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
Wimbledon, Schwimbledon. I’ll take Serena’s win at the Australian Open. She had as tough a draw as you can expect in a WTA event, capped by a win over the resurgent Justine Henin in the final.
Worst of 2010
At Madrid, Serena struggled mightily to overcome Vera Dushevina in three tiebreak sets, then fell in her next match to Nadia Petrova.
Year in Review
Well, this is going to be a short one, given that Williams played just six tournaments in 2010. (Right after she won Wimbledon, a freak accident in a German restaurant left her with a nasty cut on her left foot, taking her out of commission for the rest of the year and a still undetermined portion of 2011.) But as always, Serena was superb in the big occasions she managed to squeeze into her abbreviated year, winning in Melbourne and at Wimbledon. And it wasn’t as if she had a terrible Roland Garros, either. She lost in the quarters to Sam Stosur, who went on to reach the final.
See for Yourself
Okay, I’m going to get all sentimental here. Cue “The Way We Were,” and check out this low-grade production that reminds us of how it all started:
The Last Word
Have we heard the last word from Serena? She’s fast closing on 30 (a landmark already surpassed by her older sister, Venus), filled out her sturdy frame, coming back from a serious injury and is already a wildly popular sporting icon and celebrity. Where does she get the motivation to lace them up again? From inside, that’s where—from the reservoir that nourishes all great athletes from the very start of their careers. I think Serena still has it in her to win majors (duh!) and expect her to come back, but if the lack of match play and the effects of advancing age catch up with her, it will be interesting to see if she’ll develop an adaptation strategy, or succumb to the temptation to call it a career.
—Peter Bodo