Weekly Lesson: New year starts with same '17 problems

Each week, Baseline will highlight a lesson to take from recent events in the sport, both on and off the court.

In most sports, a new season brings with it the promise of potential: a chance to put some distance between struggles of last season and renew the belief that anything is possible.

In this respect, tennis isn’t like most other sports. There’s no real offseason to speak of—just a few weeks during the holidays to rest before getting right back to training. The players may enter the new season with new goals and new coaches, but little else changes.

In the second half of 2017, a slew of big names needed to take more time away to heal. The focus of the speculation was not if or even when these players would return to action (everyone seemed to think they’d all be ready, if not by the Australian Open, shortly thereafter), but how dominant their return would be.

The list of benched stars included Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori, Serena Williams (maternity leave), Victoria Azarenka (custody battle complications), and later on in the fall, Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic.

Surely, they had plenty of time for all that after missing several months on tour, didn’t they?

A week into the 2018 season and time has yet to heal all wounds. Anyone who saw Djokovic making the late night TV rounds would have thought his return was imminent. Pain in his elbow has instead made him a question mark for the Australian Open after he pulled out of Doha.

The knees of Wawrinka and Nadal weren't quite ready to bear the weight of full competition either, but along with Djokovic, they've all arrived Melbourne.

Meanwhile, Nishikori has chosen to start 2018 at the ATP Challenger level instead after a wrist injury.

The hip problems that forced Murray off the tour after Wimbledon may in fact be chronic. He’s now undergone surgery that, even if successful, may be limited in effectiveness. Murray’s emotional admission underscored the new fragility of his career.

Indeed, not all the wounds are physical. As one new mother (Serena) gets her season underway, another is conspicuously absent: Azarenka. She’s been embroiled in a custody battle over her one-year-old son that’s kept her confined to California since last summer.

But for some turning the page to 2018 has already born fruit. A player like Nick Kyrgios, who himself has struggled with hip problems and motivation in the past, looked the model of focus with his title in Brisbane.

Few players could be happier 2017 is over than Angelique Kerber. After a two Slam campaign in 2016, Kerber plummeted from world No. 1 to No. 22. Her strong showing at the Hopman Cup has to give her some confidence. Her Perth final opponent, former world No. 7 Belinda Bencic, is making a comeback after being sidelined with injury for the last year—winning three titles in a row to close 2017.

Nothing is guaranteed in health and sport—that's really the lesson both fans and players can take into 2018. After a tumultuous 2017 that saw many of the world’s most popular, successful players undergoing seismic changes in their lives, let 2018 be the year the tennis world takes nothing for granted.

JANUARY: THIS MONTH ON TENNIS CHANNEL PLUS

NEW SEASON, MORE TENNIS! Get Tennis Channel Plus now at BuyTCPlus.com

A LOT of tennis action will be played on Tennis Channel Plus from January through June

Starting with January …  gear up for the Australian Open with LIVE tournaments in the lead up to AO, exclusively on Tennis Channel Plus

1. ATP Sydney

2. Fast 4 Sydney

3. World Tennis Channel – Adelaide

4. Australian Open Qualifying

5. Australian Open (Best 20 Matches of AO will be on-demand)

But for some turning the page to 2018 has already born fruit. A player like Nick Kyrgios, who himself has struggled with hip problems and motivation in the past, looked the model of focus with his title in Brisbane.

Few players could be happier 2017 is over than Angelique Kerber. After a two Slam campaign in 2016, Kerber plummeted from world No. 1 to No. 22. Her strong showing at the Hopman Cup has to give her some confidence. Her Perth final opponent, former world No. 7 Belinda Bencic, is making a comeback after being sidelined with injury for the last year—winning three titles in a row to close 2017.

Nothing is guaranteed in health and sport—that's really the lesson both fans and players can take into 2018. After a tumultuous 2017 that saw many of the world’s most popular, successful players undergoing seismic changes in their lives, let 2018 be the year the tennis world takes nothing for granted.

JANUARY: THIS MONTH ON TENNIS CHANNEL PLUS

NEW SEASON, MORE TENNIS! Get Tennis Channel Plus now at BuyTCPlus.com

A LOT of tennis action will be played on Tennis Channel Plus from January through June

Starting with January …  gear up for the Australian Open with LIVE tournaments in the lead up to AO, exclusively on Tennis Channel Plus

1. ATP Sydney

2. Fast 4 Sydney

3. World Tennis Channel – Adelaide

4. Australian Open Qualifying

5. Australian Open (Best 20 Matches of AO will be on-demand)