Tennis’ Biggest Flash-in-the-Pan Players of the Last 10 Years

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: March 25, 2016

commentComment        

Ernests Gulbis lost in the first round of the 2016 Miami Open, and hardly anyone noticed.

Just two years ago, he reached the semifinals of the French Open and became the first Latvian player to crack the ATP World Tour Top 10.

He's ranked No. 78 now and is 2-6 this season. After what appeared to be a breakthrough season in 2014, Gulbis has fallen in the rankings and is approaching obscurity. He's one of the biggest flash-in-the-pan tennis players in the last 10 years.

It takes distance and perspective to recognize a flash in the pan. In his or her moment, they look like the next big thing. Instead, they become a "whatever happened to...?"

Unlike the journeyman who scores an occasional upset, the flash in the pan soars to new heights and then nosedives.

Dustin Brown is a journeyman, not a flash in the pan. While Brown has never gotten anywhere close to Gulbis' Top 10 ranking, the German, also known as "Dreddy," has carved out a niche for himself as "a name" on the ATP Challenger Tour and a crowd-pleaser at Grand Slams. 

Flash-in-the-pan players are also different from has-beens. Has-beens, such as Francesca Schiavone, enjoyed sustained and consistent success on the tour. They've dropped off due to age or injury.

Robin Soderling and Victoria Duval are not on this list. Soderling was a top-tier player forced into early retirement due to illness. Duval, who had a flashy moment when she upset Sam Stosur at the 2013 U.S. Open, was only 18 when she learned she had cancer. She's making her comeback. 

You also won't find players such as Eugenie Bouchard or Sloane Stephens on this list. Both are under 24, still in the Top 50 and on the radar. 

The players on this list were "a thing," for a moment. They captured our attention as "ones to watch." Then, they swiftly faded out of view.

Ranked based on how steep their peak was compared to thei...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!