Tomas Berdych has been a stalwart of the ATP top 10 over the last six years and he has become one of the most consistent players on tour. However, the Czech powerhouse does not look like making a Grand Slam breakthrough as he keeps falling in the quarterfinals of major events, with his latest a straight sets quarterfinal exit at the Australian Open at the hands of Roger Federer.
Entry to Top 10
Berdych entered the top 10 for the first time in 2006 and would spend limited weeks there over the next few years. During the 2010 season, the Czech would find his groove and finally cement his spot inside the top echelon of men’s tennis.
The power hitter made his first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros that year, where he would lose an epic five set match to Swede Robin Soderling. His ranking after that tournament would rise to 13, ever so close to breaking back into the top 10.
Wimbledon Final
The Czech’s best performance came a month later at Wimbledon where he would make a golden run to the final that included consecutive victories over Federer and Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinal and semi final respectively. His momentum was halted in the championship match against Rafael Nadal, who recorded a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory to claim his second title at the All England Club.
Berdych reached his then career high ranking of four after that tournament and he has remained in the top 10 since then and has been looked at as a dangerous player due to his power and aggression.
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Why has he not broken through
Even though the Czech has been sitting comfortably for the past six years, he has been criticized for not taking the next step. Berdych has only won seven titles since 2010, with the Czech not claiming a tournament victory in 2013 and not winning until September in 2015.
He has also never reached another Grand Slam final since his lone run at Wimbledon, only making another three semifinals along with seven quarterfinals. Fans would expect a better return from a player of that caliber, and those results have raised the questions as to whether he has the ability to win a major.
The emergence of Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic over the last two years has also been a factor that have caused fans and the media to question Berdych’s game. If he had the quality, wouldn’t he have been able to break through and win a Grand Slam along with the likes of Wawrinka and Cilic?
In the era of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray, it is understandable that Berdych has not been able to reach heights greater than what he has over his career. Fans would be truly ecstatic to see the Czech finally win a Grand Slam, but at 30 years old is time running out for Berdych?