranked #1 in the world. He'll turn 32 this summer, so it's possible that we'll never again see a glimpse of what Federer once was. But he IS still Federer, and he has no intention of going away anytime soon. He need only look to 35-year old Haas to see that age is only a number, but Federer's standards are so high it will be increasingly difficult for everyone (including Federer himself) to come to grips with the reality of him possibly existing on tour with a ranking in the bottom half of the Top 10.
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10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA
...the coaching of Roger Rasheed has bumped up Tsonga's results, with RG & Monte Carlo semifinals going with a win in Marseille. But after heading to SW19 following a final four result at Queen's Club, JWT was part of the Black Wednesday massacre at Wimbledon, retiring with a knee injury and missing out on a possible QF match-up with Murray, who'd beaten him in the SW19 semis in '12.
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HM- Richard Gasquet, FRA & Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
...the Frenchman has won a pair of titles, while Wawrinka (1-3) has reached twice as many finals as his "somewhat famous" countryman.
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RISERS: Jerzy Janowicz, POL & Kei Nishikori, JPN
NEW FACES: Bernard Tomic, AUS & Grigor Dimitrov, BUL
SURPRISES: Horacio Zeballos, ARG & Canadian Davis Cup Team
VETERANS: Tommy Robredo, ESP & Feliciano Lopez, ESP
COMEBACKS: Gael Monfils, FRA & Lleyton Hewitt, AUS
JUNIOR STARS: Nick Kyrgios, AUS & Christian Garin, CHI
DOWN...: Roger Federer, SUI & U.S. Davis Cup Team
AND OUT: Mardy Fish, USA & Donald Young, USA

*25 MOMENTS TO REMEMBER*
1. Murray wins Wimbledon, becoming first British winner since 1936
2. Nadal four-peats at Roland Garros, winning title #8 in Paris
3. Bryans complete "Golden Bryans Slam," four straight slams + Olympic Gold
4. Djokovic wins third straight Australian Open
5. Djokovic def. del Potro in 4:43, longest-ever SF at Wimbledon
6. Nadal reaches nine straight finals after seven-month absence
7. Wimbledon upsets: Darcis def. Nadal (1st Rd., after 34-0 in slam 1st Rounds), Stakhovsky def. Federer (2nd Rd., ending 36-slam QF streak)
8. Djokovic def. Nadal in Monte Carlo final, ending his eight-year run as champion
9. Bernard Tomic's father arrested for assault on hitting partner
10. Nadal def. Djokovic in 4:30+ Roland Garros semifinal
11. Zeballos upsets Nadal in Vina del Mar final
12. Nadal wins Indian Wells, his first hard court title since 2010
13. Jerzy Janowicz & Lukasz Kubot face off at Wimbledon to become first Polish man to reach the semifinals
14. Ferrer reaches first career slam final at Roland Garros
15. 35-year old Haas reaches Top 10
16. Robredo becomes first man since 1927 to win three consecutive slam matches after being down two sets to none
17. Del Potro defeats Murray & Del Potro, pushes Nadal to three in Miami final
18. In Madrid, Dimitrov defeats Djokovic, is "outed" by photographers on town with Sharapova
19. Nadal & Federer meet in Rome, tying all-time ATP mark with 20th meeting in a final
20. Team Canada defeats defending champion Spain in 1st Round, reaches Davis Cup semifinals
21. Haas defeats Isner in Roland Garros 3rd Round, winning on 13th match point
22. Federer wins Halle for twelfth career grass court title
23. In Miami, Haas defeats Djokovic, is oldest (35) man to defeat a world #1 in thirty years
24. Djokovic begins season on a 16-match winning streak
25. Cliff Drysdale and Charlie Pasarell are inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame

*2013 ATP FINALS*
9...Rafael Nadal, ESP (7-2)
6...David Ferrer, ESP (2-4)
5...Andy Murray, GNR (4-1)
4...Novak Djokovic, SRB (3-1)
4...Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI (1-3)
2...Richard Gasquet, FRA (2-0)
2...Marin Cilin, CRO (1-1)
2...Juan Martin del Potro, ARG (1-1)
2...Roger Federer, SUI (1-1)
2...Tommy Haas, GER (1-1)
2...Feliciano Lopez, ESP (1-1)
2...Nicolas Almagro, ESP (0-2)
2...Kevin Anderson, RSA (0-2)
2...Tomas Berdych, CZE (0-2)
2...Philipp Kohlschreiber, GER (0-2)


All for now.

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