The 'almost' greats of men's tennis

Robin to Batman, Genie to Aladin, Ferb to Phineas, Lt.Col. James Rhodes to Iron Man. The list of “Sidekicks” in the world of entertainment is ENDLESS!

So is the case with the most popular racquet sport in the world, Tennis. A sport that is always marked by eras of rivalry between the best players in their prime.

Here are some of the best players in the last decade who have been ignored by mainstream media not due to their lack of silverware but for being overshadowed by their more luminary peers.

1. Lleyton Hewitt

Being the youngest player to ever be ranked No.1 at the age of 20, erstwhile tennis star, Lleyton Hewitt’s career was marred by injuries and career threatening surgeries that eventually plotted the downfall of a short stint at the peak of men’s tennis.

Making an entrance at almost the same period as Roger Federer (who turned pro in 1998), Hewitt failed to display the dominance and longevity as Roger did, who became unstoppable following his maiden Wimbledon triumph in 2003.

2. Tommy Haas

Nearing 17 years in the sport since his debut in 1996, German hotshot Tommy Haas is still a veritable threat to any player that contests him.

Cutting a towering 6ft 3inch figure, Tommy’s bullet serves were an instant hit at the time of his arrival into the game. It wasn’t long till he broke into the Top 50 as he became the fastest player to do so, taking just 37 weeks since his maiden ATP Tour.

After grabbing the silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Tommy went through a purple patch in the ATP tour that saw him climb to No.2 in 2002.

However, inconsistency coupled with two prolonged spells of injuries and surgery ensured that Tommy’s wait for a Grand Slam continued.

Among the very few players who has seen through three dominant eras in tennis (Sampras, Federer, Djokovic), Haas has failed to stamp his authority on the sport during any of them, leaving many to regard him as the “greatest” to never win a Grand Slam.

3. Marat Safin

Russian dynamo Marat Safin, who stood a beastly 6ft 5 inches, was a devastating player during his prime years, well known for his backhand returns, two Grand slam victories to his name, with the most notable being his 2000 US Open final win against Pete Sampras.

Starting his professional career in 1997, Safin held the No.1 ranking for nine months between 2000 and 2001.

This talented Russian gave purists many fiesty battles to remember such as his Paris final with Agassi, his five hour-long semifinal Australian Open classic with Federer, and of course his memorable triumph against Pete Sampras.

However, he failed to establish his longevity in the game.

4. Robin Soderling

Robin Soderling is well known for his stunning victory over Rafael Nadal in the French Open. The 29-year-old Swede, however, has been a subject of inconsistency, illness, and fitness which prevented him from improving upon his impressive performances that took him to a career high No.4 ranking in 2010.

These are few of the promising players I felt had a lot to deliver but haven’t done so.