The 2020 Tennis Spin Awards: Best Comebacks

It's amazing, when you think about it, that in a season as crazy as this one that some particularly talented players were able to find an opportunity to really turn their careers around.

So let's take a moment to celebrate this year's....

These successes didn't happen just because the fields had been thinned out by the unusual circumstances of the year -- they happened in spite of that. Whether it was through toiling away at lower tier events, hitting the courts week after week, or pulling off some major upsets against the sport's biggest stars, these guys really earned their climbs back up the rankings this year.

And here's hoping we see them stay there well into the future.

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The Women

The Winner: Tsvetana Pironkova

To be honest, I didn't even know the 33-year-old Bulgarian had left the game three years ago to have a baby and raise her child. In the early 2010s, Tsvetana Pironkova was one of my favorite underdog stories, beating Marion Bartoli and Venus Williams to reach the semis at Wimbledon at the turn of the decade, and beating Venus again the next year, along with then-#2 Vera Zvonareva. Weirdly, though, she never cracked the top thirty and her only trophy came at Sydney in 2014 where, as a qualifier she beat Sara Errani, Petra Kvitova, and Angelique Kerber one by one.

She was ranked nearly out of the top 150 when she took her leave in 2017 and, in what might have been -- if not for how it turned out -- one of the worst-timed announcements in sports, decided in mid-March she was ready to make her return.

And what a return it was. A wildcard at the 2020 U.S. Open, her first pro event in over three years, she stunned a somewhat ailing but nevertheless on-the-rise Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round. She then went on to take out Donna Vekic and Alizé Cornet, the latter in a blockbuster three-setter, and even grabbed a set off Serena Williams in the quarters.

It was Prionkova's best Major performance since 2016 and her best ever in New York. And it took her from completely unranked to #156 in the world -- not bad for one week's work. She made the third round at Roland Garros too, thanks in part to Serena's withdrawal, but I'd expect her to come into 2021 hungry to move even higher. And if this is what she could do with so little practice, imagine what it'll be like when she really has time to hone her craft.

Worth the wait.

🇧🇬 Tsvetana Pironkova is into the quarters of a Grand Slam after three years away from the sport.@TPironkova | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/royFjmuv79

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2020

Runner-Up: Victoria Azarenka

About a year ago, I made a handful of predictions, some of which at the time felt very far-fetched. One, of course, was that Victoria Azarenka, ranked #50 at the time and without a title in nearly four years, would re-enter the top ten. She seemed determined to prove me wrong at the start of the year, pulling out of the Australian Open, losing her first two matches, and alluding to potential retirement. But then she hit the courts in New York, winning her first title in "Cincy", albeit thanks to a default but also with wins over tough Johanna Konta and Ons Jabeur. And she really impressed at the U.S. Open, roaring to her first win over Serena Williams at a Major to make the final. Solid results at the end of the season helped her finish the year at #14, a bit short of my hopes, but seemingly well on her way to get there soon.

Honorable Mention: Eugenie Bouchard

It sure feels like the heyday for the 26-year-old Canadian is far behind her, but she's certainly putting in the work to prove that's not the case. Ranked outside the top 200 at the start of the year, she played through and failed in qualifying for the Australian Open and dropped her first round at the Oracle Challenger Series in Newport Beach. But her practice during the lockdown seemed to pay off -- she made the quarters in Prague and, while everyone else was focused on the action in the Big Apple, made the final at a WTA event in Istanbul, her first runner-up finish since 2016, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova on the way. She ends the year at #141, still well off her best days, but for the first time in a while I kind of have faith she'll be able to rise back higher.

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The Men

The Winner: Milos Raonic

I admit I had a harder time coming up with the men's winners than I did the women's. While Andy Murray pulled off a solid upset of Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati, his real comeback took place in 2019, before getting stalled again, and Kei Nishikori, out of commission for nearly a year after last season's U.S. Open, only won two matches in 2020, though one was an impressive five-setter over Daniel Evans.

Meanwhile Milos Raonic, who peaked at #3 in the world after a Wimbledon final run in 2016, has been swinging between the mid-teens and mid-thirties for the better part of three years. A fairly middling end to the 2019 season pushed him down to #32 at the beginning of the year. But he got to improving on that right away.

A straight set win over Stefanos Tsitsipas on his way to the quarters in Melbourne, plus a semifinal run in Delray Beach gave him some momentum going into lockdown. But his real success came just ahead of the U.S. Open. He scored another win over the Greek in "Cincy" and took a set off Novak Djokovic in the final, his best Masters performance in over four years. He skipped Roland Garros, but managed a run to the Bercy semis to end the year, giving him a ranking of #14 going into the new season.

Raonic still hasn't been able to take home a title since 2016, but I have high hopes the 29-year-old Canadian might be able to end that drought soon.

Incredible week, @milosraonic 🙌

Take a bow!#CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/EBGyXD5dj8

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 29, 2020

Runner-Up: Kevin Anderson

While I wasn't looking over the last few years, the 34-year-old South African made his way to not one, but two Grand Slam finals. While ranked #32 back in 2017, he upset Sam Querrey and Pablo Carreño Busta to play for the U.S. Open title, and the next year he stunned Roger Federer in the Wimbledon quarters and endured a six and a half hour marathon against -- surprise! -- John Isner a round later. He got to #5 in the world that year, but knee surgery last season pushed him all the way out of the top hundred. He's still trying to climb out of the hole, but did manage a couple technical upsets early in the year, plus a straight set win over Daniil Medvedev in Vienna near the close of the season. Still down at #81, I have high hopes he could cut that even further.

Honorable Mention: Jack Sock

It's a little hard to say the 28-year-old American notched a true comeback, but in some respects -- after a 2019 season with just one win and a 2018 with fifteen first round losses -- the one-time world #8 was looking for a bright spot wherever he could find one. Jack Sock was unranked at the start of the year, and his much-celebrated first win in sixteen months at Delray only brought him into the 700s. A run to the final at the Indian Wells Challenger Series might have given him a little momentum, but of course it was stopped with the lockdown. He did manage a few nice wins at the end of the year and ended the season at #253. Hopefully the new season will help him get things even further back on track.

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Be sure to come back for more Tennis Spin Awards. Up next: the most anticipated comebacks. These guys didn't see a lot of action this year, and we can't wait 'til they're back on court!

