2013 ATP Players of the Year: An Epic Comeback Laps the Field

In 2013, the ATP's "multi-headed monster" once again saw three different men lift grand slam singles trophies. But, in the end, one man proved to be head-and-shoulders above the field.

**2013 PLAYERS-OF-THE-YEAR**
1. Rafael Nadal, ESP
...hard as it is to fathom now, at the start of 2013 there was a legitimate question about just how much Rafa had left after his latest extended layoff (7 months) related to his lingering knee issues. Of course, hindsight being 20/20, I guess we should have known that he'd have his best season EVER. All he did when he returned was reach nine straight clay finals and complete the fourth four-peat at Roland Garros in his career. After a quick exit on the grass at Wimbledon, he swept through the hard court season, winning both the U.S. Open Series and U.S. Open, matching Serena Williams (who'd just set the standard) with the biggest single event prize money purse in professional tennis history. In all, Nadal won ten titles and survived a late surge by Novak Djokovic to finish with his third year-end #1 ranking, gaining substantial ground on Mr. Federer in the "Greatest of All Time" debate.
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2. Novak Djokovic, SRB
...over the course of the season, Djokovic was outshined by Nadal, who stole away with both his #1 ranking and his long-desired first title at Roland Garros (taking down the Serb in an epic semifinal, 9-7 in the 5th). While Djokovic split his six meetings with Nadal in '13, he was 0-2 against the Spaniard in the slams, and lost the Wimbledon final to Andy Murray, as well. Still, he began and ended the season playing his best tennis. A 16-0 start included a third straight Australian Open crown, while his 24-0 close was highlighted by a win over Nadal (in their record 39th meeting) in the World Tour Finals championship match.
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3. Bob & Mike Bryan, USA
...American men's singles tennis might be at low tide, but the Bryans managed to put together their best-ever season in doubles at age 35. The twins' seventh year-end co-#1 season was bolstered by eleven titles, five (of 9) Masters 1000 wins, and slam crowns in Melbourne, Paris and London, giving them four straight major titles (as well as Olympic Gold). They just missed out on a Grand Slam when they lost in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.
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4. Andy Murray, GBR
...the Scot finally knocked down the door at the All-England Club, becoming the first British man to win at SW19 since Fred Perry in 1936. Thing is, though, Murray's season pretty much ended right there, as he never put up another SF-or-better performance, was ousted in the QF of his U.S. Open title defense and then missed the remainder of the season after deciding to undergo back surgery. On the whole, Murray put up four titles, reached another slam final in Melbourne and finished at #4. With the big British tennis monkey now off his back, he'll return in 2014 without the same sort of career pressure. But will he have the same desire? We'll see.
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5. David Ferrer, ESP
...at 31, Ferrer is another thirtysomething who had a career year. The Spaniard won just two titles (in nine finals), but he reached his first career slam final at Roland Garros and finshed the year at a career-best #3. He was showing the fatigue of a long season in 2013's closing months, though he did get an indoor win over Rafa in Paris, but it can never erase the "feel good" of all that had come before.
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6. Juan Martin del Potro, ARG
...at times this season, the Argentine looked like his old forehand-thudding, U.S. Open-winning self from 2009. Almost. Del Potro won four titles, notched wins over Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, and put up his best slam result (Wimbledon SF) since he won in NYC four years ago. He couldn't quite carry it out to the end of the season, though, following up a good North American hard court Open lead-up (3rd in the USO Series) with a 2nd Round loss in Flushing Meadows, and then he ended '13 by (literally) getting mugged and noticeably losing his on-court focus in the WTF in the immediate aftermath. JMDP may never regain the momentum and wild potential he had before his wrist injury set his career back multiple seasons, but he's finally escaped the pit of despair of a "lost career" that shadowed him in recent seasons. The good news: he still has time to get back even more, and possibly win a second major title.
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7. Alexander Peya & Bruno Soares, AUT/BRA
...the most consistent doubles duo not named Bryan, the Austrian/Brazilian pair won a tour second-best five titles on three different surfaces. They failed to come out on top on the biggest stages, though, twice losing in semis to the Bryans (RG/WTF) and in the U.S. Open final (to Paes/Stepanek).
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8. Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
...for a bit, it looked like Wawrinka might just have a shot to be the HIGHEST-ranked Swiss man on the ATP Tour in 2013. That didn't happen, but the 28-year old had his best year-end ranking (#8, five better than his '08 finish) and reached best-ever late-season semifinals at the U.S. Open and World Tour Finals.
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9. Tommy Haas, GER
...the 35-year old German scrambled back into relevance this season, winning two titles and briefly holding a Top 10 ranking (he finished at #12). A quarterfinalist at Roland Garros, Haas' Miami win over Djokovic made him the oldest man to defeat a reigning world #1 in thirty years.
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10. Roger Federer, SUI
...have we seen the last of The Fed, or at least anything that resembles the master who once turned entire matches into tutorials for opponents about how top play the sport? After a semifinal at the Australian Open, it was a pretty forgettable year for Federer. He won just one title (on the grass in Halle), his lowest number since he won his first in 2001, saw his 36-slam QF string snapped by Sergiy Stakhovsky in the 2nd Round of Wimbledon and failed to reach a slam final for the first time since 2002. A lingering back injury, a too-heavy schedule, and the loss of the "aura" that once gave him a set advantage in a match before the first ball had even been struck, Federer had to fight late in the season to avoid missing the WTF for the first time since he became "Roger Federer." For a bit, it even looked as if countryman Stan Wawrinka might surpass him in the rankings. Federer lost seventeen times in '13, three more than he lost when he was the solid #1 from 2004-06 COMBINED. He managed to slip no lower than #6 in the final rankings, but Federer just might be finished as a slam contender. Ah, but that's been said before, only to see Federer prove the skeptics wrong. Thing is, Time is now in the corner opposite him, and at 32 he might not be able to do much about it. Just as Pete Sampras' reign as the all-time men's slam title leader was a short one, so might be Federer's, as Nadal finds himself suddenly just four behind his total of seventeen. So, considering Nadal's (likely) sure-to-pop-up-again knee condition, one more slam title just might be the sort of cushion that might keep Fed atop the rankings for a very long time. Can he get it? His (liberal) window might be the next two seasons. If he really is to make a final case as the "greatest ever," he might just need it.
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RISER: Milos Raonic, CAN
NEW FACES: Grigor Dimitrov, BUL & Jerzy Janowicz, POL
SURPRISES: Vasek Pospisil, CAN & Canadian Davis Cup Team
VETERAN: Tommy Robredo, ESP
COMEBACK: Lleyton Hewitt, AUS
DOUBLES SPECIALIST (MD/MX): Max Mirnyi, BLR
TEAM: Czech Davis Cup Team
JUNIOR STAR: Christian Garin, CHI
DOWN: U.S. Davis Cup Team

