The Tennis Oscars 2012

Nov 27, 2012, 6:46:22 PM

The Tennis Oscars 2012
Finally the holidays are here. After eleven months travelling the world, racquets in hand, tennis players can finally enjoy a few days of rest. But before jumping into a 2013 season that will arrive very quickly, We...

Finally the holidays are here. After eleven months travelling the world, racquets in hand, tennis players can finally enjoy a few days of rest. But before jumping into a 2013 season that will arrive very quickly, We Are Tennis has decided to reward, in its very own way, all those who made this year so special…

The Oscar for the player who decided to start his career at 27 goes to… Brian Baker

More than just a revelation, the story of Brian Baker speaks of resurrection. Between his appearance in the junior final at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2012, the American has collected all the possible injuries for a tennis player. After reaching the final in Nice and a place in the last 16 at Wimbledon, Baker finally began a career in accordance to his talent. "I never thought of stopping tennis," he swears. He did well.  

The Oscar for the player of whom we always forget that he's in the Top 10 ... Janko Tipsarevic

We always forget it, but Novak Djokovic is not the only Serb sitting pretty in the Top 10. Janko Tipsarevic finished the season in 9th place and was even invited to the Masters in London. The Belgrade native owes his ranking to consistency more than outstanding achievement, as evidenced with a quarter-final at the U.S. Open as his best performance in a Grand Slam...  

The Oscar for the player's girlfriend powerful enough to change a man goes to... Ester Satorova

This is one of the revolutions of 2012. According to a source close to the case, Tomas Berdych has been seen smiling and replying with a minimum of goodwill to the press. Behind this miracle, a young woman called Ester Satorova, a 20 year-old model with a face - among other arguments - to cause even most taciturn of all tennis players to smile.  

The Oscar for the player who almost failed his season but who ended up world number one anyway ... Novak Djokovic

In 2012, Novak almost became human again. Whereas in 2011 he was playing another sport than his opponents, the Serb has been defeated twelve times this year and was deposed from the world number one spot for a few months by Roger Federer. But with his victory in the London Masters, "Nolé" sent a message to the competition: he may well come back even stronger in 2013. Apparently, odd years are his favourite.  

The "Francesca Schiavone" Oscar for the late bloomer goes to ... Sara Errani

Roland Garros is rapidly becoming Italy's favourite tournament and a place of joy, celebration and late blooming for southern Europe tennis. After Francesca Schiavone won the title there at the ripe old age of 29 years and 11 months, it was the turn of Sara Errani to cause a sensation in Paris. At 25, the native of Bologna made it to the final with the same explosive cocktail as her compatriot – intelligence, aggression, and well-timed drop shots.  

The Oscar for the older guy who realized he was still a great player goes to ... Tommy Haas

At 34 years old, the German is anything but a Haas-been. In 2012, what was to be a farewell tour turned into a second coming. Lost in the hinterlands beyond 200th place in the ATP rankings in January, the German now sits in 21st place and asks for more. Good news for fans of the one-handed backhand...  

The Oscar for the player about whom it was wrong to say that she would never win Roland Garros goes to ... Maria Sharapova

During her first years on the tour, Maria Sharapova looked as comfortable on clay as a Kenyan at the start of the Wengen race. But the Russian is rather stubborn and always said that she could add Roland Garros to her prize list. We found it hard to believe. We were wrong.  

The Oscar for the player who once again said he was born at the wrong time goes to ... David Ferrer

You can't choose your parents, nor your date of birth, and if he had had the choice, David Ferrer would have postponed (or advanced) his birth by ten years. Despite a remarkable level of consistency, the Spaniard saw the "gang of four" continue to win all the titles and honours. But his patience was rewarded... With the withdrawals of Federer and Nadal and Djokovic focusing on the Masters in London, Ferrer seized his opportunity to win his first BNP Paribas Masters Series. Patience and work always pay off in the end.  

The Oscar for the player who remembered she was a good tennis player as well goes to ... Ana Ivanovic

In the past few years when you would type the name of Ana Ivanovic into a search engine, there were more results in the "images" section than in the "news" section. But the Serb is not only a pretty face. In 2012, she was almost back to her best after three seasons in the doldrums. So, please, avoid the comparisons with Anna Kournikova…  

The Oscar for the male player we really want to hear more about in 2013 goes to… David Goffin

With his look of a schoolboy lost in a world of adults, David Goffin is not a threat to the established order of world tennis. But give him a racquet and you will see… Revealed in an epic Roland Garros match against Roger Federer in the last 16, the Belgian has impressed his elders, from Roger himself to Mats Wilander. If he keeps his head, the 2013 season could be Goffin's.  

The Oscar of the female player we really want to hear more about (again) in 2013 goes to… Andrea Petkovic

Andrea Petkovic was dearly missed in 2012 women's tennis, first on the courts due to a chronic back pain, but also outside. Funny, cultured and multilingual (she writes a political column in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), the German always knows how to be in the news. By Alexandre Pedro