And to see all of the winners this year and in years past, click here.

The Hangover

It should come as no surprise that after a big night out it's not always easy to spring out of bed the next morning and find the energy you need to really be at your best. And, while it may not always happen under the same circumstances, the world's best athletes are certainly not immune from that feeling.

Take, for example, what we've seen over the last few days at the Western & Southern Open in New York. While there have been plenty of upstarts riding high after taking advantage of the many holes in the ladies' field, too many have crashed back down to earth when looking to follow through.

The first example came when Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, who hadn't notched a top ten win at all this season, toppled top seeded Karolina Pliskova, a titleist at the Cincinnatti event in 2016 and a finalist at the U.S. Open that same year. The 23-year-old wasn't able to extend her run, though, falling a round later to a largely underappreciated Elise Mertens. Then Alizé Cornet, currently #60 in the world, trounced Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin in straight sets. The veteran Frenchwoman then fell in her third round to a resurgent Victoria Azarenka.

But perhaps the biggest high came when Maria Sakkari took the court against Serena Williams on Tuesday. The Greek star, just a shade off her career best ranking at #21 in the world, has had some decent wins over the past year, beating the likes of Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova, and Madison Keys, among others. In her opener this week she plowed through wunderkind Coco Gauff in straight sets. And while Williams has struggled to close the deal recently, winning just one title since 2017, Sakkari was clearly the underdog last night. She lost a tight first set and came within two points of dropping the whole match a few times, but after winning the second in a tiebreak, she rolled through the decider in about half an hour.

Back to back @CincyTennis quarterfinal appearances! 🤩 @mariasakkari defeats Williams, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1.#CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/MS4ckFnACD

— wta (@WTA) August 26, 2020

It was by far the biggest win of Sakkari's career, but unfortunately the momentum didn't last too long. She lost today in straight sets to Britain's Johanna Konta, a woman she'd defeated last year for her first and so far only title in Rabat. Notably, it's the second event in a row that Serena's vanquisher has fallen a round later -- earlier this month in Lexington, then-#116 Shelby Rogers scored the win of her lifetime and immediately folded to eventual champion Jennifer Brady. Perhaps that's a good omen for Konta.

It's not just the women who can fall victim to the second day slump -- an on-the-mend Andy Murray scored his biggest win since 2016 when he defeated world #7 Alexander Zverev on Monday, but fell to Milos Raonic a day later. But a couple men have a chance to keep their highs going a little longer. Big-serving Reilly Opelka followed up his win over Diego Schwartzman by taking out sixth seeded Matteo Berrettini, and Serbia's Filip Krajinovic not only crushed Dominic Thiem in the second round, he's currently up a break on Raonic for a spot in the semis.

Of course, the important thing is not whether these players suffer a hangover every once in a while -- we all can relate with needing a little time to recover from a big celebration -- it's whether they pick themselves up the day after that. And whether they were the ones on the losing side of the initial upset or the ones who lost their mojo a bit, the bigger tests are still to come. And what they learn from these experiences will be what matters in the end.

I'm Back!...And So Are These Guys

Hey all! You may have noticed I've been gone for a few days, and wow, did a lot happen at the Australian Open while I was away. From Serena getting ousted in the third round by Qiang Wang, ranked 29^th in the world and a winner of just one game in the pair's previous meeting, to Coco Gauff avenging her U.S. Open loss to defending champion Naomi Osaka but then losing to an underrated Sofia Kenin a match later. From Roger Federer almost losing again to Australian John Millman -- their 2018 clash in New York's fourth round probably shocked us all -- to the rise of the appropriately named Tennys Sandgren, who's somehow the last American man standing at the event. And of course, I can't forget the end of Caroline Wozniacki's decorated career.

But we've also seen some players, far from their best days, storm back onto the scene with some impressive and inspiring results. Once top-tier stars, these guys have fallen a bit off the radar -- some even dropping out of seeding territory. But we've all seen what they're capable of, and judging from their early results in Melbourne, they could be causing some real damage again.

Let's start on the men's side, where Sandgren's run isn't the only surprise we've seen. Former world #3 Milos Raonic has always been a dominating server and saw his talent finally rewarded with an appearance in the 2016 Wimbledon final. But an injury-rattled 2017 season kept him off the courts and pushed him down the rankings. And though he started to climb back up last season, missing the U.S. Open set him back again. He began this year with a first round loss to 81^st-ranked Corentin Moutet in Doha and came to Melbourne just barely seeded. But he seems to be righting the ship so far -- he dispatched sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round in straight sets and followed up with another win over an always-dangerous Marin Cilic, who he hadn't beaten since 2013. Raonic hasn't lost a set yet, and though that will likely change against his next opponent, defending champion Novak Djokovic, he could surprise us again. And if not, there's no reason he can't ride this wave to bigger things this year.

Also on the comeback trail is 2014 Aussie champion Stan Wawrikna, who has also dealt with his fair share of physical ailments over the years. Knee surgery and back injuries forced him out of many tournaments in 2017 and 2018 and pushed his ranking out of the top two hundred that year. But he's been turning things around over the last year or so, reaching the quarters at both the French and U.S. Opens in 2019 and making the finals in Rotterdam and Antwerp. He earned himself a 15^th seed in Melbourne, but has so far surpassed expectations. After dropping a set in his opener to Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur and getting tested by veteran Andreas Seppi in the second round, he stunned a red-hot (and my personal pick, Daniil Medvedev in the fourth. He'll next face off against seventh seed Alexander Zverev, who has won both their previous matches but had struggled for much of the year. It won't be an easy last, but certainly one that is winnable for the Swiss heavyweight.

Things are getting interesting on the ladies' side as well. Of course there's Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, who defeated Wozniacki in the third round, and Anett Kontaveit, who rolled over sixth-seeded Belinda Bencic in less than 50 minutes. But I've got my eye on former world #11 Anastasia Pavyluchenkova, who's spent much of the last couple years ranked between 25 and 40. She's had some strong moments recently, though, beating Aryna Sabalenka at Rogers Cup and taking out Kiki Bertens for the second time last year in Tokyo. She's also scored sets off Ashleigh Barty and Petra Kvitova this year and held on for a #30 seed here. With wins over second seed Karolina Pliskova and 2016 champ Angelique Kerber, she's already defended her quarterfinal points from last year and she's got a solid chance of going even one better.

