| Every professional tennis season unofficially begins | | | | Aussie Open titles, however, and he will be looking to |
| with the Australian Open. There are always a few | | | | restore his dominance Down Under next month. He |
| smaller tournaments in early January to kick off a | | | | should have a good chance of winning another title, as |
| season, but only when the players take their places at | | | | he salvaged his 2008 season by winning the last |
| the first Grand Slam of the year does the action really | | | | Grand Slam of the year at the U.S. Open. |
| heat up. | | | | Djokovic is the defending Australian Open champion, |
| The 2009 Australian Open begins on January 19, the | | | | as he captured his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne |
| third week of the tennis season. Heading into next | | | | by defeating Federer in the semifinals and Jo-Wilfried |
| year, the ATP Tour rankings show Rafael Nadal, | | | | Tsonga in a four-set final. The Serb also won the last |
| Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and | | | | tournament of 2008, capturing the Masters Cup trophy. |
| Nikolay Davydenko as the Top 5 players. Jo-Wilfried | | | | That victory gives Djokovic a full head of momentum |
| Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Andy Roddick, Juan Martin Del | | | | heading into 2009. |
| Potro, and James Blake round out the Top 10. | | | | A new Grand Slam contender, Murray, joined the fray |
| Only the Top 4, however, are considered serious | | | | in 2008. Murray finished runner-up to Roger Federer at |
| threats to win the upcoming Australian Open, which is | | | | the U.S. Open and won back-to-back Masters Series |
| staged in Melbourne, Australia at historic Melbourne | | | | titles in Cincinnati and Madrid. The Scot also reached |
| Park Tennis Center. Rod Laver Arena, named for the | | | | the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. |
| former Australian tennis great, will be the venue for the | | | | The Australian Open, however, often produces a |
| men's title match on February 1, 2009. | | | | surprise finalist. Recent runner-up finishers include |
| Nadal recently put an end to Federer's 237-week reign | | | | Rainer Schuettler in 2003, Marcos Baghdatis in 2006, |
| as the No. 1 player in the world. The pinnacle of Nadal's | | | | Fernando Gonzalez in 2007, and Tsonga in 2008. If |
| journey to the elusive top spot came last season at | | | | only one of the top four players reaches the 2009 title |
| Wimbledon, where he defeated the Swiss in a five-set | | | | match, there are several other men worth keeping an |
| classic to end Federer's run of five consecutive titles | | | | eye on to fill the other spot. Del Potro won four |
| at the All-England Club. Nadal also won his fourth | | | | consecutive ATP titles in July and August and did not |
| straight French Open crown, the Olympic gold medal in | | | | lose a single match in between Wimbledon and the |
| men's singles, the Masters Series event in Monte Carlo, | | | | U.S. Open. |
| and the Masters Series event in Hamburg. Injury | | | | Simon surged into the Top 10 with a title in Indianapolis, |
| concerns surrounding his knee are the only problems | | | | semifinal finishes at the Masters Series Canada and |
| Nadal has to deal with heading into 2009. | | | | the Masters Cup, and a runner-up performance in |
| Federer's 2008 campaign was not up to normal | | | | Madrid. Up-and-coming youngsters who could be |
| Federer standards, and it started with a loss in the | | | | ready for Grand Slam greatness also include Marin |
| semifinals of the Australian Open. Federer has three | | | | Cilic and Ernests Gulbis. |