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
It was another roller-coaster ride in the Serb’s career. It rolled to its peak late, in October, when she won her first tournament in 19 months after being a late entry in Linz. And she did it without dropping a set.
Worst of 2010
There were a number of embarrassing lows, but the nadir came at the French Open, a tournament she had won three years before. This time Ana went down in the second round to Alisa Kleybanova. She couldn’t get a game in the second set.
Year in Review
Ivanovic hired Heinz Gunthardt and, after a long struggle, the partnership appeared to have dug her game out of the ditch by October. By the end of that month, though, she had split with Gunthardt. Still, she ended the season inside the Top 20, which would have seemed far-fetched just three months earlier.
See for Yourself
Ivanovic winning her first tournament in 19 months, in Linz:
The Last Word
Ivanovic showed a couple things this year: First, that she has the desire and persistence to plug away despite hard times; second, that she can still win. Unfortunately, she also showed that she has trouble sticking with coaches. Now the question is: Will all the work with Gunthardt go out the window when 2011 begins?
—Steve Tignor