By Chris Oddo | Tuesday, March 18, 2014
While some are off to flying starts in 2014, these ten players need to pick things up before it's too late.
Photo Source: Corleve
Yes, we know—it's only March and the meat of the 2014 tennis season isn't yet upon us. But first impressions, just like in life, are pivotal when it comes to tennis.
>>>Rankings Watch: Isner into Top Ten | Halep Breaks Top Five
Read on to find out which ten players have blown the introduction and are now badly in need of a turnaround (or a reset button).
1. Juan Martin del Potro
Injuries are a part of the sport, therefore the way that a player manages one's injuries can have a significant impact on the way a season plays out.
Case in point: Del Potro and his left wrist. It's certainly not Del Potro's fault that he's having problems with the wrist, but the Argentine and his team can be held responsible for the way they deal with the injury. A series of on-again, off-again fits and starts is clearly not helping Del Potro right now (since winning the title in Sydney he has gone 3-3 with a retirement and a withdrawal and a lot of anguish over the injury). Unfortunately for Del Potro there appears to be no relief in sight. He either has to continue on his therapeutic rehabilitation track (which has not worked yet) or shut it down and wait with the prospects of another surgery looming.
2. Maria Sharapova
The four-time Grand Slam champion is down to No. 7 in the rankings this week, and she has not played to form at a single event this season. Is it the shoulder? The distractions? This is Maria's time of the year—she went 22-3 from the beginning of Miami to the end of the French Open last year—and if she doesn't pick it up soon she could be headed out of the top ten.
3. Rafael Nadal
Rafa has had a great season in a lot of ways, but by his own lofty standards he has fallen way short of the mark. The game is there, as is the legendary fight, but one has to wonder about Rafa's decisions regarding his ailing back. If Nadal carries this lingering back injury into the clay season--well, we all know what is at stake there.
One can't help but ask the question: Why not skip Miami and take some rest for that back? The clay is where Rafa makes his hay, but even normally invincible Rafa will be susceptible to the upset if he is not at 100 percent as the tour heads over to Europe for the springtime slog.
4. Jerzy Janowicz
One of the rising stars of men's tennis, Janowicz is definitely in a bit of a funk in 2014. He has missed time due to a spinal disc herniation as recently as last fall, so it's hard to know if Janowicz lackluster play is due to injuries or other issues. What is clear is that Janowicz is in danger of falling out of the top 20 and he hasn't even had to make up his Rome quarterfinal or Wimbledon semifinal points yet. He needs wins—and pronto—to stay relevant this season.
5. Serena Williams
What would a poor performance in Miami mean for Serena Williams? Might it signify that her run of untouchable-ness is finally behind her? Hard to say, but as Williams approaches 33 (relax, she's got a while to go), there is the stark realization that there will come a day when her physicality will start to become a hindrance rather than a helper.
Now, more than ever, the most physically daunting and otherworldly athletic specimen that the women's game has ever seen needs to work harder than ever to keep her mystique, because the more shock losses that she accrues (whether they be due to injuries or poor form), the more the hungry dogs in the back of the pack will be licking their chops for a shot at her (see Alize Cornet and Ana Ivanovic, who have notched wins over Williams in big matches this year). That's not an environment that Williams wants to perform in. For Williams to prolong her run at the top, she needs to maintain that intimidation factor. The best way to do it is by running roughshod over the field in Miami.
6. Petra Kvitova
The sky used to be the limit for the phenom known simply as Petra. But, thanks to an endless supply of upsets and off-kilter performances, the top ten might be a stretch in the long term. The hard-serving, immensely talented lefty from the Czech Republic has too much talent to be flirting on the fringes of the top ten, and, yet—here she is...
7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Are Tsonga's halcyon days done and dusted? We certainly hope not, because Tsonga is one of the most compelling, show-stopping players in the game today, but he has not notched a top ten victory since defeating Roger Federer at last year's French Open, and the inspiring victories that used to be his calling card have been fewer and farther between...
8. Caroline Wozniacki
When it comes to firing coaches, Caroline Wozniacki is No. 1 in the world, but when it comes to productively addressing the issues that have led to her fall in the rankings (she comes in at a six-year low No. 18 this week), there are no answers, only more questions...
9. Andy Murray
Murray will probably be off the hook in terms of public scrutiny until after Wimbledon, but it still isn't clear if he'll ever be the same player after undergoing back surgery last autumn. It's pretty much a lock that Murray will get back to form at some point this season (many pundits think he'll finally hit peak by Wimbledon) but until he actually does that, the questions marks will only grow fatter.
10. Francesca Schiavone
Schiavone got her first win at Indian Wells, which is nice, but what isn't nice is her 1-8 record and the fact that retirement could be the next step if she can't start putting together a few more wins.