But standing in her way most immediately is two-time Major champion and one-time top-ranked Garbiñe Muguruza, who didn't get a seed this year at the Open. She's been struggling since 2018, working with a series of different coaches -- including Pavs' current one, Sam Sumyk -- after reaching the semis in Paris that year, she failed spectacularly to defend her Wimbledon crown with a second round loss, and last year won just one match after the French Open. She seemed to be getting things back in order this year, with a run to the semis in Shenzhen before pulling out of the Hobart quarters. In this year's first Slam, she survived a very lop-sided first round against American qualifier Shelby Rogers, before dismantling both Elina Svitolina, my pick for the quarter, and ninth-seeded Kiki Bertens. She's got a solid 4-1 record against the Russian -- her only loss coming in a retirement at Stuttgart -- and if she can channel that talent we know she has, I wouldn't be surprised to see her improve on that now.

Of course, now that we're down to the final eight in both draws, all these guys will see their opportunities -- and challenges -- only get bigger. After all, many of the top seeds are still alive and kicking and will have something to say before these potential spoilers can ruin their runs. But if they can reclaim the game that once brought them so far in this sport, there's no reason they won't be able to push past the odds and shake things up even more.

Time to Get Crackin'

The 2015 Grand Slam season may be in the books, but that doesn't mean there isn't more ball to be played. And a couple ATP stars that came up a little short at the U.S. Open seem to be taking the opportunity this week to turn things around.

Not everyone was successful of course -- in St. Petersburg top seed Tomas Berdych, who fell in the fourth round in New York, didn't make it even that far and dropped in straight sets to Simone Bolelli -- but others may fare a bit better. Milos Raonic, who's had some trouble coming back from foot surgery earlier in the year, opened with an easy win over Evgeny Donskoy. And Dominic Thiem, winner of back-to-back titles to start the summer but was dismissed quickly by Kevin Anderson at the Open. He seems back on track in Russia though, scoring his fourth straight win over compatriot Andreas Haider-Maurer to start his run. But perhaps the player under the most pressure to rebound is last year's standout Roberto Bautista Agut, who in 2014 boasted wins over the likes of Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro but this season only has one win over a top-twenty player, and that by retirement. Earlier today against hugely talented Teymuraz Gabashvili he saved match points before closing out the win in an over two-and-a-half hour match. Next up he faces young Lucas Pouille, who's had some big wins himself over the past several months -- but if the Spaniard recovers in time, he might just be able to end this year on a higher note.

Over in Metz a couple more heavy hitters are looking to make up ground. Some didn't have terrible showings at the U.S. Open -- surprise French Open titleist Stan Wawrinka made it all the way to the semis but ultimately lost in a quick three sets to countryman Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a semifinalist in Paris, took defending champ Marin Cilic to five sets in the quarters. But both have been tested this week though -- top-seeded Wawrinka came back after dropping his first set to Dustin Brown and Tsonga needed two tiebreaks and a decider to take out qualifier Mischa Zverev -- and will want to show they haven't lost any steam. But the player really looking to recoup is Gilles Simon who, despite climbing back into the top ten, has been on a bit of a lull this summer. He'd won just two matches since Wimbledon and was stunned in his New York first round by a resurgent Donald Young. But he finally stopped his losing streak in his homeland, taking out Edouard Roger-Vasselin in straight sets earlier today. He's slated next to face off against Gilles Muller, who had a promising start to the year and already took out seventh seed Fernando Verdasco -- he's won the pair's only previous meeting about a year ago, and there's no reason he can't do it again and perhaps put himself on course to ultimately claim the title.

After all there are still a couple more months left in the 2015 season, and plenty of big titles still up for grabs. And while these guys may have been a little quiet of late, there's plenty of time to turn up the volume now.

2015 Wimbledon: Ten to Watch

Even with that extra week between the end of the French Open and the start of Wimbledon, it still doesn't quite feel like enough time to really prep for another Major. But here we are on the verge of perhaps the biggest fortnight in tennis and you know all the stars will be out swinging.

But as always, it's not just about the players who ultimately walk away with the trophies -- some who seem far removed from their career bests and even those who haven't yet come close to their peaks also have a lot on the line at the All England Club. And whether they're out to recapture former glory or shake up the draws with some of their first big wins, all of these guys and gals might deserve a little extra notice over the next few weeks.

And maybe a couple will defy expectations in London and surprise us all.

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The Women

Eugenie Bouchard

Oh, Genie, Genie, Genie. How high our hopes were for you! Last year's breakthrough runner-up at the All England Club was riding a massive wave of success on the way to her first Grand Slam final, but has slowed down significantly since. Already this season she's lost her opening match at seven events, including a stunning defeat by Kristina Mladenovic in her Roland Garros first round. On grass where she should be more comfortable -- the young Canadian won the Juniors championship here in 2012 -- she hasn't fared much better. As the top seed in Den Bosch, she couldn't win a match, dropping to an admittedly tough Yaroslava Shvedova in three sets and lost her opener again to giant-killer Kristina Mladenovic in Birmingham. She did win her opener in Eastbourne this week, but if she manages to keep going, it'll mean a lot of match play before she makes a similar run in London. Now ranked #12 in the world, ironically not far from where she was at this time last year, she has a decidedly different momentum profile than she had in 2014. While an even further fall after this event might be her most measurable problem, it seems even more important she gets her game back together soon and proves her meteoric rise last year was no fluke.

Agnieszka Radwanska

The former world #2 has been struggling herself the last few months. Also a finalist at the All England Club, what seems like ages ago now, the long-time fan favorite is at her lowest ranking in years. Though she started off the year with a huge win over Serena Williams in Hobart -- her only one in nine meetings -- she's really struggled since, dropping points from Indian Wells and falling in the first round of the French Open, notching her earliest Slam exit since 2009. Aga started to get her game back together on grass though, riding her top seed to the semis in Nottingham, losing to a strong Monica Niculescu, and dropping just two games in her Eastbourne opener. She's under slightly less pressure than Genie this fortnight in London, having been ousted relatively early in the fourth round last year. But at the Major where she's seen by far her biggest success, this could be the best opportunity she has to put herself back on the map.

