Jelena Jankovic

This 21-year-old Serbian took the U.S. Open by storm and could well have made it to the final. She squandered a set and 4-2 lead against Henin-Hardenne in the semifinals, and was seemingly overcome by the occasion as she conceded the last ten games to drop that contest. But Jankovic’s stirring run to the penultimate round— she cut down No. 9 seed Nicole Vaidisova, No. 6 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 4 Elena Dementieva along the way— was a tribute to her growing potential as a big time player. Her big hitting game is backed up by admirable court sense and a willingness to come forward and finish off points assertively at the net. She has the brain to match her brawn.

Jankovic will inevitably suffer through some growing pains as she seeks to find a place for herself among the elite in her sport, but the view here is that by the middle of 2007 she should be on the border of the top five in the world. She has the right mentality to be a champion, and Jankovic will surely make her presence known in the women’s game over the next three to four years. Look for her to win one major in the coming year.