Tomas Berdych

Tomas Berdych is a Czech tennis player who has put together an enviable career during one of the toughest eras in men's tennis. Despite being frequently pitted against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Berdych has been a consistent presence at the top of the ATP tour for close to a decade. He has had impressive results at both Grand Slams and smaller tournaments, and has earned considerable praise for his hard work and dedication. Berdych is an attacking player who can generate effortless power from the baseline with his tremendous racquet head speed. He hits both his forehand and his backhand with a lot of flat pace, and looks to take the ball on the rise at every opportunity. He also comes to the net on occasion in order to finish points quickly. Berdych goes for big returns off both wings, and is capable of putting opponents on the defensive during their service games.

Berdych's power off the ground is devastating, and has been known to unsettle even the best players in the world. He can hit winners from anywhere on the court, often changing the entire dynamic of a rally with a single big strike. Berdych's backhand is his more solid wing, and he uses it for both offense and defense. While his two-handed topspin drive can push players well behind the court, his slice and outstretched jab can also keep him in points long enough to elicit an error from the opponent.

Berdych was born in Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic. His father Martin has worked as a train engineer while mother Hana is a doctor. Berdych took up tennis at the age of five, and was a highly successful on the junior circuit as a teenager. He turned pro in 2002 and within two years shocked the tennis world by defeating then World No. 1 Roger Federer at the Athens Olympics. The Czech won his first big title at the 2005 Paris Masters while aged just 20, and has been a regular presence among the tennis elite since then. Berdych was in a relationship with tennis player Lucie Safarova until 2011, and in 2015 he got married to model Ester Satorova.

Berdych has reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams. Alongside his Wimbledon performance in the same year, he reached the semifinals of the 2010 French Open, defeating fourth seed Andy Murray in straight sets in the fourth round, and dropping no sets until his loss in the semifinals to Robin Söderling. At the 2012 US Open he defeated No. 1 Roger Federer, again at the quarterfinal stage, before losing to eventual champion Murray. During the 2014 Australian Open he lost to eventual champion Stanislas Wawrinka in four sets during the semifinals. He is the second player (after David Nalbandian) to defeat Roger Federer multiple times in Grand Slam events before the semifinal stage. He has the distinction of being one of three players, the others being Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Stan Wawrinka, to defeat all the Big Four in major events.

Grand Slam Singles record:

Australian open: SF (2014, 2015)

French Open: SF (2010)

Wimbledon: F (2010)

US Open: SF (2012)