Dominika Cibulkova

The former top ten player has fallen a bit since reaching her only Grand Slam final to date, falling early in Brisbane and Sydney and just reaching the quarters this time in Melbourne. She missed a lot of action in the spring, undergoing foot surgery in March, and skipped the French Open which pushed her ranking well out of seeding territory. But she made a winning start in Eastbourne, dropping just four games in her opening round and then stunning French Open finalist Lucie Safarova on Tuesday. Domi's had success at Wimbledon in the past, too -- in 2011 she beat then top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round -- and though at her (hopefully temporarily) depressed ranking she could face a big favorite earlier during her run at the All England Club, she's more than capable of holding her own against the sport's elite and, if she gets a good draw, could end up dealing out more than a few on-paper upsets.

Ana Konjuh

It's not just about those looking for redemption, of course, and the much more interesting stories at any Major are of those players who're able to outshine expectations. Perhaps this year, it's Konjuh's turn. The seventeen-year-old Croat hasn't had a lot of experience on Tour, but has had some of her best results on these grounds -- she made it all the way to the Girls' final a few years back before losing to Bouchard and, as a qualifier in 2014, managed two tough wins en route to the Ladies' third round. Now ranked #55 in the world, she's playing just her second Slam without having to qualify but is coming off her first WTA title on the grass of Nottingham, where she beat two seeds -- Casey Dellacqua and lawn specialist Alison Riske. One of my players to watch this year, young Konjuh may have the best opportunity to make a statement here than she has on any other big stage, and with the momentum she's got now, she could just do it.

Katerina Siniakova

The nineteen-year-old Czech hasn't had as much experience on the big stages -- after all this will only be her fourth Major main draw, and she's only won one match so far. But the nineteen year old has scored some impressive wins over the last year, reaching the semis in Moscow last year as a qualifier, and beating 2014 Wimbledon Cinderella Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in Prague and always tough Kristina Maldenovic in Rome. Most recently she pulled off a solid win over recent Roland Garros semifinalist Andrea Petkovic in Birmingham, losing to eventual champion Angelique Kerber in the quarters. Just off a career high ranking at #67, she's still got plenty of room -- and time -- to grow, but everyone has to have that first breakthrough and there's no reason this can't be hers.

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The Men

Milos Raonic

Bouchard isn't the only Canadian with a lot on the line at the All England Club. The world #8, who arguably got a slightly earlier start in his rise to the sport's elite, made his only Grand Slam semifinal to-date here last year and earned his first non-alternate ticket to the ATP World Tour Finals. He started this year off strong too, barely losing to Roger Federer in the Brisbane final and then putting up a fight against eventual Melbourne champ Novak Djokovic Down Under. Raonic had to take a little break in the late spring, though -- foot surgery kept him out of the French Open -- but he got back on court last week and, though he dropped sets in early rounds, did manage to make the quarterfinals at Queen's Club. It might not be quite the result he wanted heading back to the Major where he's had the most success, but we know better than to count him out. Last year, after all, he lost the only match he played on grass before heading to London and got right back to work at the All England Club. It might be a little tougher this time, on the recovery trail and all, but he could still pull off a few surprises.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

It's been a few more years since the fiery Frenchman reached the semis at Wimbledon, but it might not be that big an ask to see him get back. He is, after all, coming off a surprise final four showing at Roland Garros where, at #15 in the world, he beat two top five players and managed to take a set off eventual champion Stan Wawrinka in the process. That's quite impressive for a man who'd only played five events so far this year -- sidelined with an arm injury, he'd skipped the Australian Open and didn't get started on the season until late March. He's scored some big wins here, too, notching an upset over David Ferrer and stunning Roger Federer in five sets in 2011. Of course, he'll have some challenges -- an abdominal strain he suffered in Paris forced him out of Nottingham this week -- but he seems to do his best when little is expected of him. Ranked just inside the top twenty during that miracle year, and at #12 now, if he is recovered he could certainly catch a couple of the favorites off guard again.

Nicolas Mahut

Tsonga's compatriot hasn't had quite as much success during his long history at the All England Club, but despite a losing record at this event he's probably spent more time on court than many others out there. And even though he's only made it out of the second round in London once in his last nine appearance, he's actually done better on this surface than he has anywhere else -- all three of his titles, each won after his thirtieth birthday, have come on grass and he has an impressive sixty-three percent win rate overall. Just a few weeks ago as a qualifier in 's-Hertogenbosch, he scored wins over 2014 breakout Roberto Bautista Agut and comeback star David Goffin to pick up his latest trophy. He's now back at a respectable #65 in the world, significantly better than the triple digit ranking he had at the start of the year, but could be in a position to outperform his position. And maybe, even at this late stage of his career, he could finally make his first big run at a Slam.

Alexander Zverev

The eighteen-year-old German, on the other hand, is making his first ever appearance in a Major main draw, having lost during qualifying rounds in his last three attempts. He did reach the Boys' final at the French Open in 2013 back and he took the Juniors' title in Melbourne last year, though, and at his best ever ranking, he'll finally get his shot to play with the big guys. While he's mostly clocked time on the Challengers' circuit in his short career, he has been able to get in a few punches on the main Tour over the last few weeks -- he took sets off Viktor Troicki and Ivo Karlovic at warm-up events and finally scored a true upset this week with a win over veteran Thomaz Bellucci in the Nottingham second round. Still ranked well outside the top fifty, he could very well get dealt an unlucky draw from the get-go, but like with any young buck looking for his first big break, he'll have to start somewhere. And, as they say, there's no time like the present to do exactly that.

Lleyton Hewitt

On the very other end of the spectrum is a man who, far from playing his first Wimbledon, is actually playing his last. The veteran Australian, who will retire next year in Melbourne, received a wildcard entry into the main draw as part of his farewell tour. With just one win on the year and a drop out of the double-digit rankings, it's hard to expect him to do too much damage this year. Still he carries quite a legacy at the All England Club -- the 2002 champion is the only man in the field outside the Big Four who's ever made a dent at the All England Club. And, even though he hasn't made it past a Major fourth round since 2009, you can never count him out -- on his third shot in the Newport final, last year he finally walked away with the title, and earlier in the season defeated Roger Federer for the Brisbane crown. Besides, champions like Hewitt seem to get a second wind at the end of their careers -- Andy Roddick, you may remember, put up a more than admirable performance when he announced his retirement at the 2012 U.S. Open. And I expect the former world #1 will make a similarly valiant attempt to savor his last moments on these courts.

