THE PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS SUMMER...

INTRODUCING THE TOP 5 WOMEN

DINARA SAFINA

French Open runner up 2008, Australian Open runner up 2009.
No longer just viewed as the younger sister of former men’s No.1 Marat Safin, she moved to the top of the women’s world rankings in April. Strong and forceful from the baseline, the 23 year-old from Moscow collected the silver as Russia made a clean sweep of the singles medals at last year’s Olympicsbut admits grass is her least favourite surface.

SERENA WILLIAMS

Wimbledon champion 2002, ’03. Australian Open champion 2003, ’05, ‘07, ’09. French Open champion 2002. US Open champion 1999, 2002, ’08. Wimbledon runner up 2004, ’08. US Open runner up 2001.
The world rankings may have regularly suggested something else but few would dare to argue as this 27 year-old maintains she has been the best female player in the world for most of this century. Fiercely powerful, she and her sister have taken the female game to new boundaries, while also making forays into the spheres of fashion and acting.

VENUS WILLIAMS

Wimbledon champion 2000, ’01, ’05, ‘07, ’08. US Open champion 2000, ’01. Wimbledon runner up 2002, ’03. Australian Open runner up 2003. French Open runner up 2002. US Open runner up 1997, 2002.
Now just a year away from her 30th birthday, this will be her 13th Wimbledon and only Martina Navratilova (9) and Steffi Graf (7) have won the singles title more times in the Open era. Now a statesperson for women’s tennis as well as a player, she was heralded by Billie Jean King as the current day leader of the female game.

JELENA JANKOVIC

US Open runner up 2008.
Hugely extrovert and immensely talented, this 24 year-old was born in Belgrade but schooled in tennis by the same Floridian academy that propelled Andre Agassi and Monica Seles to stardom. She may be a former mixed doubles champion at Wimbledon but will be frustrated by three successive fourth round finishes in the ladies’ singles.

MARIA SHARAPOVA

Wimbledon champion 2004, US Open champion 2006, Australian Open champion 2008. Australian Open runner up 2007.
Still the cover girl of world sport despite her presence being sorely missed on the women’s tour for more than eight months because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. The American-based Russian is still only 22 years-old but there is much conjecture of whether she can recapture her former lofty presence in the game.

ONE TO WATCH

SABINE LISICKI

Germany has been yearning for a top flight women’s star since Steffi Graf retired ten years ago and the nation just might have found it in this 19 year-old. A strong serve is a massive weapon on grass and Sabine regularly propels hers’ in excess of 120mph to prove herself as strong as anyone on the women’s tour. A first ever title at April’s $1 million Charleston, North Carolina event proved her point.

AND THE TOP 5 MEN...

RAFAEL NADAL

French Open champion 2005, ’06, ’07,’08, Wimbledon champion 2008. Australian Open champion 2009. Wimbledon runner up 2006, ‘07.
The 23 year-old from the island of Majorca has long been revered as one of the greatest ever clay court players but last year’s titles at Queen’s and Wimbledon showed his brilliance on grass. He moved to the world No.1 spot last August after winning the Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

ROGER FEDERER

Wimbledon champion 2003, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07. Australian Open champion 2004, ’06, 07. US Open champion 2004, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08. Wimbledon runner up 2008, French Open runner up 2006, ’07, ’08. Australian Open runner up 2009.
Despite the disappointments he has suffered at the hands of Nadal, beating Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam titles still figures prominently in the mind
of the 27 year-old Swiss who spent 237 consecutive weeks as the world No.1. Going into 2009, he has been victorious in at least one major event for the previous six years.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Australian Open champion 2008. US Open runner up 2007.
Together with women’s players Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, this 22 year-old is at the forefront of the exciting wave of players who have established Serbia as a tennis nation. Last year’s Wimbledon saw him lose prematurely in the second round but he was runner up at Queen’s Club.

ANDY MURRAY

US Open runner up 2008.
Second only to Nadal in amassing ATP tour titles last year, the 22 year-old Scot continued the trend in 2009. Last September in New York he became the first
British player to appear in a Grand Slam final since Greg Rusedski 11 years earlier and by March had already won as many titles as Tim Henman did throughout his entire career.

ANDY RODDICK

US Open champion 2003. Wimbledon runner up 2004, ’05. US Open runner up 2006.
The world’s fastest server is now 26 years old and intent on improving an exemplary record at Queen’s Club that has seen him lift the cup four times. Fitter and lighter than he was a year ago, new coach Larry Stefanki is confident British fans haven’t yet seen the best of the American.

ONE TO WATCH

GRIGOR DIMITROV

If the promise of this strapping 18 year-old is anything to go by, Bulgaria will be the next emergent Eastern European nation. A year ago he won the Wimbledon junior
singles title without dropping a set, despite suffering from an injured shoulder. He is currently coached by the Swede Peter Lundgren, who used to fulfil a similar job with Federer and declares: “This kid he is better than Roger was at his age.”