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Roger Federer defied his critics to break more records

Roger Federer won his 15th Grand Slam to overtake Pete Sampras' record © Getty Images

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After a year in which the women's number one changed hands five times, and Roger Federer made history, twice, we take a look back at 2009, and look to the season ahead.

The year 2009 will be remembered, first and foremost for Roger Federer's return to the top of the men's game, and for his 15th career Grand Slam, overtaking Pete Sampras' record to become the most successful men's player in the Open era. His five-set victory over three-time runner-up Andy Roddick at Wimbledon showed the gutsier side to his game that was missing when he conceded his No. 1 status to Rafael Nadal in 2008.

Meanwhile, on the women's tour, Dinara Safina continued her Grand Slam duck. Despite being ranked number one for much of 2009, she failed to triumph at a Grand Slam, cruising to both the Australian and French Open finals, but crumbling under the pressure at the crucial moment, prompting calls for the ranking points system to be reviewed.

It was Serena Williams who ended the year at No. 1. Despite having 11 Grand Slam titles to her name, and a habitual presence in the top ten for over a decade, it was the first time since 2002 that she ended the year as the top-ranked player.

Kim Clijsters made an impressive comeback to the professional game with victory at the US Open, and now Justine Henin is following suit, with her eyes on the Australian Open, and in particular Wimbledon, the only major she has never won.

And with Danish star Caroline Wozniacki enjoying an impressive 2009 to climb to fourth, and former number one Ana Ivanovic looking like she's back to her best, it will be an intriguing year for women's tennis.

And the award goes to…

Men's player of the year - Roger Federer
Just under a year ago, with Rafael Nadal having won the Australian Open, many began to question whether Federer's reign was over, and a new era of Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic had begun. But Federer answered his critics, and emphatically re-established himself as the world No. 1.

Women's player - Serena Williams
After a number of disappointing seasons battling injury, Williams showed signs of being back to her ominous best, winning two double Grand Slam titles (singles and women's doubles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon) and ending the year as No. 1. She is still way off the dominant form that saw her complete her Serena Slam in 2003, but for the first year since 2002 she finished the year at the top of the women's rankings. However, her successes were overshadowed by her outburst at the US Open that saw her fined US$10,500 and put on probation.

Most improved player
Although US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro deserves a mention, becoming the first player to beat both Federer and Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament, the winner is Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki. Three titles and her first Grand Slam final at the US Open helped her climb from world No.12 to fourth in 2009, aged just 19 .

Most memorable moment
Just as Roger Federer has dominated the headlines this year, he also dominates the awards list. While his Wimbledon final was the more important title for the history books, it was his French Open triumph a month earlier that was surely the more significant for Federer, who has since become a father to twin girls. With five US Open titles, five Wimbledon victories and three Australian successes to his name, he was already one of the most successful players in the men's game. But like Sampras, Federer had never won the French Open. But with defending champion Rafael Nadal struggling with a knee injury that later saw him withdraw from Wimbledon, Federer's victory over Robin Soderling to win that elusive Grand Slam at Roland Garros and become just the sixth man in history to win a career Grand Slam must have been the sweeter.

Serena Williams confronts the line-judge © Getty Images

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Most bizarre moment
That Kim Clijsters crowned her comeback with a Grand Slam title was enough to make the headlines, but the manner of her semi-final victory was even more unconventional. In the women's semi-final at the US Open against Serena Williams, a line-judge called a foot-fault on Williams' serve to hand Clijsters match point. Williams furiously questioned the line-judge's call, and was handed a penalty point for unsporting behaviour to hand Clijsters the victory.

Best match - Roger Federer v Andy Roddick - Men's Wimbledon final
On the back of his first French Open title, Federer was the favourite to recapture the Wimbledon crown for a sixth time. Crowd favourite Andy Murray fell at the final hurdle to Andy Roddick, to set up a repeat of the 2004 and 2005 finals. A year on from Nadal's thrilling victory over Federer in what has been dubbed the greatest match of the decade, Federer and Roddick delivered an impressive encore, in an epic five-set encounter lasting over four hours, in which Federer who triumphed 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14. Amazingly though, it was Roddick who set a new record for the number of games won in a Wimbledon final at 39, compared to Federer's 38.

Looking ahead to 2010...

Britain's Andy Murray still looking for his first Grand Slam title, but the men's tour is as wide open as it has ever been since the beginning of the Federer dominance in 2004. Although the 15-time Grand Slam winner is back on top of the rankings, the fear factor is well and truly gone and, as the stats show, Federer is beatable.

It's now the top five rather than the top four, due to the rise of Del Potro this year, but Murray's first major title could come as early as January at the Australian Open, but it won't be easy. Federer will be top seed, but Nadal beat him in the final last year, and Del Potro could well make it two in a row after his US Open triumph in September. Djokovic has won in Melbourne before, and Andy Roddick could be a dark horse after a number of impressive performances in 2009 after two years struggling with injury.

And in the women's game, Britain have three women in the top 100 for the first time in a long time. With Elena Baltacha, Anne Keothavong and Katie O'Brien all ending the year in the top 100, plus youngsters Heather Watson and Laura Robson coming through, the future of British women's tennis looks bright. For any of the top three, breaking into the top 50 is not an unachievable prospect, and impressive runs at Wimbledon would signal a strong season.

Ones to watch for 2010
Still only 17, Bernard Tomic is tipped to be the next big thing on the men's tennis circuit. At 15, he was the youngest Australian Open boy's champion in 2008, and last year won his opening match at the 2009 Australian Open in the main draw, Challenger Title in Maccabi.

On the women's tour, Justine Henin is undoubtedly the one to keep your eye on. The former world number one makes her return to the professional game in January, and few would write her off to emulate Roger Federer in achieving a career Grand Slam.

Jo Carter is assistant editor of ESPN.co.uk

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