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Of course the top seeds will be out in full force at the All England Club over the next two weeks looking to squash any potential these guys have. Be sure to check back in a few days for my full preview of what to expect in London this year -- something tells me that it could be even more exciting than usual!

A Long History: Davis Cup First Round Preview

Is it just me, or do the pairings for some of this weekend's Davis Cup ties seem to hold a little more historic significance than usual? Whether the battles bfacring up political tensions, reminders of centuries-old imperialism, or long-standing rivalries, you can't help but feel this weekend won't be the first time a couple of these combatants have faced off.

Germany vs. France

The two euro zone superpowers have a long political and economic history with each other as they jockeyed for control of the Continent, and things could get just as exciting on the tennis courts this weekend. Both teams are bringing their best, but despite homecourt advantage the Germans might find themselves struggling. Top ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber has only won two matches this year, both against sub-#90 players. And Benjamin Becker hasn't done much better, scoring a nice upset of Julien Benneteau in Melbourne, but failing to rebound from a long second round against Lleyton Hewitt a match later. Meanwhile, while the French are missing top dog Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, they do have both Marseille finalists Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils to helm their squad. Simon, who beat his compatriot for the title, also has a win over Andy Murray under his belt this year. With results like that, they'll have a pretty good shot at making a run back to the final.

Great Britain vs. U.S.

Over in Scotland the Americans will make another bid to get out from under British reign, and they may have had the firepower to do it. While big-serving John Isner has fallen a bit off the highs of his game recently, once-struggling Donald Young seems to have re-found his. After briefly falling out of the top two hundred in 2013, he's clawed his way back to relevance, reaching at least the quarters of three events already this year. It's been a while since he's beaten anyone in the top twenty, though, but he might have the momentum to change that this weekend. Of course world #5 Andy Murray will be standing in both their ways -- but the Australian Open runner-up has lost to both Gilles Simon and emerging star Borna Coric in recent weeks and notched a loss to Young in Indian Wells a few years back. Still, he's more than capable of carrying the team on his own. It may ultimately come down to the doubles rubbers and there the U.S. could rely heavily on its beacon Bryan Brothers -- the twins picked up their 106^th title together in Delray and have clinched wins for their country on more than one occasion. There's no reason they can't do it again.

Argentina vs. Brazil

We're probably more used to seeing the South American soccer heavyweights face off on a different kind of battleground, but this weekend they'll concentrate instead on the clay courts. And while the surface certainly suits both teams, it's hard to give either one a clear edge. Argentina has the stronger roster on paper, but they are missing their big guns -- former world #4 Juan Martin Del Potro is still recovering from wrist surgery while Juan Monaco, last week's finalist in Buenos Aires, is sitting out this tie. The Brazilians, meanwhile, are bringing their best, but their top player Joao Souza is only just peaking at #75, and Thomaz Bellucci, once so close to the top twenty, hasn't had too many big wins over the last year. The Argentines do bring Leonardo Mayer, one of the more underrated players in the sport, and Diego Schwartzman, who won the year-end Challengers' title last season -- the Brazilians counter with a couple highly-ranked doubles players in Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares. At the end of the day Buenos Aires might provide a slight homecourt advantage, but it could go all the way down to the wire.

Serbia vs. Croatia

The two former Yugoslavian states faced off once before at Davis Cup, with the Serbs winning handily 4-1, and this time might not be much different. The Croats are still without their big star, U.S. Open champ Marin Cilic who continues to recover from a shoulder injury, and are instead led by young Borna Coric. That's not so bad, though -- the eighteen year old beat Rafael Nadal last year in Basel and is fresh off a win over Andy Murray in Dubai. At a career-high #61 in the world, he might just be able to add one more top-ten scalp to his take. Still you have to give a strong edge to the Serbs, who bring world #1 Novak Djokovic and rapidly rebounding Viktor Troicki to the mix. The former followed up a title in Melbourne with a run to the final in the UAE, while the latter picked up his first title since 2010 as a qualifier in Sydney. Add to that Nenad Zimonjic who, at thirty-eight years of age, is still a solid force on the doubles circuit and it's tough to see the home team having too much trouble.

Belgium vs. Switzerland

Of course not all the match-ups this weekend are so fraught with historical undertones, but everyone still has parts to play. The traditionally neutral Swiss are likely to remain typically unbiased this weekend, event as they should be mounting a defense of their first ever Davis Cup title. Roger Federer decided to sit out the 2015 season, while fellow top-tenner Stan Wawrinka, who's also skipping this weekend's action, has yet to decide whether he'll play later in the year. That leaves a host of relative unknowns to make any kind of stand for Switzerland -- the highest ranked player is #292 Yann Marti. That could give Belgian's comeback kid David Goffin an opportunity to make up for some recently lackluster results -- he's lost twice in a row to veteran Marcos Baghdatis and has only gotten past the second round of one event this year. Even Steve Darcis, who notched his biggest career win over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon two years ago, could step up to the plate and notch a couple wins off the Challengers' circuit this year.

Czech Republic vs. Australia

Meanwhile the Czechs will try to reclaim the crown they ceded to the Swiss last year, but they too might have a bit of trouble. While rising star Jiri Vesely and one-time giant killer Lukas Rosol could certainly deliver, they are without their biggest stars, Melbourne semifinalist Tomas Berdych and doubles specialist Radek Stepanek. And the men from Down Under could take advantage of those holes -- players like Sam Groth and a resurgent Bernard Tomic have been rallying of late. And while veteran Lleyton Hewitt is far from his career highs, he's more than proven he can never be counted out. With a little more star power on the Aussies' side, they could stop the Czech's comeback cold.

Canada vs. Japan

We could see some fireworks in the match-up between a couple countries that haven't had a lot of experience in Davis Cup. Canada and Japan have combined for just a dozen years in the World Group -- but in this rematch of last year's first round they're both out to prove they belong. Kei Nishikori climbed to a career high #4 in the world after reaching the final in Acapulco and is coming off what's easily been the most prolific twelve months of his career. He'll be joined by Tatsumo Ito, who beat Stan Wawrinka last year in Tokyo and might be primed for another upset. The Canadians are slightly more armed, though -- Milos Raonic has always had tough matches against Nishikori, but he won their last meeting in Brisbane in three tight tiebreaks. And he'll have back-up from Vasek Pospisil, a man who's beaten John Isner already this season and made a nice run to the Washington semis last year. He's also an accomplished doubles player and might just be called on, with veteran star Daniel Nestor, to serve as a ringer.

