Now that the “tennis season” is officially over, except for the Davis Cup Final, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the year-end 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.  What did each player accomplish and what did we learn about each player which could impact his 2011 season...

Rafael Nadal – He definitely proved that he can compete with anyone on any surface, even when he is fatigued.  The key for Rafa will be to rest, recover and recharge during the off-season in order to shoot for a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title “down under”.

Roger Federer – Winning the title, especially playing so aggressively in the final against Rafa, was a huge confidence boost going into the off-season and 2011.  Federer remains a threat at every Slam in 2011 and will definitely be aiming to regain the Number One ranking.

Novak Djokovic – His “game” and confidence are back, but he still has yet to break through and win a “major” since capturing the 2008 Australian Open.  Although Novak may have had one eye on the upcoming Davis Cup final in Serbia, 2011 will be an important year for him to make a move at a Slam and up the rankings.

Andy Murray – (Still) so close, but yet so far… from winning a “major” title.  Murray played well at times and fortunately seems to have taken heart from his performance as he heads off to vacation.  2011 will shed light on whether Murray really is a Grand Slam champion or merely a strong contender…

Robin Soderling – He played solid tennis, but seems mired in the middle of the top ten pack and unable to beat the “big boys on the big stage” and grab a major title.  In 2011, Soderling will try yet again to take the next step…

Tomas Berdych – The talent is there and he redeemed his poor post-Wimbledon and French Open season with some strong play.  However, in 2011 Berdych will need to prove that his stellar Slam performances in 2011 were not a fluke by posting some strong results early in the season.

David Ferrer – He had a tough time and lost all his matches, not playing/serving particularly well in any of them.  Nonetheless, Ferrer’s 2011 will be much more about whether he can continue to beat the players below him than whether he can beat the top guys.

Andy Roddick – He started off strongly in his opening match against Nadal before losing in three sets, but faded “quickly” in his next two losses.  Roddick will need to think hard during his off-season about how he intends to move back into Grand Slam contention while also not slipping down the rankings… it won’t be easy…