With the Australian Open kicking off the new 2010 tennis year, the action is officially back. There are many players rounding out a field that finds itself more competitive than it’s been in quite a few years.

While recent years seemingly belonged to Federer and Nadal and their classic rivalry with one another, there are a few more players in the mix who should pose a threat to them both.

Though Federer and Nadal occupy the top two spots in the world, there are a few players who could end up the year ranked at number one. Let’s take a look at the most likely finishers now.

Obviously, there’s Roger Federer. He should always be considered the favorite to finish at the top of the rankings, as he’s done so nearly every year during the course of the last decade. Still, his age of 29 means he’s getting up there in years.

If you’re an avid tennis player, perhaps you’ve enjoyed the privilege of playing on red clay courts. This is an old surface with a deep rooted history of tradition that dates back to the origins of the sport in parts of Europe like Spain and France.

Playing on clay can be an extremely enjoyable experience, though anyone living in North America may have a hard time finding a court. Regardless, it’s a surface that many lovers of the sport truly cherish.

Many people wonder about the differences between clay courts and other surfaces like hard and grass courts. If you’re wondering the same thing, you’re about to learn the key characteristics of these courts and how they may impact your strategy.

First of all, the most effective strategy on this surface has always been one from the baseline. Players traditionally rely on powerful ground strokes as a means of winning their matches.

Most of my articles focus on the state of men’s tennis, but I’d like to talk about the women this time around. Many believe that it’s the biggest women’s sport in the world, and I would agree.

Women are faster, stronger, and harder working in the world of professional tennis and we’ve been lucky enough to see some absolutely great players. Here are the 7 best since 1980, in my opinion.

Coming in at number seven on my list is Venus Williams. In her late 20s now, she’s been in pro tennis for 15 years and she’s simply been phenomenal. With many grand slam wins and a firm grip on Wimbledon, she’s one of the best women to ever play the sport.

While Venus Williams is a legend, Justine Henin was just a little better. Beating Venus on many occasions, this small Belgian warrior has 9 slams. The difference between Henin and Venus is the fact that she won these over a 9 year period.

August 12th, 2009 was a bright, sunny Wednesday morning in Canada. Since I was working at the Rogers Cup, I had admission to the grounds and had specifically asked for the day off so I would be able to go check out all the professionals’ warmups. It was really a loaded schedule with the finest ten competing during the day.

At 11 that morning, a friend and I headed over to Court 4 where the world’s top ranked player, Roger Federer, was due to get there at within 30 minutes. Already filled with about several hundred people, there was very little room to move.

As the time approached, the place was filled with fans who eagerly waited to get a glimpse of the best to ever play the game. With the sun soaring at 95 degrees fahrenheit, we watched him warm up and we saw him hitting balls. To be honest, it was pretty boring and was supposed to go on for 2 hours.

Juan Martin del Potro. Many forget to mention del Potro when speaking of top contenders, but his potential on the hard court is undeniable. Del Potro won 23 straight matches last summer, capturing four tournament victories in a row leading straight up to the 2008 US Open, besting any teenager in tennis history except for Rafael Nadal.

Del Potro reached the quarterfinals at least year’s open, but was stopped short by Andy Murray in a four set nailbiter. Murray went on to advance to the finals. This is all an indication that an improving Del Potro can’t be overlooked at this year’s tournament.

Andy Roddick: Andy Roddick is realistically the only American hopeful at grand slam events, and has remained that way for quite some time. For a long time, Roddick often occupied the 5-8 seeds, although such a high seeding was virtually meaningless given the dominance of top 3 players Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Federer has since experienced some shakiness, Nadal has struggled with injury, and Djokovic’s mental game has affected his performance, thus opening the door for players like Roddick to make a measurable impact.