Kazakhstan vs. Italy

And in the final tie being contested this weekend, a relatively inexperienced Kazakh team goes up against the long-time also-rans. The Italians have a lot to be proud of -- Andreas Seppi scored an enormous win over Roger Federer at the Australian Open, Simone Bolelli stunned Milos Raonic in Marseill and recently struggling Fabio Fognini pulled off a huge upset of defending champion Rafael Nadal in Rio. While none of these players is quite at their best, they certainly seem to have a little momentum on their side. There could be some surprises this weekend -- Andrey Golubev did take out Stan Wawrinka last year in Davis Cup and veteran Mikhail Kukushkin has had his moments in the past -- but this is really Italy's battle to lose. And there's no reason they shouldn't live up to expectations.

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Whether this weekend's Davis Cup ties rekindle old rivalries or start to flame new ones, there's more than enough potential for some combative contests. And whoever emerges as the victors will have to recover quick -- this is just the beginning of what could be a long, drawn-out war.

Down to Business

As we get into the final days of a Grand Slam, you often expect the top contenders to turn up their games and for the cream of the tennis crop to rise. And while we all may be a little surprised to see who's still standing at the Australian Open, you can't help but agree that the sixteen singles players remaining have pulled out their best in the last few days. After all with the stakes so high, it's exactly the right time for these champions to put their nose to the grindstone and really show us what they've got.

The top half of the men's draw has probably, understandably, seen the least damage. World #1 Novak Djokovic hasn't dropped a set yet and defending champion Stan Wawrinka, though challenged slightly by Guillermo Garcia Lopez in the last round, was able to push forward again, reaching the quarters of his third straight Major. Even U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori, who'd lost opening sets to both Ivan Dodig and rising American star Steve Johnson, trounced an in-form David Ferrer on Monday, taking out the Doha titleist in a quick three sets. He sets up another meeting with Wawrinka, the man he shocked in a four-plus hour match in New York to make the semis, and while Stan may be eager for revenge, the young man from Japan could be even hungrier to make another play for a big title. Milos Raonic was the only man really tested in his fourth round -- Feliciano Lopez, who'd already survived two squeakers early during his run in Melbourne, fell just short of mounting another comeback in this fifth set. The top-ranked Canadian will have to rally big time for his next match-up -- he's only managed one set off Djokovic in their four previous meetings and he's never beaten a top ten player at a Slam. But we keep waiting for the big server to make a real statement and he might just be able to catch the heavy favorite a little off guard this time.

Save for one big exception, the bottom half of the bracket has also remained intact. Second seed Roger Federer, fresh off a dominating performance in Brisbane and one of the best seasons of anyone on Tour, was stunned a few days ago by a underappreciated Andreas Seppi, a man who'd only made one fourth round here in his decade-long career. But the Italian couldn't keep his luck going against 2014 breakout star Nick Kyrgios -- the Australian teenager lost the first two sets but dug deep, saving match point in the fourth and rebounding after squandering a 4-1 lead in the decider. Now in his second Major quarterfinal, he'll meet a resurgent Andy Murray, a man who beat him in two quick sets last year in Toronto. It'll be a tough task, no doubt -- the three-time finalist in Melbourne has dominated his opponents so far, losing just one set to Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday -- but I expect the young gun to bring out the heavy artillery and make a real play for a semifinal spot. The last men's quarter could probably hold the most drama -- Rafael Nadal hasn't lost to Tomas Berdych since way back in 2006, but he had a huge question mark hanging over his head the last few months while the Czech has been unstoppable through his first four matches. A win for Rafa could really cement his chances for a run at this title, but something tells me the Doha runner-up won't be so easy to brush aside.

The ladies' draw, of course, has had a few more ups and downs. But after early rounds decimated the bottom half of the bracket, top players seemed to get their games back in order. Since saving match points last week, second seed Maria Sharapova has only lost five games and looks in good shape to reclaim the crown she last won seven years ago. But 2014 Cinderella Genie Bouchard might have something to say about that -- the young Canadian really backed up her performance Down Under last year, and while she had a little hiccup on Sunday against Irina-Camelia Begu, she's mostly rolled through sets in the first week. She also pushed MaSha to a third in Paris last year and scored her first big win over Serena Williams in Perth -- while she's had trouble in the past against the very elite, she might finally be ready to turn her luck around. Simona Halep is also making quite a case for her first Major -- the 2014 Roland Garros finalist pulled off her own win over Serena in Singapore to finish off the year and has crushed each of her opponents so far. She only faces her first seeded player in the quarters though -- U.S. Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova got a bit of a pass with Ana Ivanovic's ouster in the first round, but really has proven herself in the first week, even taking out my favorite dark horse Karolina Pliskova in straight sets. It should be Halep's match to lose, but the Russian has always thrived in Melbourne and could surprise us once more.

But the biggest shake-ups may have occurred in the top half of the women's bracket, where even the favorite has struggled a bit. Five-time champion Serena Williams, who'd been a little shaky early on in 2015, dropped her opening set to relatively unknown Elina Svitolina in her third round and risked a second straight loss to Garbiñe Muguruza on Monday. Still she's the only top ten player alive in this quarter, but the threats are far from over. Last year's runner-up in Australia, Dominika Cibulkova, seems to have found her game again after a weak twelve months -- she's handled some early challenges in surprising form and last night halted Victoria Azarenka's comeback dead in its tracks. She's given Serena a run for the money in the past, and though she's a huge underdog in this match, she's pulled off some big upsets before. But the players with the most opportunity are those in the last quarter. Young American Madison Keys has parlayed a new partnership with coach Lindsay Davenport into a huge win over Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova in the third round and kept her run going with a win over Hobart finalist Madison Brengle. And veteran champion Venus Williams, straight off a title in Auckland to start the year, kept her win streak going coming back from a set down against Camila Giorgi on Saturday and stunning sixth seed Aga Radwanska in today's fourth round. It's her first Slam quarterfinal since 2010, and the way she's playing she might just go even farther.

