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 Serb turned back the clock to 2008 in parts of the spring season. After defeating Samantha Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki back-to-back to win Indian Wells, Jankovic reached the final of Rome—beating both Williams sisters in the process—and the semifinals at Roland Garros.
Worst of 2010
Jankovic heads into 2011 on a five-match losing streak. The former world No. 1 lost consecutive matches to then-No. 93 Bojana Jovanovski and then-No. 268—not 26 or 68—Zarina Diyas. She followed up those clunkers with three losses at the Tour Championships in Doha, where she failed to win a single set.
Year in Review
Jankovic suffered through an injury-riddled campaign—she complained of ankle, back and foot issues throughout 2010—and still managed to finish No. 8 in the world. How did she do it? The 25-year-old owes much of her success to her excellent speed and dynamic counterpunching skills. Jankovic’s spring season reaffirmed the fact that she can beat any player in the world; she outplayed Stosur, Wozniacki, Venus and Serena. But for a player who relies on stamina and quickness, even minor injuries can be debilitating. Such was the case of Jankovic, who by season’s end became a prime upset victim. Ultimately, however, the Serb produced enough victories to earn a Top 10 finish for the fourth consecutive year.
See for Yourself
In her shining moment of the season, Jankovic toppled eventual No. 1 Wozniacki in straight sets to win Indian Wells:
The Last Word
The speedster finished No. 8 in what many would consider a down year. If she can return to good health, the former year-end No. 1 could return to the Top 5.
—Brad Kallet