The power, the athleticism, the inside-out forehand: It had all been there for years, but as those years went on, it began to seem less and less likely that Sam Stosur would ever learn to harness it. The Aussie had languished, titleless, in the mid-double-digits in the rankings for five years; she made her name primarily as a doubles specialist. But it all came together for the 26-year-old in 2010. She cracked the Top 10 for the first time in March and was the woman to beat during the clay-court season, which she capped with a trip to her first Grand Slam final, in Paris. A heavy favorite, she was overwhelmed by an inspired Francesca Schiavone in that match. But while Stosur stood in a daze on the trophy stand afterward—she looked like she didn’t know what had just hit her—she must also have realized that she had still scaled heights it once appeared she would never even approach.
Originally published in the November/December 2010 issue of TENNIS.
2010 Aces & Faults
—Sock Hopping: Sock goes from high school to pros
—After the Hype, Miller Doesn't Bode Well: Skier tries tennis, again
—Booted: The story of Serena's injured foot
—Match of the Year: The Isner-Mahut Wimbledon epic
—Unwelcome Milestones: American mens' struggles
—Gone...And Back Again: Querrey's quick turnaround
—Swimming the Channel: Rafa does the clay-grass double
—Biggest Disappointment: Dinara Safina
—All in a Day's Work: Blake's beef with Shriver
—Coach of the Year: Hernan Gumy
—Seizing the Clay: Schiavone's unlikely title run
—Struck Out: Soderling ends Federer's semifinal streak
—Comeback, Interrupted: Henin's return cut short
—Wayne's Shame: Odesnik caught with HGH
—Dee Worst, Judge Says: The world's worst player
—Most Improved: Sam Stosur
—Player of the Year: Rafael Nadal
—Newcomer of the Year: Larry Ellison