With just a few matches left before this year's champions are decided, all these players can see the finish line from where they stand, so it's time for them to show us what they're made of. There's always room for a couple more surprises -- and anyone still alive might just have what it takes to bring it all home.

The Final Countdown

We're getting down to the wire at this year's ATP Championships in London, with just a few more round robins left before the final four are determined. And while we might not have yet seen a lot of drama on court this week -- only one match so far has gone three sets -- as the very best in tennis try to keep their seasons going a little longer, almost everyone still has a chance to make it to championship weekend. And that just might mean the most excitement is still to come.

World #1 Novak Djokovic is looking for a three-peat at the O2 and hasn't lost a set since the Shanghai semis. This week he's dropped just five games, seven fewer than his nearest competitor, and has notched wins over the other two players who've won Grand Slams this year. With a 16-2 record against his last remaining opponent Tomas Berdych, it seems inevitable he'll make it out of his group. The Czech, meanwhile, will likely vie with Stan Wawrinka, who made the semis here last year. Berdych lost to the Swiss #2 pretty handily on Monday, but managed a one-sided win over post-season newbie Marin Cilic just yesterday, when Nole got some definitive revenge over his Australian Open vanquisher. Things could get interesting tomorrow when the foursome take the court -- Cilic doesn't have a great record against Wawrinka, but the big man has struggled in recent weeks and might be a little vulnerable this time around. And while Cilic is disappointingly 0-2 in his London debut so far, he has certainly shown he has the ability to shake things up.

Meanwhile standings in the second set of World Tour Final qualifiers all come down to tonight's headline show. Six-time champion Roger Federer, perfect so far this week, will take on Andy Murray, who's been making quite a push in the latter parts of the season. The two are dead even at eleven wins apiece in their head-to-head, and with so much on the line now, they'll each be bringing their A-games to tonight's battle. Waiting patiently in the wings will be Kei Nishikori, the only London first-timer still in contention for a final spot -- earlier today he squeaked past David Ferrer, Milos Raonic's replacement, in the only three-setter played this week. With his own straight set win over Murray in the round robins, the U.S. Open runner-up still stands a chance of reaching the semis if Roger falters tonight.

Time is quickly ticking down at this year's World Tour Finals, and pressure is high across the field -- while things look good for a championship showdown between the top-two, most decorated players out there, there's plenty of room for others to spoil the favorites' fun. And if we've learned anything this tennis season, it's that no one is safe for long.

All Set...?

The regular season ATP schedule wrapped up this weekend at the Paris Masters, with Novak Djokovic successfully reclaiming his title and the last few spots for the year-ending championships finally being decided. And while some of the theatrics involved in clamoring for those places and selecting alternates may have made more headlines than the on-court action in Bercy, we still got a glimpse of some of the surprises we could be in store for at the O2. And even those players who've had their tickets to London booked for weeks or months could be in for more than they expect.

Djokovic, of course, gave himself a bit more cushion in his attempt to end the year at #1 for a third time. In his first event as a father, he didn't drop a set all week and beat three fellow London qualifiers in the late rounds to capture his sixth trophy of the year. More impressively he got revenge against Kei Nishikori, the man who stunned him in New York a few months back, and stopped Andy Murray's autumn resurgence cold with a straight set win in the quarters. But Roger Federer's hopes for his own return to the top ranking were put on hold a bit -- after picking up his sixth title in Basel, he was in good shape to close the gap between himself and Nole. But after a close opening match against Jeremy Chardy in Paris, he notched his first ever loss to Milos Raonic, largely helping the Canadian into his post-season debut as well and falling slightly behind in the standings.

In a slightly more tenuous position is London's third seed Stan Wawrinka who shot into the spotlight with his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne. While he slowed down quite a bit after that, his performances recently have been downright disappointing -- he lost to triple-digit ranked Tatsuma Ito in Tokyo and world #84 Mikhail Kukushkin in his homeland of Basel. While he did manage a win over rising star Dominic Thiem to open this week, he subsequently lost for a third time this year to South Africa's Kevin Anderson. The six-foot-eight collegiate star, who had a very slim chance of qualifying for London himself, then took it to Tomas Berdych, on the bubble this week too, forcing the Czech through three tight sets before finally succumbing. Both Berdych and Wawrinka will have to raise their game if they want to see much success at the World Tour Finals.

Andy Murray certainly has been bringing his A-game recently -- ranked as low as #12 in the world right after the U.S. Open, the two-time Grand Slam winner really turned things around in the fall. He claimed titles in Shenzhen and Vienna and put on one of the best shows of the year to take the Valencia title a week ago. He may have lost in the quarters in Paris, but he's shown he still has what it takes to make a winning return in London. Kei Nishikori too, qualifying for his O2 debut, has certainly rebounded well after his New York disappointment -- he picked up titles in Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo and came back from a set down against eventual alternate David Ferrer to make the semis this week. He may still be getting used to the rarefied air of the sport's elite, but something tells me he won't be intimidated when he takes the court in London.

Joining Kei in the year-end newbie category is Milos Raonic, who followed up his win over Federer with his third top-ten victory of the season, beating Tomas Berdych in the semis. While he couldn't put up much of a fight against Djokovic when the title was on the line, his performance in Paris ended a streak of surprising losses in October. If he can keep up the momentum, he could cause a couple more surprises in London. And U.S. Open champ Marin Cilic, the fourth first-timer at the World Tour Finals, may not have played in Paris, but he's coming off his fourth title of the year in Moscow and a season during which he's scored five top-ten wins of his own. With victories over the likes of Federer, Murray, Berdych and close calls against Nole, he certainly can't be counted out in the post-season.

Of course there will be favorites in London, and experience certainly favors those who've been there before. But if results in Paris -- and for the entire year, for that matter -- are any indication, it sure looks like nothing is certain. So we should get ready for what's going to be a big season-ending battle -- one where, this year perhaps more than others, anything can happen.

A Taste of What's to Come

As the ladies wrap up their year this week in Singapore, the men are trying to get a few more shots in before ending theirs. And with a few spots left at the ATP Championships in London next month, both the players who've already secured their post-season and the ones still trying to make it are spending this week showing the rest of the field exactly what they're made of.