*A "BAKER'S DOZEN" OF TOP PERFORMANCES*
1. Andy Murray wins Wimbledon, ends Britain's 77-year title drought

2. Rafael Nadal dominates (again) on clay, winning eighth Roland Garros crown
3. At Wimbledon, the Bryan twins win a fourth straight slam title
4. Novak Djokovic three-peats at the Australian Open

5. Novak Djokovic wins Monte Carlo, ending Nadal's eight-year run
6. Rafael Nadal dominates on hard court, sweeping the U.S. Open Series and U.S. Open titles
5. Novak Djokovic def. Juan Martin del Potro in 4:43, longest-ever SF at Wimbledon
7. Rafael Nadal def. Novak Djokovic in 4:30+ Roland Garros semifinal, winning a 9-7 5th set
8. Novak Djokovic wins third ATP World Tour Finals title, ends season on 24-match winning streak
9. Horacio Zeballos stuns Nadal to win Vina del Mar final
10. Jerzy Janowicz & Lukasz Kubot face off at Wimbledon to become first Polish man to reach the semifinals
11. At Roland Garros, Tommy Robredo becomes the first man since 1927 to win three consecutive slam matches after being down two sets to none
12. Rafael Nadal wins Indian Wells, his first hard court title since 2010
13. The Czechs defend their Davis Cup title, becoming just the second (ESP 2008-09) repeat champions in the past fifteen years

*UPSETS!*
At Wimbledon, Steve Darcis def. Nadal (1st Rd., after 34-0 in slam 1st Rounds) and Sergiy Stakhovsky def. Federer (2nd Rd., ending 36-slam QF streak)

*A LOWLIGHT*
Bernard Tomic's father arrested for assault on hitting partner

*A BREAKOUT... times 2*
In Madrid, Grigor Dimitrov defeats Novak Djokovic, is "outed" by photographers while out on town with new girlfriend Maria Sharapova


*2013 ATP FINALS*
14...Rafael Nadal, ESP (10-4)
9...Novak Djokovic, SRB (7-2)
9...David Ferrer, ESP (2-7)
6...Juan Martin del Potro, ARG (4-2)
5...Andy Murray, GNR (4-1)
4...Milos Raonic, CAN (2-2)
4...John Isner, USA (2-2)
4...Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI (1-3)
3...Richard Gasquet, FRA (3-0)
3...Fabio Fognini, ITA (2-1)
3...Tommy Haas, GER (2-1)
3...Mikhail Youzhny, RUS (2-1)
3...Roger Federer, SUI (1-2)
3...Philipp Kohlschreiber, GER (1-2)
3...Kevin Anderson, RSA (0-3)
3...Tomas Berdych, CZE (0-3)


All for now.

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