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
The man from Le Mans was untested in going the distance until this season. He won the first five-setter of his career against Nicolas Almagro at the Australian Open, 9-7 in the fifth, and followed that up with a five-set win over Novak Djokovic before bowing to Roger Federer in the semis.
Worst of 2010
Tsonga loves the big stage, but the stars of the ATP mostly overshadowed him. He posted a 1-5 record vs. Top 10 opponents this year, winning just one set in those defeats.
Year in Review
Showing all-surface fluency, Tsonga was a Wimbledon quarterfinalist, reached the fourth round of Roland Garros and made the semis in Melbourne. He also reached the quarterfinals of Rome, Miami and Shanghai. Along with Davis Cup teammate Michael Llodra, Tsonga is one of the few Top 50 players capable of playing successful serve-and-volley tennis, and when he’s connecting on his first serve, his aggressive style can take opponents out of their comfort zone. A left knee injury suffered at Wimbledon sidelined Tsonga for the entire U.S. hardcourt season. The explosive Frenchman returned in October, posting a 5-4 record before a recurrence of the knee injury forced him out of Paris and the Davis Cup final.
See for Yourself
Tsonga reached the Australian Open semis for the second time in three years, but often found himself reduced to spectator status against Federer:
The Last Word
There are several questions confronting Tsonga, but the primary one is this: Can he stay healthy for an entire season? Tsonga moves well for a big man but has been beaten up by lower-body injuries—the same that plagued Mark Philippoussis, another talent with immense upper-body strength. Will Tsonga, like Philippoussis, combat injury issues his entire career? His left knee injury this season came two years after right knee surgery.
—Richard Pagliaro