Five-time Basel champ Roger Federer, who's lost the last two finals here to Juan Martin Del Potro, comes back to his homeland as the top seed and, while he did somewhat surprisingly drop a set today to always-tricky Denis Istomin, he got his game back together and showed he's more than still a contender for the year-end crown. Compatriot Stan Wawrinka, on the other hand, continues to struggle since his breakthrough start to the year -- though he secured a spot at his second straight World Tour Final, he's 0-for-4 since the U.S. Open, losing his opener this week to world #84 Mikhail Kukushkin. Rafael Nadal seems to have found his game though -- injured since late summer and now in need of an appendectomy, he's only lost six games so far this week and he next faces young upstart Borna Coric, a threat to be sure, but certainly less intimidating than some of the guys who've brought him down this year.

But it's the bubble players in Basel who're really out to impress. Ranked ninth in the race to London, Milos Raonic has fallen a bit from his post-Wimbledon high, retiring against Juan Monaco in his Shanghai Masters opener and then losing in three to world #116 Ricardas Berankis in Moscow. So far in Switzerland he's been pushed by Steve Johnson and earlier today dropped his middle set to often-spotty Donald Young. He's got a third round meeting with summer standout David Goffin and could be in for a bigger challenge than he expects. And Grigor Dimitrov, who dropped just outside the top ten after failing to defend his Stockholm title last week, struggled against wildcard Alexander Zverev in Basel. He seems to have rebounded well enough, but he's going to have to do something big in the coming weeks if he wants to leapfrog over the players just ahead of him.

Many of those guys made the trip to Valencia this week. Tomas Berdych, who took the trophy from Dimitrov in Sweden days ago, couldn't further his cause much in Spain, though -- he lost his opener in straight sets to Pablo Andujar and made his hold on the #7 spot for London slightly more tenuous. But both Vienna finalists are back in action this week -- neither three-time titleist David Ferrer nor Andy Murray, the champion at the Erste Open, have dropped a set yet. The two, on course for their third meeting in as many weeks in the semis, have given each other quite a run for the money recently, splitting their battles in Shanghai and Vienna and Austria, each of which went three sets. And they've both really been making a last minute push to qualify for London -- a big push by either this week really could make this race a photo finish.

It is only fitting that the best players in the world continue to bring their A-Game right down to the wire this season. And those who've already booked their tickets to Singapore really need to take notice of the ones bringing up the rear -- after all, these are the guys they'll be fighting for the year-end trophy. And if this week is any indication, it's going to be a big battle.

Show 'Em Who's Boss

With all the action on court the last few weeks, it's easy to have forgotten about a couple players who've been a little quiet recently. But some long-time champions reasserted themselves in a big way this weekend and reminded us all who we really need to pay attention to as the season winds down.

Kei Nishikori hasn't really been out of the spotlight so much, but you have to be impressed that after his disappointment in the New York final he's rebounded so nicely. He walked easily away with the title in Kuala Lumpur last week and got right back to work in Tokyo days later. Seeded just fourth in his homeland, though, he had a little bigger hill to climb if he was going to keep his streak going. But even with favorites like Stan Wawrinka and David Ferrer bowing out early, Nishikori had to fight -- he came back from a set down to Benjamin Becker in the semis and ultimately faced new rival Milos Raonic for the title. The Wimbledon semifinalist, the on-paper favorite despite a 1-3 record against the man from Japan, had faced a more intimidating route to Sunday's match -- but he weathered challenges from likes of Jurgen Melzer, Bernard Tomic and former top ten player Gilles Simon, reaching the championship without dropping a set. But even with twenty-two aces in the final, Nishikori proved too much to handle -- forced to a third set he finally converted a break opportunity when it counted, closing out the two-hour plus match and securing his fourth title of the year. He's now moved up to #5 in the race to London, and the way he's been playing all year -- even against the top players -- he has a real shot at far outdoing even those high expectations.

Novak Djokovic, of course, will have something to say about that. But despite his five titles this year and a #1 ranking, the Wimbledon champ seems to be flying a bit under the radar. He's only played two Grand Slam finals this season, winning just one of those trophies, and while that's clearly something most players would be proud of, it's actually been Nole's least successful showing since 2010. But he roared back on the scene this week in Beijing, surviving a draw which saw 2014 star Marin Cilic fall in the quarters and qualifier Martin Klizan stop Rafael Nadal's comeback way short. Ultimately Djokovic, the four-time champion, met up against 2011 titleist Tomas Berdych, who's been having a pretty quiet year himself. The big-serving Czech hasn't beaten a top-ten player since the Miami Masters, but managed his fourth final of the year with wins over on-the-rebound Viktor Troicki and often-tricky John Isner. But though Berdych has been able to give Nole fits in the past, this time was no contest -- the Serb barely broke a sweat in the hour-long match, allowing his opponent to hold serve just once. It was Nole's first title since Wimbledon, and though the stakes will be raised this week in Shanghai, the win couldn't have come at a better time.

The same might be said for Maria Sharapova who, despite a #4 ranking in Beijing, had seen a few disappointments since picking up her second trophy at Roland Garros. She lost a heart-breaker to Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon, was foiled by Ana Ivanovic in Cincinnati and suffered a big set-back at the hands of Timea Bacsinszky in Wuhan. But she avenged a couple losses this week, not dropping a set against players like Ivanovic, Carla Suarez Navarro, who'd beat her in Montréal, or Svetlana Kuznetsova, who'd pushed her to the limit last week. Meanwhile in the other half of the draw, Wuhan champion Petra Kvitova's continued run was helped by the withdrawals of both Venus and Serena Williams and the upsets of Aga Radwanska and U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki. She was challenged by a resurgent Sam Stosur in the semis, though, needing three sets to set up a rematch of her first big breakthrough three years ago. And with her history against Sharapova since Wimbledon 2011 shifting so sharply to the Russian's favor, she ultimately succumbed again. MaSha withstood a second-set surge from the Czech and got a break again in the decider. She took the title, her fourth of the year making this her most prolific season since 2006, and pushed herself back up to #2 in the world. And with the ladies' trip to Singapore closing in ever so quickly, it was the perfect time to make that statement.

All of this weekend's winners have had big years already, but by showing us what they're really made of after what seems like such a long time, they really cemented their places at the top of the sport. And now that they're back in control, there's no telling how much higher they can rise.